It’s called Volvo Penta Assisted Docking (click here) and it’s the latest innovation to make life easier for those who need to moor. Whether you have a 10-foot or 36-foot boat Assisted Docking is the next generation of easy mooring systems from Volvo Penta. How does it work? This system allows you to compensate for factors such as wind, current, maneuvering in the strait and juggle with ease even in the huddle of the harbor channel at mid-August. Easy boating it is!
Volvo Penta Assisted Docking
For beginners and experts alike, Volvo Penta Assisted Docking is a very interesting twist. It should be said up front that this technology is only available for IPS engines starting in the spring of this year, 2021. All new models coming out of the yards with Volvo Pennta IPS engines will be able to install Assisted Docking.
And for those who already have the boat with IPS?.
You can also retrofit your boat with Assisted Docking. However, in this case you will need a software update and a new antenna, again for boats with Volvo Penta IPS. The Assisted Docking system will be sold directly to original equipment manufacturers.
Existing Volvo Penta customers will be able to enjoy the Assisted Docking system with a relatively simple upgrade, which can be performed by a local dealer.
How Volvo Penta Assisted Docking works
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The Assisted Docking system gives the skipper better control while docking a boat by automating his or her intentions, compensating for certain dynamic variables, such as wind and current, and helping the boat stay on its intended course.
The assisted docking system consists of the joystick that controls the steering input and the GPS-based Dynamic Positioning System antenna to know the exact position and heading. The person steering the boat maneuvers with the joystick – thereby informing the system which direction to head in and at what speed.
If you move the joystick forward, the system plots a straight path forward from the boat and the boat begins to follow a straight line with the indicated speed. The boat’s docking system also takes into account some external forces (i.e. wind, current) and the EVC system – updated with new software – compensates to ensure the boat follows the captain’s intentions.
It does this by calculating steering and thrust angles, then acting on the drift and returning the boat to its intended course. The boat’s docking system maintains this course by constantly adjusting steering angles and thrust.
The features of Volvo Penta Assisted Docking
In this way, Volvo Penta Assisted Docking aims to give the skipper an easier sailing experience with more precise steering and control. The skipper is indispensable, of course, but with Volvo Penta’s Assisted Docking system, every maneuver is simplified.
