In 2018, I watched my buddy Allan engage the Mad Max autopilot mode on his Tesla Model S, cuing the car to switch lanes aggressively on Interstate 95. While the experience as a human was unnerving, the car leveraged cameras, sensors and artificial intelligence to maneuver safely.

Months later, I rode on a Boston Whaler 330 Outrage fitted with Mercury Marine’s Advanced Pilot Assist and Raymarine’s DockSense systems. As we approached the boat’s slip, the preproduction system used cameras, AI and the outboard engines to maintain a 3-foot safety buffer.

At the 2022 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, I saw these ideas meld in Avikus’ prototype NeuBoat autonomous operations system. The boat, with a human-in-the-loop operator, navigated itself out of its slip, up a river and around a lake before reversing course and docking itself.

Ready or not, autonomous technology is coming. This is likely good news for novice boaters—and for boaters who hate docking—because some of the marine industry’s smartest minds have been combining sensors and AI to smooth out boating’s rough corners. One example is NeuBoat (neuron plus boat), which Avikus is developing in partnership with Raymarine.

While experts say the sensors and software already exist to enable fully autonomous docking and navigation, Avikus and Raymarine foresee a road map to autonomy that earns trust with boaters while buying time for engine manufacturers to integrate the technology, and for agencies and organizations to create regulations.

“We’re intentionally paralleling the automotive market,” says Jamie Cox, Raymarine’s senior global product manager. “But I think we will beat automotive.”

Others agree. Sangwon Shin, Avikus’ director of strategic planning and business development, says: “In our view, the boating environment is less complicated than the car environment. So, we expect a little bit faster adoption rate.”

For boaters who are ready to start now, Avikus and Raymarine are releasing NeuBoat Dock this year. The assisted-docking system includes at least six self-calibrating, 360-degree cameras; a Raymarine multifunction display; an Avikus object-recognition unit; camera control boxes; and Avikus’ AI to provide bird’s-eye views and distance guides. (Garmin’s Surround View camera system provides similar capabilities.)

NeuBoat Dock is a level-one autonomous navigation system, which means it serves as a virtual assistant to human operators who remain in control. Level-two systems provide partial driving automation but still require a human operator. Level-three systems have conditional driving automation, requiring some human oversight, while level four has zero expectations of driver involvement. Level five is full driving automation.

Avikus, which is a spin-off of HD Hyundai, began developing NeuBoat in 2019. The resulting level-three-plus black-box prototype, which I got aboard in 2022, used the global navigation satellite system and vector cartography to establish position. The local device didn’t require internet connectivity. Instead, it employed daylight cameras and lidar (light detection and ranging) sensors to detect objects, measure distances, and scan and map berths. It also used Avikus’ AI to detect and classify nearby objects and vessels, assist with route planning, and suggest navigable courses.

This latter information was presented as screen views showing vector cartography with recommended courses, head-up displays and live camera views with augmented-reality data tags.

While impressive, the prototype didn’t use radar or the automatic identification system, so its range of object detection was limited to lidar’s 400-foot-range capacity. This range worked at our 6-knot speed, giving us 39 seconds of reaction time, but it wouldn’t work at 25 knots, only allowing for nine seconds.

Enter Raymarine, which integrated its own radar technology with Avikus’ AI. This combination extended NeuBoat’s detection range from 400 feet to 1.5 nautical miles. Shin says Avikus plans to integrate radar, sonar and infrared cameras within five years.

While extra range is important for recreational users, it’s critical for letting Avikus develop autonomous systems on large ships. “We use the same technology and the same algorithms for commercial and recreational, but the hardware specs are different,” Shin says.

In addition to radar expertise, Raymarine has amassed experience using computer vision from its DockSense and ClearCruise AR products. The latter places augmented-reality tags atop a video feed. Computer vision is a branch of AI that lets computers recognize, categorize and identify objects and people in digital images or video feeds; as such, it is critical to autonomous operations.

Looking ahead, Shin says, commercial ships and recreational vessels will first use autonomous navigation with human-in-the-loop operators, followed by autonomous operations. This isn’t a hypothetical; in 2022, Avikus’ commercial version of NeuBoat autonomously guided an LNG tanker across an ocean with human-in-the-loop oversight.

“The technology is there today,” Cox says. “We need to make sure that people are ready to use the technology responsibly and that regulations are there.”

When asked what milestones need to be met for autonomous operations aboard recreational yachts, Cox and Shin made clear they aren’t talking about distant horizons. “None are 10 years out,” Cox says, adding that by mid-2024, Avikus and Raymarine expect to have achieved sensor fusion, where the system can combine data from the vessel’s AIS, cameras, GNSS, lidar and radar. “In two years, on the control side, boats will be docking and driving themselves.”

