A multi-anchor depth control system for a boat or other watercraft having a line for securing anchors to the boat, at least two anchors attached at or near opposing ends of the line, a depth finder, and a controller configured to automatically adjust the amount of line released from the boat to maintain the anchors on the floor of the body of water in which the boat is floating, based upon information obtained from the depth finder.

Embodiments described herein relate to generating an image of an acoustic field associated with an underwater region. A plurality of submersible sensing devices (SSDs) are disposed so as to be substantially separate from each other in an underwater region, wherein each respective SSD is configured to execute a sink/float mission. During at least a portion of the sink/float mission, within each SSD, an environmental sensor measures at least one environmental parameter, a position sensor detects position information, an acoustic detection sensor detects at least one underwater signal, and a data recording system records mission data. After the sink/float mission, a processor receives mission data from the SSDs and generates an acoustic field image. Advantageously, during the sink/float mission some SSDs can transmit an orthogonal high time-bandwidth signal to help prevent interference between SSD during acoustic detection.

A trolling device for a boat includes a trolling motor and a control mechanism. The control mechanism controls at least one of the speed and the direction of the trolling motor. The control mechanism is configured to receive control instructions from an electronic GPS mapping computer to cause the trolling motor to establish an anchor point near a dock to enable entry to the fishing boat or exit from the fishing boat.

The present invention describes a drone that is launched from a handheld piece and may be navigated by controls that are positioned on the handheld piece in any direction at varying speeds. After the drone is launched the operator of the handheld piece deploys a hook stowed in the drone that descends into the water. Although the present invention is most suitable for fishing it will be readily apparent that there are several other important fields of use where this invention may be beneficial by substituting the hook with other components.

Apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable medium for navigation safety and collision prevention are described herein. The apparatus may cause the collection of marine electronic data from marine data sources. Marine data sources may include a radar system, a sonar system, a position system, a tracking system, and/or a chart system. The apparatus may further determine, based upon the marine electronic data, the presence of a hazard in the projected path of the watercraft. The apparatus may determine if the hazard is within a threshold distance and, in response, may cause the watercraft to stop before reaching the hazard. In some instances, the apparatus may transmit a warning alert to the watercraft operator, and after a predetermined period of time without response by the operator, the apparatus may cause the watercraft to stop to prevent collision with the hazard.

A multi-anchor depth control system for a boat or other watercraft having a line for securing anchors to the boat, at least two anchors attached at or near opposing ends of the line, a depth finder, and a controller configured to automatically adjust the amount of line released from the boat to maintain the anchors on the floor of the body of water in which the boat is floating, based upon information obtained from the depth finder.

A method of locating an underwater based system, the method including determining the underwater based system's geo-location, encoding the underwater based system's geo-location for RF transmission, encoding the underwater based system's geo-location for acoustic transmission, and transmitting RF and acoustic signals containing the encoded geo-location to a receiving station. A locator for locating an underwater based system including a buoy, a global positioning system having an antenna and a receiver, an RF transmission system including an antenna and a transmitter, an underwater acoustic transducer, and a locator control unit adapted to determine the underwater based system's geo-location, encode the underwater based system's geo-location for RF transmission, encode the underwater based system's geo-location for acoustic transmission, and transmit RF and underwater acoustic signals containing the encoded geo-location.

A system for controlling a marine vessel has a sonar depth finder which displays a chart, stored in memory, for a body of water. The chart includes an underwater feature contour that defines a boundary of an underwater feature. The sonar depth finder includes a processor to create or update the topographical chart based on sonar data from a sonar transducer assembly. The sonar data includes information on the underwater feature. The processor can display and store the topographical chart. The user may select from the underwater feature contours on the depth finder display. The depth finder can generate a route for the marine vessel that includes a path along the selected underwater feature contours. A vessel control device, in communication with the depth finder, may receive transmissions, from the depth finder, which include the generated route. The vessel control device can automatically direct the marine vessel along the route.

A watch device includes a processor, a display and a memory. The memory includes instructions for establishing a network connection between the watch device and an electronic GPS mapping computer of a watercraft for transmitting, receiving or displaying data.

A powered watercraft system including a watercraft body, a propulsion system, a sensor configured to measure a value indicative of a manually-generated time-variable first propulsive force resulting from a body motion of the user to move the watercraft body, and a controller configured control the propulsion system to generate a second propulsive force for powering the watercraft body based on the value indicative of the first propulsive force, the generated second propulsive force being at least partially contemporary with the first propulsive force.