Mercury introduces Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels

MIAMI (Feb. 15, 2024) — Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), introduced Mercury Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels, compatible for use with the Mercury Verado family of V8, V10 and V12 outboard engines from 250 to 600hp, at the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show in Miami Beach, Florida. Enhanced by electric steering, Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels rounds out Mercury’s suite of joystick systems, delivering effortless command and control to owners of vessels powered by sterndrives, inboards, Zeus pod drives, multi-outboard installations, multi-outboards with an integrated bow thruster, single-engine pontoons with deployable thrusters, and now, boats with only a single outboard engine for propulsion.

“This new joystick steering system is unique in that it is specifically designed for single-engine vessels. It features a simple, single-touchpoint user interface for throttle, shift and steering, facilitating ergonomic one-handed operation,” said Tyler Mehrl, senior category manager, joystick, steering, and throttle & shift controls.

Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels eliminates the need for boaters to use both hands to throttle, shift and steer during low-speed maneuvers like docking. Not only is one-handed operation more convenient, but the precision control that the steering system provides will give users greater confidence in situations where maneuvering a single outboard can be more challenging than a multi-engine configuration.

The new single-engine joystick has a sleek design without any physical buttons. It allows for proportional forward and reverse movement and the twist function provides precise, intuitive steering.

When Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels is integrated with a compatible multifunction display (MFD) incorporating GPS and Mercury SmartCraft Connect, it also offers autopilot features. “There are two autopilot features, Heading and Route,” Mehrl explained. “You easily can set up a route on the MFD by dropping waypoints. When the Heading function is activated, you can make 1- or 10-degree adjustments to your heading on the MFD, or 10-degree adjustments by twisting the joystick, so you can use it to really fine-tune your direction of travel.”

Mercury Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels will be available starting April 15, 2024. For more information, visit mercurymarine.com.