Shin agrees: “In five years, we’re expecting lots of the boating community to accept the possibility of autonomous navigation or partial assistance on their boat.”

Before this can happen, however, Cox and Shin point to two technical complexities: networking with autopilots and engines. As with radars, Raymarine has decades of experience manufacturing autopilots, so engine interfaces could prove to be the sticky wicket. “Engine manufacturers need to become more progressive,” Shin says. “They are the powerful guys.” Cox says the goal is to integrate NeuBoat with every major engine manufacturer.

Cox and Shin also point to a need for regulations to govern autonomous vessels. This is already happening; in 2022, the American Bureau of Shipping published a white paper that detailed 10 points—from maintaining propulsion to maintaining communications—intended to create a structure for autonomous-vessel design and operations. The US Coast Guard also published guidelines on testing remote- and autonomously controlled vessels.

Convincing experienced boaters that autonomous technology is the path forward could be a hard sell for some, but this is where Avikus and Raymarine plan to parallel the automotive world. Most contemporary cars have adaptive cruise control, making these types of assistance features feel familiar. Many boaters also own cars with an autopilot feature.

But driving to work is different than taking the boat out for a spin. Here, Cox says NeuBoat isn’t going to take away boating’s joys. Instead, the idea is to reduce stress. For example, Cox describes allowing the boat to navigate autonomously to the fishing grounds or home from a cruise.

Cox also says autopilots have served boaters for decades, and that autonomous navigation is an extension of this capability, combined with the ability to avoid collisions autonomously.

For newer boaters, autonomous technology is an easier proposition. “I’m a new boater, and I get nervous a lot,” Shin says. “We target new boaters. We want more people to enjoy boating.”

Then there is boating’s greatest equalizer. “People don’t like docking,” Cox says. “We’re never going to stop you from driving your boat, but it might be nice, if you’re coming into a dock and are getting stressed out, to switch it on.”

The wait won’t be long, either. While Avikus is paralleling the automotive sector, Cox and Shin expect NeuBoat technology to navigate and dock recreational vessels sooner than cars. “People will be surprised with how quickly we will get to market,” Cox says.

Having experienced Tesla’s Mad Max mode and Avikus’ level-three-plus sea trials,

I can say that far less adrenaline is involved watching a demonstration boat dock itself than when I pawed for a nonexistent passenger-side brake pedal in my buddy Allan’s Tesla.

Better Optics

While NeuBoat Dock uses six 360-degree cameras, they only work for daytime operations. The obvious move is to add thermal-imaging cameras, and Raymarine’s parent company, Teledyne, owns FLIR. Thermal-imaging cameras would add cost, but Cox says these sophisticated optical sensors could be included aboard higher-end NeuBoat installations.

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Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corp., has introduced Mercury Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels. The system is compatible with V-8, V-10 and V-12 Mercury Verado outboard engines from 250 to 600 horsepower.

This is far from the first Joystick Steering system that the company has brought to recreational boaters. The systems are now available for vessels powered by sterndrives, inboards, Zeus pod drives, multi-outboard installations, multi-outboards with an integrated bow thruster, and single-engine pontoons with deployable thrusters.

“This new joystick steering system is unique in that it is specifically designed for single-engine vessels. It features a simple, single-touchpoint user interface for throttle, shift and steering, facilitating ergonomic one-handed operation,” Tyler Mehrl, senior category manager, joystick, steering, and throttle and shift controls, stated in a press release.

Joystick steering has become increasingly common aboard powerboats and superyachts alike, with systems from various manufacturers available for several decades now. In some cases, boatbuilders no longer even bother to install a traditional ship’s wheel at a boat’s helm, instead having the skipper rely exclusively on joystick control for steering. The crew aboard commercial ships, too, now frequently rely on joystick controls to maneuver through the world’s oceans and ports.

New boaters, in particular, tend to find joystick operation easier to master. Using these systems can be quicker and easier than traditional setups at the helm, and the systems are often compatible with other systems on board, helping to ease additional tasks as well.

Mercury’s new Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels, for instance, eliminates the need for boaters to use both hands to throttle, shift and steer during low-speed maneuvers such as docking. The joystick’s design is sleek, without any physical buttons. It allows for proportional forward and reverse movement, and the twist function provides intuitive steering.

When Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels is integrated with a compatible multifunction display incorporating GPS and Mercury SmartCraft Connect, it also offers autopilot features.

“There are two autopilot features: heading and route,” Mehrl added. “You easily can set up a route on the MFD by dropping waypoints. When the heading function is activated, you can make 1- or 10-degree adjustments to your heading on the MFD, or 10-degree adjustments by twisting the joystick, so you can use it to really fine-tune your direction of travel.”

When will Mercury Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels be available? The system will be available starting April 15.

