A marine propulsion system for marine vessel includes at least one battery configured to power a vessel load, a plurality of marine drives, and a control system. Each of the plurality of marine drives includes an engine, an alternator driven by the engine to charge the battery, and a propulsor selectively driven by the engine to propel the marine vessel. Each of the plurality of marine drives is configured to operate in a propulsion mode in which the engine is operated to rotate the propulsor to propel the marine vessel in a generator mode in which the engine is operated to charge the battery while the marine vessel remains stationary. The control system is configured to select a subset of the plurality of marine drives and then to operate the subset of marine drives in the generator mode to charge the battery while the marine vessel remains stationary.

A steering system for a marine vessel, the steering system comprises a first steering apparatus having a first steering actuator for steering the first steering apparatus and a second steering apparatus having a second steering actuator for steering the second steering apparatus. There is a mechanical steering linkage operatively connecting the first steering apparatus to the second steering apparatus so the steering apparatuses are steered synchronously. A user input device provides user inputted steering commands. A control apparatus operatively connects to the actuators and to the user input device. The control apparatus controls the steering of the steering apparatuses so both of the steering apparatuses are simultaneously steered the same amount.

A ground effect craft having a ground effect wing, a plurality of sponsons, and a control system is disclosed. The ground effect wing may include a fore ground effect wing and an aft ground effect wing. The ground effect wing may generate a stabilizing moment on at least one sponson to stabilize the ground effect craft. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to the body. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to each other. The dynamic coupling may permit the sponsons to move relatively independent of the body and each other, thereby stabilizing the ground effect craft. The ground effect craft may include a stabilizing wing.

A hull mounted, steerable marine drive system having trim actuation is both steerable through 360 degrees and is trimmable. The marine drive system includes a watertight enclosure assembly for sealing the hull, which is adapted for keeping much of the marine drive system from being exposed to water. The enclosure includes a gasket flange plate, a retention plate and a folded gasket. The gasket flange plate closely follows the contour of the hull and enhances the hydrodynamic and wake performance of the present marine drive system. Further, marine drive system includes a forward-neutral-reverse (FNR) transmission assembly, a drive unit assembly having a trimmable upper unit and a steerable lower unit, a steering actuator assembly, a trim actuator assembly, and, preferably, trim foils for providing enhanced negative and positive trim and for providing enhanced positive and negative lift.

A method of automatically controlling trim position of a marine drive with a control system on a marine vessel includes receiving a user-selected command associated with wake surfing and then controlling a trim actuator to automatically position the marine drive in a tucked position, tucked position is between a vertical trim position and a minimum running trim position. Once a vessel condition of the marine vessel reaches a first threshold vessel condition the trim actuator is controlled to trim up the marine drive to a predetermined target trim position to generate wave behind the marine vessel. The first threshold vessel condition is at least one of a threshold vessel speed, a threshold engine speed, a threshold engine load, and a threshold vessel pitch.

An outboard motor for a marine vessel application, and related methods of making and operating same, are disclosed herein. In at least one embodiment, the outboard motor includes a horizontal-crankshaft engine in an upper portion of the outboard motor, positioned substantially positioned above a trimming axis of the outboard motor. In at least another embodiment, first, second and third transmission devices are employed to transmit rotational power from the engine to one or more propellers at a lower portion of the outboard motor. In at least a further embodiment, the outboard motor is made to include a rigid interior assembly formed by the engine, multiple transmission devices, and a further structural component. In further embodiments, the outboard motor includes numerous cooling, exhaust, and/or oil system components, as well as other transmission features.

A vessel propulsion system includes an on-board network, a plurality of propulsion apparatuses provided on a hull and connected to the on-board network, and a network connector to connect a diagnosis device to the on-board network. Each of the propulsion apparatuses includes a controller configured or programmed to transmit operating state information showing an operating state of the respective propulsion apparatus to the diagnosis device via the network connector.

This automatic setting device for automatically setting control devices for a plurality of ship propulsion apparatuses for generating ship propulsion forces is provided with: an input operation setting unit that sets an input operation for a ship; a target behavior acquisition unit that acquires a target behavior of the ship corresponding to the input operation set by the input operation setting unit; a ship information acquisition unit that acquires ship information about the position and/or the bearing of the ship; an actual behavior calculation unit that calculates the actual behavior of the ship on the basis of the ship information acquired by the ship information acquisition unit; and a propulsion force setting unit that sets the magnitudes and the directions of the propulsion forces generated by the respective ship propulsion apparatuses on the basis of the actual behavior of the ship acquired by the actual behavior calculation unit and the target behavior of the ship acquired by the target behavior acquisition unit.

A remote control system for a watercraft can provide various modes of joystick propulsion control including cruise control, sub-idle watercraft speed operation, composite lateral propulsion, and shiftless docking maneuvers. The system can be used with outboard motors having 360-degree rotatable lower units.

Disclosed is a system and method for regenerating and distributing energy, such as employed on a vessel or floating offshore installation, the system including a first power distribution system, a second power distribution system electrically isolated from the first power distribution system, and a flywheel mechanically connected to both the first and second power distribution systems. Each of the first and second power distribution systems may include a motor/generator mechanically connected to the flywheel and a drive module electrically connected to its respective motor/generator. The flywheel drive modules may be connected to a common flywheel control module that includes a control algorithm for operating the system.