Yes, I’m inclined to think it will be fine. As say, the remotes for the (Sidepower) thrusters are cheap. I’m debating one of those wireless deadman’s handles to kill the engine as well, both from its intended use if I fall off but also if it’s trying to run away and I’m on the bank or lock.Excuse the thread drift.
I have a friend with a 60ft Dutch barge. He has remotes on his bow and stern thrusters and his party piece is to stand on the bank, untie the ropes , move the boat mid stream, turn it around and bring it back in. He can do this even when there’s a knot or two of stream running.
As the bits to remote control your thrusters are cheap as chips on eBay I’d suggest trying that first. Dockmate and its alternative are expensive and you may find you can manage perfectly well without it.
I’m single handed since my wife passed some years ago. Since then I’ve had boats with twin shafts and a bow thruster on remote, a single shaft with bow and stern thrusters on remote, and currently twin outdrives with a bow thruster on remote. All of which I generally quite happily handle alone (admittedly I do have moments with the current boat when my hard-wired brain thinks shafts not outdrives). A wireless kill switch would be a good idea. For coastal/sea work I’d also recommend carrying a PLB1 attached to your life jacket.Yes, I’m inclined to think it will be fine. As say, the remotes for the (Sidepower) thrusters are cheap. I’m debating one of those wireless deadman’s handles to kill the engine as well, both from its intended use if I fall off but also if it’s trying to run away and I’m on the bank or lock.
Do you have remote for the outdrives on the last? I was lucky enough to have a nice guy take me out in a Sealine SC29 when I was in France a few weeks back and it was quite impressive how he could use the drives opposed and the bow thruster to dock sideways. The boat I have bought has single shaft, bow and stern thrusters. It also has twin rudders but I don't think it is practical or necessary to remote themI’m single handed since my wife passed some years ago. Since then I’ve had boats with twin shafts and a bow thruster on remote, a single shaft with bow and stern thrusters on remote, and currently twin outdrives with a bow thruster on remote. All of which I generally quite happily handle alone (admittedly I do have moments with the current boat when my hard-wired brain thinks shafts not outdrives). A wireless kill switch would be a good idea. For coastal/sea work I’d also recommend carrying a PLB1 attached to your life jacket.
Unfortunately no. I have a pair of KAD300s which have fly-by-wire controls but apparently it’s not possible to control them remotely. I had lengthy phone conversations with Dockmate and YachtController but neither could come up with a solution. I also spoke with VP at the Southampton boat show and drew a blank there too. I’m no electronics expert but I can’t really see why it’s not possible to replicate the required engine inputs via a device that can be controlled remotely.Do you have remote for the outdrives on the last? I was lucky enough to have a nice guy take me out in a Sealine SC29 when I was in France a few weeks back and it was quite impressive how he could use the drives opposed and the bow thruster to dock sideways. The boat I have bought has single shaft, bow and stern thrusters. It also has twin rudders but I don't think it is practical or necessary to remote them