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 fiction 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 thruster assembly that in addition to propulsion provides water flow to/from compartments and systems on board a vessel. In a first position, the thruster assembly provides propulsion/steering. Pivoted to a second position, operation of the thruster in a first direction draws a flow into the vessel and in a second direction draws a flow out of the vessel. The flows may be conveyed to/from compartments/systems on board the vessel via conduits in communication with a chamber having an opening through which the thruster drives the flows. The flows may be used to submerge/surface the vessel, or to provide systems cooling or serve other functions. Pivoted to a third position the thruster assembly is retracted and enclosed within the chamber to form a hydrodynamically clean exterior.

A grid (100) is for a tunnel thruster (200). The grid (100) includes a plurality of first radially extending bars (101) arranged at angular intervals from each other, and a plurality of first connecting bars (102). Each of the first connecting bars (102) are connected between adjacent first radially extending bars (101).

A watercraft propulsion system includes a main propulsion device attachable to a hull, an auxiliary propulsion device attachable to the hull and having a lower rated output than the main propulsion device, a lift to move up and down a propeller of the auxiliary propulsion device between an underwater position and an above-water position, and a controller. The controller includes a plurality of control modes including a combined use mode in which a propulsive force generated by the main propulsion device and a propulsive force generated by the auxiliary propulsion device are used in combination. The controller is configured or programmed to restrict the main propulsion device and the auxiliary propulsion device from being driven according to the combined use mode when the propeller of the auxiliary propulsion device is in the above-water position.

A ship handling device (7) including a joystick lever (10) configured to be inclined in a desired direction at a desired angle, and a ship handling control device (15) configured to control driving of a forward-backward propeller (4) generating a thrust in a front-and-rear direction of a ship body (1) and a thruster (6) generating a thrust in a left-and-right direction of the ship body (1). The ship handling control device has a normal mode in which driving of the forward-backward propeller and the thruster is controlled according to an input signal from the joystick lever, and a thruster single-driven mode in which driving of only the thruster is controlled according to an input signal from the joystick lever, and the ship handling control device is connected to a mode changing switch (20) with which a switchover between the normal mode and the thruster single-driven mode is performed.

Virtual anchor features for a navigation/autopilot system for use on a marine vessel are provided herein. An example apparatus associated with a marine vessel includes a processor and memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive user input indicating at least a first geographic location and a desired offset distance; determine a current geographic location of at least one of the marine vessel or the apparatus; determine if the current geographic location is within a distance threshold of the desired offset distance from the first geographic location; and cause, in an instance in which the current geographic location is not within the distance threshold, one or more motors of the marine vessel to operate to cause the marine vessel to move to a new geographic location accordingly. A desired orbit pattern may also be employed.

A method for controlling a thruster of a marine vehicle includes a body and a thruster mounted on the body of the vehicle, the vehicle being at least partially immersed in a liquid and moving with respect to the liquid along an axis of displacement in a direction of displacement and rotating about at least one axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of displacement with a rotational speed, the thruster including an upstream propeller and a downstream propeller along the axis of displacement in the direction of displacement. The method including a stabilization step, in which the thruster is controlled such that the main axis of the upstream flow generated by the upstream propeller at a given instant t is an estimated main axis on which a position of a center of the downstream propeller, situated substantially on the axis of rotation of the downstream propeller, is estimated to be situated at a later instant t+dt at which the flow generated by the upstream propeller at the given instant t reaches the downstream propeller, the estimated main axis depending on the rotational speed of the vehicle.

A method controlling a thruster of a marine vehicle at least partially submerged in a liquid includes a body and a thruster including two propellers, each propeller including blades intended to turn about a rotation axis of said propeller, the method including a step of low-speed maneuver controlling, during which the thruster is controlled in such a way that each propeller generates a flow directed toward the flow generated by the other propeller and reaching the flow generated by the other propeller.

A thruster system for improved steering and maneuverability of a marine vessel when operating at relatively low, or wakeless speeds, such as in the vicinity of docks, swimmers or other obstacles, or when trailering, beaching or mooring. The thruster system has a modularized design adapted to independently control separate motor/propeller units located at various positions on the vessel's hull. Each propeller of the modular thruster motor system has its own relatively small, electric motor and mounting bracket, permitting each motor to be separately mounted to a location on the hull of the marine vessel apart from other thruster motors. The thruster system is further enhanced by an electrical control system for controlling each modular thruster motor system of the thruster system. In some embodiments, a charging system is provided that permits each electrical control system to be separately charged from the marine vessel's main battery.

A drive device for a vessel includes an electric motor, driving a rotatable drive shaft; an elongate drive device housing, encapsulating the electric motor and the drive shaft; and a propeller, detachably mounted to the rotatable drive shaft. The drive device housing has an upper connection device. The upper connection device is symmetrical about a transverse axis, enabling the drive device housing to be mounted to a structure onboard the vessel in either of two longitudinal directions. The drive device and the hull of the vessel are separated from each other by using an isolation plate with a central isolation sleeve. The electric motor drives the drive shaft via an interconnected gear device encapsulated in the drive device housing or integrated as a part of the drive device housing and are arranged pivotably with respect to the tilt device housing.