Will the joystick replace the wheel?

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Rob MBM Editor

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In Tech Talk in the September issue of MBY we look at the idea of the joystick replacing the ship's wheel.

The idea of banishing the wheel for an ugly plastic knob may sound outrageous to some, but it's already happening in the commercial shipping world and with the introduction of Volvo's IPS and CMD's Project Zeus, maybe it's only a matter of time before the first leisure motorboats are being produced without steering wheels at all.

We want to know what you think. Are joysticks the future? What are the pros and cons and would you be happy buying a motorboat with just joystick controls?

Let us know your thoughts here and we will publish the most interesting replies in a forthcoming Tech Talk.
 
I don't see the wheel dissappering in the near future although the joystick and autopilot may make it obsolete.

Most of the people I know who have autopilot already use it it preference to steering with the wheel in open water, so if the joystick is better than a wheel for close quarters work then the wheel will be obsolete.

However, I do believe that people will want to retain the wheel for "comfort". The old worry about reliabilty of electronics near water will persist for a long time I think, having a mechanical wheel as backup will provide reassurance.

It will be a brave boatbuilder who is the first to offer the market a boat without a wheel
 
The pro's have been doing it for years now, so I think it's probable more so than possible.

Ferry_helm.jpg
 
The only thing I use a wheel for. Is hanging onto if it's rough.

Engines in the marina, then auto pilot, even in rivers.

However, I've had auto pilot failier, also stearing failier, but never both at the same time. So on balance, keep the thing, if only to hang on to.
 
I managed the build of some boats for a commercial client which were the first in his fleet with joysticks. The crews insisted on a wheel for normal helming but accepted joysticks only at the wheelhouse wings from where berthing command had to be taken (for visibility reasons).

Within hours the wheels were being ignored by the crews. As another has said wheelless commercial boats are common, and although I don't have alot to do with small pleasure MoBo's I am surprised to learn that wheelless pleasure ones don't exist. I suspect they must be just around the corner tho'.

John
 
Quite a few Ellings I've seen are delivered with a follow-up steering joystick, and I must admit that at 8 turns lock-to-lock, I tend to use the autopilot in followup mode when manoevring as its faster

Not sure I could do away with the wheel altogether though - for psychological reasons, as well as a backup in case the steering pump on the autopilot fails...

Rick
 
Ok.. I.m an old stick in the mud. but give me a wheel every time.However on the SEaCat ferry from Liverpool to the IOM. they do have a wheel, BUT its tiny,, about 10 ins across.. but with power assist and fly by wire etc its all that's needed. Personally I think you have more feel, control,, than pushing a stick .....

Drew.
 
I don't think it would ever work on small fast boats. The amount of movement is such that the joystick would be waggling all over the place, with 'interesting' results
 
Guess not.... yet ... need to have dual hydraulic (elecrto/hydraulic) systems for backup at least ... things on our boats are always built to a budget, and components will fail at some stage. I for one would like to see some backup systems in place before that happens ... and a wheel may be a cheap alternative. Also as mentioned on fast boats, there would be some difficulties to maintain control with a joystick if it gets bouncy...
 
it would be expensive and overly complicated to deliver a fly by wire solution to small single engined boats where feel is a factor - at the opposite end of the spectrum it is a logical developement and happening already.
the question therefore has to be 'How far will it percolate?'; price will probably be the most significant factor with personal preferences and psycological hangups providing the braking influences to change.
 
Perhaps for the sake of clarity I should point out that when I said "small pleasure boats" in my post I meant boats under around 80 foot so not meaning to infer that joysticks are fine on very small wave hoppers (especially in F10) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

John
 
[ QUOTE ]
Here. Can I have one of them there pins to keep my posts at the top, however tedious they may be?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, I've left my code book in my other jacket... care to translate? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
The pin thing that's holding this at the top even though others have posted stuff since this one . If you look on the left of the post , there's a pin there , so this will stay at the top until the pin is removed
 
Rob on MBY asked me to make this post 'sticky' (hence the pin). It's only there for a few days, then will drop back into its natural place.
 
I wasn't objecting Kieth , just explaining

For what it's worth , I don't ever see joysticks being accepted on anything other than the larger boats , most with smaller boats rely on the feel of the helm to know if anything is wrong , and I don't think that could be replicated . Also , the worry of yet another gadget to go wrong would be a deciding factor
IMHO of course
 
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