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.

Retractable thruster system for moving a thruster (1) on a vessel between an extended position, in which the thruster (1) is extended below a hull's bottom, and at least one retracted position, in which the thruster is located above the hull's bottom, the system comprising a canister (2) to which a thruster is mountable, wherein the canister is configured to be movable in a trunk (3) in a vessel's hull structure between said extended position and said at least one retracted position, and in which a rack-and-pinion lifting system is arranged to move the canister (3) in said trunk (3) between said extended position and said at least one retracted position, the lifting system including at least one rack (6) being fixedly connected to the vessel, and a pinion drive (7) including at least one pinion (8) arranged to cooperate with said at least one rack (6), said pinion drive being connected to the canister (2).

The present invention relates to a drive arrangement (10) for driving and steering a boat (1), comprising an electric drive motor (14) having a shaft (14a) and receiving element (12), receivable in or on a hull (3) of the boat (1), for receiving the shaft (14a), wherein the shaft (14a) is pivotably or rotatably mounted in the receiving element (12) in a position of the receiving element (12) to be arranged outside the boat hull (3).

A controller for a watercraft controls first and second marine propulsion devices to start moving the watercraft by setting a first default angle, a second default angle, and a default thrust ratio as a first target rudder angle, a second target rudder angle, and a target thrust ratio respectively when a desired motion of the watercraft is straight sideways movement. The controller determines at least one of a first correcting angle, a second correcting angle, and a correcting thrust ratio to reduce an error between the straight sideways movement of the watercraft and an actual motion of the watercraft. The controller corrects the first target rudder angle, the second target rudder angle, and the target thrust ratio with the first correcting angle, the second correcting angle, and the correcting thrust ratio, respectively. The controller repeatedly detects the error and repeatedly updates the correcting angles and the correcting thrust ratio.

A method for maintaining a marine vessel at a global position and/or heading includes receiving measurements related to vessel attitude and estimating water roughness conditions based on the measurements. A difference between the vessel's actual global position and the target global position and/or a difference between the vessel's actual heading and the target heading are determined. The method includes calculating a desired linear velocity based on the position difference and/or a desired rotational velocity based on the heading difference. The vessel's actual linear velocity and/or actual rotational velocity are filtered based on the roughness conditions. The method includes determining a difference between the desired linear velocity and the filtered actual linear velocity and/or a difference between the desired rotational velocity and the filtered actual rotational velocity. The method also includes calculating vessel movements that will minimize the linear velocity difference and/or rotational velocity difference and carrying out the calculated movements.

A moving body control device includes a moving body direction sensor, a position sensor, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry estimates a direction of disturbance. The processing circuitry sets a target position and a starting position. The processing circuitry controls a propulsion generator and a movement direction adjuster such that a heading direction sensed by the moving body direction sensor is opposite to the direction of the disturbance estimated by the processing circuitry, and when the moving body has been drifted at least a specific distance from the target position, the moving body returns to the starting position, and the heading direction at the starting position is opposite to the direction of the disturbance. The processing circuitry changes the starting position based on a distance between the target position and a position of the moving body sensed by the position sensor.

The present disclosure relates to a guiding arrangement for a retractable thruster assembly. The guiding arrangement may comprise a foundation plate, a first upper guide, a second upper guide, a first lower guide, and a second lower guide. The first lower guide and the second upper guide may be arranged such that an arc angle within the range from 25 to 75 is confined therebetween. Thus, flexibility regarding the implementation of the retractable thruster assembly as L-drive or Z-drive may be gained.

A catamaran oil production apparatus is disclosed for producing oil in a marine environment. The apparatus includes first and second vessels that are spaced apart during use. A first frame spans between the vessels. A second frame spans between the vessels. The frames are spaced apart and connected to the vessels in a configuration that spaces the vessels apart. The first frame connects to the first vessel with a universal joint and to the second vessel with a hinged connection. The second frame connects to the second vessel with a universal joint and to the first vessel with a hinged or pinned connection. At least one of the frames supports an oil production platform. One or more risers or riser pipes extends from the seabed (e.g., at a wellhead) to the production platform (or platforms). In one embodiment, the production apparatus includes crew quarters.

Disclosed are a canister type thruster for implementing smooth upward/downward movement and improving productivity and an installation method thereof. The canister type thruster includes a guide module for guiding upward/downward movement of a canister. The guide module includes: a guide unit that is installed on an inner surface of a trunk so as to support a rack installed on an outer surface of the canister in parallel with a lifting direction to guide the upward/downward movement of the canister, a sliding pad that relieves an impact or a friction applied to the guide unit; and a support protrusion that is provided between the guide unit and the sliding pad to support the sliding pad.

A bow and stern thruster apparatus includes a motor, a propeller, a battery, a radio receiver, control logic, and power driver circuitry; together forming a fully integrated thruster unit that slides up and down along a guide device to a hull attachment fixture near the water line of a boat. The deployed thruster unit can act as a bow or a stern thruster depending on where the guide device and attachment fixture are mounted to the boat. The thruster unit is retracted by raising it along the guide device to be stowed well above the water line, or to be removed entirely from the hull.