The award was presented at the 2023 Miami International Boat Show, and it celebrates Volvo Penta’s new Joystick Docking system.
The Miami Innovation Awards are presented by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boat Writers International (BWI) each year at the Miami International Boat Show, celebrating the marine products that are poised to evolve the boating industry. Volvo Penta won an award in the propulsion equipment category that recognies its innovative Joystick Docking system for single-diesel Aquamatic sterndrive applications.
Volvo Penta’s Joystick Docking system exemplifies the company’s commitment to providing boaties with a premium experience through technology that avoids stress and increases enjoyment when driving a boat. The captain simply presses the Docking button on the base of the joystick control, and boat manoeuvering features — steering, gear control, bow thruster, throttle — are controlled easily with just one hand. Previously, this technology was only found on larger, multi-engine vessels.
Volvo Penta is the first in the industry to integrate the steering of the diesel sterndrive with the control of the bow thruster on a single diesel-engine application. The Joystick Docking system is energy efficient, only using as much power as needed.
Captains can combine Joystick Docking with the Volvo Penta Glass Cockpit System, which integrates with Volvo Penta Auto Pilot, all of which can be controlled with one joystick. This feature holds the boat’s speed and heading at the press of a button. The boat’s steering is then controlled easily and conveniently through the fingertip control of the joystick.
Joystick Control is available for single Volvo Penta Aquamatic sterndrive DPI installations, or as a retrofit for existing Volvo Penta single DPI installations back to 2019.
