MerCruiser Axius 350 MAG, User Manual

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Section 3 - On The Water
90-899883234 JANUARY 2008 Page 47
TO MANEUVER THE BOAT IN FORWARD
Place one or both engines in forward gear and steer with the steering wheel as you would
any comparable boat.
TO STEER THE BOAT IN TIGHT TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS
• To turn the boat in tight turns at low speeds, turn the wheel in the direction of the turn.
• To increase the turn rate of the boat after the wheel is completely turned, you may
increase the power to the inside drive.
TO SPIN THE BOAT AT LOW SPEEDS
• To spin to the right, place the starboard engine in reverse and the port engine in forward.
• To spin to the left, place the port engine in reverse and the starboard engine in forward.
• To increase the rate of turn, simultaneously adjust each ERC lever for more throttle.
Maneuvering with the Joystick
!
WARNING
A spinning propeller, a moving boat, or any solid device attached to the boat can cause
serious injury or death to swimmers. Stop the engine immediately whenever anyone in
the water is near your boat.
The joystick provides an intuitive driver interface to maneuver the vessel. Operating the
vessel with the joystick is well suited for close quarter operations and when docking. The
computer control system automatically calculates the steering angle of each drive, the
throttle level, and the proper gear to push or rotate the boat in a direction corresponding
to a joystick movement or twist. For example, if you move the joystick sideways, the
computer control system applies a thrust to the boat in the sideways direction. Rotating the
joystick prompts the computer to create forces that rotate the boat around its center. You
can move and rotate the joystick at the same time, allowing intricate movements in tight
quarters.
The joystick is proportional, which means that the greater distance from the center that the
joystick is moved, the more thrust that is applied to the boat in that direction, to move the
boat.
The computer control system automatically attempts to dampen bow swinging during
joystick operation. If the joystick is not twisted, the computer measures the yaw rate of the
boat and actively counteracts the yaw motion of the boat.
For joystick movement of the boat:
1. Both engines must be running for the Joystick to operate.
2. For best control, trim both drives to the full down position.
3. Move both electronic remote control (ERC) levers to the neutral position.
4. Move the joystick in the direction that you want the boat to move, or twist the joystick
in the direction that you want the boat to rotate. The joystick can be moved and rotated
at the same time.
The following table gives some limited examples of the basic responses to inputs from the
joystick.
Maneuvering with the Joystick