I can also grab a line or two and still maintain control of the boat as needed.
It's in a very tight slip and aft visibility in that boat is horrible, so it allows me to stand on the aft deck, and I can judge my distance on the bow from the stern because it's been at the same slip for 6 years now and allows me to spin the stern around. I do use the remote control yacht controller on a Sunseeker predator everytime I pull it out of the slip. I didn't like it, it was kind of clunky in it's actions and a bit violent maneuvering docking.stayed in gear too long etc.… I've used both Yacht Controller products, one was the joystick fixed on the aft deck. “This allows them to enjoy boating without grief, and it can be a marriage saver.I do prefer fixed aft deck controls on the aft deck if you can really see with them and get your hands on them. “People can run their boat, and they can tie it up by themselves,” Berton says. Overall, yacht owners can expect far less stressful docking and easier close-quarters maneuvering-and, potentially, the ability to do short- or singlehanded cruising. For example, Sheehan says, Dockmate installers can dial down the bow thruster rpm to match the vessel’s stern thruster or modify the throttle governor.
DOCKMATE REVIEWS TRIAL
The majority of the time, you’re going less than 5 knots.”Īs with any crucial system, these require yacht owners to set up a sea trial to familiarize themselves and to identify vessel-specific customizations. Such authority settings can sometimes be custom-configured, however, Berton offers a cautionary note: “When you start going 5 knots, your chances of accidents are high. “We purposefully dialed back the rpm to a maximum of 30 percent of the engine’s capacity to keep boaters from using it for other means.” ¶ “It’s only for docking,” says Sheehan, adding that the system is also useful for performing other low-speed, high-precision maneuvers such as anchoring, retrieving a man overboard, collecting crab traps or helping an angler land a pelagic prize. While this ability adds utility and safety, these systems have narrowly defined onboard roles. Additionally, some systems allow users to control peripheral devices such as passerelles or swimplatform elevators.Įngine type aside, wireless vessel control systems untether operators from the helm, allowing them to put eyeballs on the right bits of brine. While each system differs, most wireless ones give operators command over the yacht’s engines or pod drives, bow and stern thrusters, anchor windlass, and horn.
DOCKMATE REVIEWS SOFTWARE
This hardware runs on sophisticated software that typically integrates directly with existing engine controls to deliver handheld wireless command of the yacht, so long as the transmitter is within range of the receiver. I had to agree that while wireless vessel controls aren’t mandatory safety equipment, they do make docking easier, safer and more intuitive.Īt their core, today’s vessel-control systems, including Dockmate and Yacht Controller, consist of a wireless transmitter (the controller), a black-box receiver and a set of connecting cables. At its darkest, it’s a public shaming that so often comes with a memorable yard bill or marriage counseling (or, worse still, the hat trick). As a lifelong sailor who’s shy about docking powerboats, I felt mild trepidation, but the system was so intuitive that I quickly got comfortable spinning circles and performing other maneuvers using the controller and, through it, the Topaz’s single screw and bow and stern thrusters.Ĭrosswinds, currents and skinny margins for error: At its brightest hour, docking is an art form.
Victor Avila, Dockmate’s chief technical specialist, handed me a Dockmate wireless device and control of the Topaz 27 center-console-in clear view of several thousand spectators. Andrea MuscatelloĪn earnest crosswind piped across the waters off Florida’s Virginia Key, where the Miami International Boat Show was well underway. Wireless controllers can enhance docking and close-quarters maneuvering.
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