Volvo Penta introduced Joystick steering two decades ago and has continued to pioneer ways to use the combination of engines, thrusters and GPS to help skippers maneuver their boats more easily and precisely.
I was involved in the early demonstrations of the Volvo Dynamic Positioning technology back then and was amazed at how well even the prototype held a boat in position and allowed the skipper to turn a boat inside its own length.
Last fall at the Ft. Lauderdale show, I got to test the latest Volvo Joystick iteration with the new Assisted Docking Function that allows you to use the Joystick to move a boat sideways up to or away from a dock in three-foot increments. (Read the review here.).
Joystick technology continues to evolve and outboard manufacturers Mercury and Yamama are developing truly advanced joystick systems. Mercury recently introduced a system that works with only a single engine and thruster while Yamaha has developed a wand-controller that you hold in your hand.
