A marine vessel has a hull with a bottom, a bow, a stern, and a propulsion arrangement including at least three propulsion units arranged at the stern of the marine vessel. The marine vessel has a base line and a centerline. The at least three propulsion units include a fixed centerline shaft propulsion unit with a shaft line and a propeller, and two turnable propulsion units with respective propellers and arranged at opposite sides of the fixed centerline shaft propulsion unit for steering of the marine vessel. For improving thrust efficiency, while maintaining optimal steering capability, the propeller of the fixed centerline shaft propulsion unit is arranged at a given distance aft of the stern of the marine vessel.

A marine vessel has a hull with a bottom, a bow, a stern, and a propulsion arrangement including at least three propulsion units arranged at the stern of the marine vessel. The marine vessel has a base line and a centerline. The at least three propulsion units include a fixed centerline shaft propulsion unit with a shaft line and a propeller, and two turnable propulsion units with respective propellers and arranged at opposite sides of the fixed centerline shaft propulsion unit for steering of the marine vessel. For improving thrust efficiency, while maintaining optimal steering capability, the propeller of the fixed centerline shaft propulsion unit is arranged at a given distance aft of the stern of the marine vessel.

A boat comprises a hull, a primary steering mechanism carried by the hull, a control station located on the hull, a helm located at the control station, and a thruster system carried by the hull. The primary steering mechanism, such as a rudder, is operable via the helm with a helm input being derived from operation of the primary steering mechanism thereby. The thruster system includes at least one thruster mounted to the hull, distinct from the primary steering mechanism, and a controller. The controller receives the helm input and is configured with program instructions to operate the at least one thruster responsive to the helm input to supplement a corresponding movement of the hull. The controller can also automatically operate the thruster responsive to direction, speed and ballast inputs.

A boat comprises a hull, a primary steering mechanism carried by the hull, a control station located on the hull, a helm located at the control station, and a thruster system carried by the hull. The primary steering mechanism, such as a rudder, is operable via the helm with a helm input being derived from operation of the primary steering mechanism thereby. The thruster system includes at least one thruster mounted to the hull, distinct from the primary steering mechanism, and a controller. The controller receives the helm input and is configured with program instructions to operate the at least one thruster responsive to the helm input to supplement a corresponding movement of the hull. The controller can also automatically operate the thruster responsive to direction, speed and ballast inputs.

A ship handling device enabling easy turning calibration. With a ship handling device (7), during turning calibration with the ship handling device (7), the joystick lever (10) is turned to rotate the forward-backward propellers (4) on the port and starboard sides of the ship, and the joystick lever (10) is tilted to change a forward-thrust/backward-thrust ratio of the forward-backward propeller (4) on the port or starboard side or to change the rotation speeds. When a calibration execution switch (10a) is operated, thrusts generated with the changed forward-thrust backward-thrust ratio are set as correction coefficients, or, among thrusts generated at the changed rotation speeds (Npn, Nsn) of the forward-backward propellers (4) on the port and starboard sides, thrusts generated by the forward-backward propellers (4) on the port and starboard sides according to the tilting of the joystick lever (10) are set as correction coefficients (Cp, Cs).

A ship handling device enabling easy turning calibration. With a ship handling device (7), during turning calibration with the ship handling device (7), the joystick lever (10) is turned to rotate the forward-backward propellers (4) on the port and starboard sides of the ship, and the joystick lever (10) is tilted to change a forward-thrust/backward-thrust ratio of the forward-backward propeller (4) on the port or starboard side or to change the rotation speeds. When a calibration execution switch (10a) is operated, thrusts generated with the changed forward-thrust backward-thrust ratio are set as correction coefficients, or, among thrusts generated at the changed rotation speeds (Npn, Nsn) of the forward-backward propellers (4) on the port and starboard sides, thrusts generated by the forward-backward propellers (4) on the port and starboard sides according to the tilting of the joystick lever (10) are set as correction coefficients (Cp, Cs).

A ship steering device including: an engine; an auto-drive unit that exerts propulsive power on a ship hull by power from the engine; detection means for detecting a current position and an orientation of the ship hull; a ship steering control device that controls an output of the engine and propulsive power of the auto-drive unit; and a calibration switch (8) that starts calibration of a ship. When the ship steering control device detects that the calibration switch is turned on, the ship steering control device controls the engine and the auto-drive unit to cause the ship hull to move in a predetermined direction or to turn, and if a difference between, for instance, a traveling amount and speed in the predetermined direction and an intended traveling amount and speed exceeds a predetermined value, the ship steering control device corrects control values of the engine and the auto-drive unit.

A marine vessel includes a hull, a propulsion system, a control unit and a motion sensor system. The propulsion system comprises a first drive unit and a second drive unit separated by a longitudinal midship line of the hull, where each drive unit is arranged to generate thrust in a controllable thrust elevation angle and in a controllable thrust azimuth angle, where at least the thrust elevation angles are individually controllable The control unit is arranged to estimate a pitch motion and a roll motion of the hull based on input from the motion sensor system. The control unit is arranged to suppress pitch motion and roll motion by the hull by controlling the thrust elevation angles and the thrust azimuth angles of the first and second drive units.

A boat comprises a hull, a primary steering mechanism carried by the hull, a control station located on the hull, a helm located at the control station, and a thruster system carried by the hull. The primary steering mechanism, such as a rudder, is operable via the helm with a helm input being derived from operation of the primary steering mechanism thereby. The thruster system includes at least one thruster mounted to the hull, distinct from the primary steering mechanism, and a controller. The controller receives the helm input and is configured with program instructions to operate the at least one thruster responsive to the helm input to supplement a corresponding movement of the hull. The controller can also automatically operate the thruster responsive to direction, speed and ballast inputs.

A boat comprises a hull, a primary steering mechanism carried by the hull, a control station located on the hull, a helm located at the control station, and a thruster system carried by the hull. The primary steering mechanism, such as a rudder, is operable via the helm with a helm input being derived from operation of the primary steering mechanism thereby. The thruster system includes at least one thruster mounted to the hull, distinct from the primary steering mechanism, and a controller. The controller receives the helm input and is configured with program instructions to operate the at least one thruster responsive to the helm input to supplement a corresponding movement of the hull. The controller can also automatically operate the thruster responsive to direction, speed and ballast inputs.