Besides dealing with stormy conditions, docking a boat may be the number one boating maneuver that gives skippers sweaty palms. Volvo Penta, a builder of marine engines and fully integrated propulsion systems, recently demonstrated a new self-docking solution that may one day end those fear-inducing docking encounters for boaters.
To make things a little more interesting, Volvo demonstrated the new technology by docking a 68-foot motor yacht between a pair of $1 million Volvo Ocean 65s at the Gothenburg, Sweden, stop of the 2017-2018 Volvo Ocean Race. The skipper of the vessel kept his hands off the controls during the entire maneuver.
The technology, which employs a combination of sensors, GPS and joystick-controlled Volvo Penta IPS pod drives, is targeted for launch in 2020. You can read more about it here and watch the animated infographic here.
Boaters University’s Boat Handling Course will teach you the ins and outs of maneuvering your boat in close quarters, such as when docking. Get 15 percent off tuition by using the coupon code SOUNDINGS.