Take the next step: go to mercurymarine.com

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Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick, has introduced the Avator 20e and 35e electric propulsion systems. The new models join the lineup next to the Avator 7.5e outboard, which was unveiled in January.

The company says it expects to debut two more electric-outboard products in the coming months, as well.

Mercury Marine says the Avator 20e and 35e have many of the same features as the 7.5e, including transverse flux motor technology, a full-color intuitive display and an ambidextrous tiller handle. The new models offer more power and the ability to connect multiple Avator batteries to extend range and run time, plus full access to the Mercury Marine app with the integrated SmartCraft Connect module.

The Avator 20e and 35e outboards generate 2200W and 3700W of power, respectively, at the propeller shaft. The 20e can produce acceleration that’s similar to a 5 hp FourStroke outboard, while the 35e generates acceleration that is comparable to a Mercury 9.9 hp FourStroke outboard.

These engines are intended for small vessels such as tenders, and are offered with tiller or remote steering.

Are the Avator 20e and 35e outboards available for purchase now? Yes, they went on the market in late August.

Take the next step: Go to mercurymarine.com/avator

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Mercury is the first major manufacturer of marine internal-combustion engines to offer an electric outboard option. The Avator 7.5e delivers comparable performance metrics to Mercury’s time-tested 3.5 hp four-stroke gasoline engine, minus the locally emitted carbon dioxide. The Avator 7.5e is also the only outboard currently on the market with a transverse flux motor, a design that Andrew Przybyl, Mercury’s technical manager and engineer for the Avator line, says has high-torque-density characteristics. The Avator 7.5e comes with a 1 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that nests inside the outboard’s flip-top cowl, and a color display with GPS that gives operators a wealth of real-time range information.

“One of the biggest challenges we had was setting up the overall architecture of the outboard,” Przybyl says. The solution involved auditioning different concepts and designs, and then choosing the right supporting technologies, including batteries, motor types and overall configurations. “In electrification, overall system efficiency is the name of the game,” he says. “The other aspect was sustainability. This outboard is highly recyclable.” Creating a recyclable design, Przybyl says, involved using componentry from nontraditional materials. “Sustainability is an important part of our culture,” Przybyl says.

While the Avator 7.5e is intended for use aboard smaller boats, Mercury plans to release the bigger Avator 20e and 35e outboards later this year. All three of these electric motors will employ similar architecture, displays and companion apps.

Charge and Go

The Mercury Marine Avator 7.5e can run for 60 minutes at full throttle off a charged-up 1 kilowatt-hour battery, or for as long as 2.8 hours at 75  percent throttle (or 6.2 hours at 50 percent throttle, or 19.4 hours at 25 percent throttle). Users can also change out batteries in seconds.

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Mercury Racing has introduced the Mercury Racing V8 500R outboard, which the company says it created “for no-compromise owners of the fastest luxury sport boats.”

Stuart Halley, Mercury Racing general manager, stated in a press release: “Capable of delivering more than 500 horsepower in a wide range of conditions and weighing as little as 720 pounds, the 500R establishes a new benchmark for outboard power density. This motor offers incredible mid-range punch and pulls with unrelenting authority all the way to wide-open throttle. This is the most exciting production outboard to ever emerge from the Mercury Racing shop.”

The 500R has more than 500 eager horsepower, which is 50 more horsepower plus 10 percent higher torque than the 450R model. Its 4.6-liter, 64-degree, V8 FourStroke powerhead is boosted by a Mercury Racing supercharger. The engine is designed to perform on pump fuel with a minimum 89-octane (95 RON) rating.

Also on the 500R are upgraded component designs in the powerhead, cooling system, midsection and steering system. A new, 5.9-inch diameter gearcase, available in R-Drive and R-Drive Sport configurations, transfers the power to the water.

What lengths are available for the Mercury Racing 500R? It can be ordered at 20 inches, 25 inches, 30 inches or 35 inches for single- or multi-engine applications.

Take the next step: go to mercuryracing.com

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Back in 2018, Mercury Marine thrilled boaters with the introduction of its V-6 and V-8 outboard engines, the result of the largest new-product development program in the company’s nearly 80-year history.

Now, the brand is adding the marine industry’s first V-10 outboard to its offerings. This Verado engine is available in 350 hp or 400 hp. It’s a 5.7-liter design that is compatible with Mercury SmartCraft technology. It also can be ordered with an optional dual-mode 48-volt/12-volt alternator to pair with Navico Group’s Fathom e-power system, an integrated lithium-ion auxiliary power management setup that lets boaters eliminate an onboard generator.

“They are powerful, smooth and quiet,” Chris Drees, president of Mercury Marine, said when introducing the V-10 Verado outboards. “They have many of the same fuel-efficiency-enhancing features that are synonymous with our high-horsepower lineup. They also deliver the same kind of premium boating experience that has made Verado outboards legendary.”

