Mercury 92-858058K01, Manual, Page: 44 / 150

Section 3 - On the Water
Page 36 90-879172181
eng
FEBRUARY 2011
To Steer the Boat in Tight Turns at Low Speeds
1. To turn the boat in tight turns at low speeds, turn the wheel in the direction of the turn.
2. 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 on its Axis at Low Speeds
1. Center the steering wheel.
2. To spin to the right, place the starboard engine in reverse and the port engine in forward.
3. To spin to the left, place the port engine in reverse and the starboard engine in forward.
4. To increase the rate of turn, simultaneously adjust each ERC lever for more throttle.
Maneuvering with a Joystick
Depending on the version of the SmartCraft engine control system used to operate the vessel, there may be multiple auxiliary
joystick stations (up to four per vessel) in addition to the joystick that is present at each helm station. Typically an auxiliary joystick
station will be located at the aft end or either side of the boat to provide easier docking and better lines of sight. Refer to
Section
2
:
Joystick—Basic Operation
and
Operating with an Auxiliary Joystick
for additional information.
The joystick provides a single lever interface to maneuver the vessel. Operating the vessel with the joystick when the engine and
drive functions are normal is well suited for close quarter operations and when docking. During normal operation, the joystick
causes the control system to independently control each pod angle and thrust to move or rotate the boat in a desired direction.
For example, if you move the joystick sideways, the control system commands the vessel in the sideways direction.
IMPORTANT: When at least one engine system is running and operational on triple and quad Zeus installations, the joystick at
the helm station or the auxiliary joystick station will have electronic control of the vessel by using that one engine system or all of
the engine systems that remain operational.
However, the loss of any engine or drive results in a reduction of physical control of the vessel using the helm’s joystick or an
auxiliary joystick. The performance of the vessel using the joystick is related to the number and location of engine systems that
remain operational.
There are three levels of control when the system is not fully functional:
•
Reduced
—at least two engines are operational and are on either side of hull centerline (i.e. one port and one starboard)
•
Minimal
—one engine or more remain operational on one side of the hull centerline (i.e. engine or engines only on port side)
•
Disabled
—no engines are operational on either side of hull centerline, the starboard outer engine is keyed off, or a critical
fault has occurred.
NOTE: The center engine in a triple is not utilized during joystick control.
IMPORTANT: System faults can occur on any one engine or drive system that will disable helm joystick operation. If such system
faults occur, you must operate the vessel using the ERC and steering wheel. However, these system faults do not disable an
auxiliary joystick's operation unless the fault has occurred on the starboard‑outer drive system.
If the system fault has occurred on any engine/drive system other than the starboard‑outer engine/drive system, the auxiliary
joystick remains operational at reduced or minimal capability as described above.
During normal operation the joystick gives three axis control: fore and aft, port and starboard, and rotational, or any combination.
For example, moving the joystick to port causes the boat to move sideways to port. Rotating the joystick causes the boat to rotate
around its center. You can move and rotate the joystick at the same time, allowing for very intricate movements for maneuvering
in tight quarters.
The SmartCraft control system automatically attempts to dampen bow and stern swinging (referred to as yaw) when using the
joystick. An on‑board sensor measures the yaw rate of the boat and actively counteracts the yaw motion.
Factors, such as wind, water conditions, or vessel loading, may act upon the vessel beyond the system's capability to correct yaw,
particularly if some engines or drives are not operating in a normal mode. Manual yaw correction may be required when
commanding the boat in the fore and aft, port and starboard, or diagonal directions. To correct for unintended yaw during a
maneuver under normal operating conditions, rotate the joystick in the direction the bow is desired to rotate.
To maneuver the boat with a helm joystick:
1. Move both electronic remote control (ERC) levers to the neutral position.
2. 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.
To maneuver the boat with an auxiliary joystick:
1. Transfer control of the vessel to an auxiliary joystick station. Refer to
Section 3—Auxiliary Joystick Station Transfer
.
2. 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. The joystick is proportional,
which means that the farther from the center the joystick is moved, the more thrust is applied to the boat in that direction.