The company says it expects the V-10s to become a popular choice with owners of larger saltwater center-consoles, freshwater fishing boats that have single-engine setups, pontoon boats and smaller center-consoles. Each engine reportedly weighs 695 pounds and has the same 26-inch mount spacing as Mercury V-8 outboards, which means the V-10 is compatible with current boat designs. In addition, the V-10s are designed with multi-engine use or repowering in mind.

According to Mercury Marine, the new engines include the outboard industry’s first V-10 naturally aspirated powerhead. It uses 5.7-liter displacement and a quad-cam design to improve speed and acceleration. A 150-amp alternator is also part of the design and is intended to charge onboard batteries quickly while  supporting the boat’s electrical system.

Also part of the V-10 design is a new hydrodynamic gear case and a new Revolution X propeller. Mercury Marine says the larger diameter and wider blades on the prop, combined with the deep ratio of the gear case, result in better handling and acceleration, and in high efficiency from low speed to wide-open throttle. Advanced Range Optimization is part of the package, as is Adaptive Speed Control, which maintains engine rpm despite changes in load or conditions. That means boaters climbing large swells should have an easier time.

The V-10 Verados will also be compatible with a Mercury electric steering system for multi-outboard vessels that is expected to start shipping this month.

“We challenged our engineers to improve acceleration and overall performance with the new V-10 Verado outboards while also making them quieter and lighter than competitors’ outboards in this horsepower range,” said Tim Reid, Mercury Marine vice president of product development and engineering. “Once again, they exceeded expectations.”

Investing in the Future

Creating new engines like this V-10 outboard, and then bringing those products to consumers in a safe and reliable way, is neither cheap nor easy. That’s why Mercury Marine has invested heavily in research and development for quite some time now. Since 2008, the company has invested $2 billion on that front, including expanding its manufacturing footprint to more than 3 million square feet. 

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Mercury Racing is celebrating its 50-year milestone with events planned throughout the year to commemorate the anniversary.

A kickoff event was held at the Miami International Boat Show, with the introduction of the Mercury Racing V10 400R outboard and the Ventera performance propeller.

“For a half-century, the organization known today as Mercury Racing has been at the forefront of marine high performance,” Stuart Halley, Mercury Racing general manager, stated in a press release. “One constant has been the unwavering dedication of our employees, dealers and suppliers, and our boatbuilder partners, racers and customers who have always pushed us to lead the race and to lead the industry.”

The Mercury Marine Hi-Performance Products Department was established in 1973. It evolved to include outboard, sterndrive and performance products for racers and performance pleasure boaters alike.

Where’s the big party? In honor of the 50-year celebration, Mercury Racing is planning a Mercury Racing Midwest Challenge festival of powerboat racing in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, from August 11-13.

Where to learn more: go to mercuryracing.com

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Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corp., has introduced the marine industry’s first V-10 outboard.

The V-10 Verado is a 5.7-liter engine that comes in 350 and 400 horsepower. According to the manufacturer, the V-10 runs 45 percent quieter than competing outboards at cruise speed.

These new outboards are compatible with Mercury SmartCraft technology and are available with an optional dual-mode 48-volt/12-volt alternator to pair with Navico Group’s Fathom e-power system. It’s a lithium-ion auxiliary power-management setup that lets boaters eliminate the need for an onboard generator.

“The all-new Mercury V-10 Verado outboards are exactly what boaters have been asking for in a 350- and 400-horsepower platform,” Chris Drees, Mercury Marine’s president, stated in a press release. “They are powerful, smooth and quiet. They have many of the same fuel efficiency-enhancing features that are synonymous with our high-horsepower lineup.”

Each of the new engines weighs 695 pounds and has the same 26-inch mount spacing as the company’s V-8 outboards. That means compatibility with current boat designs.

Will these V-10 Verados also be compatible with Mercury’s forthcoming electric steering system? Yes. That steering system for multi-outboard boats is scheduled to start shipping in February 2023.

Take the next step: click over to mercurymarine.com

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Brunswick Corp. says it saw record-breaking sales for some of its brands at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

According to the company, Sea Ray reported a 33 percent increase in revenue compared to the 2021 show and a 17 percent increase in overall units from last year; Boston Whaler and Bayliner also had strong sales, as Whaler displayed a recyclable fiberglass boat; Mercury Marine accounted for more than half of all outboard engines at the show; and Navico Group saw a 20 percent increase in electronics market share during the show.

“Fort Lauderdale is the unofficial kickoff to the U.S. fall boat show calendar and serves as a barometer for our brands to gauge dealer sentiment, consumer interest and product trends,” Dave Foulkes, Brunswick Corporation CEO, stated in a press release.

What boats and products made their debuts from the Brunswick Corp. family of brands? The Sea Ray 260 outboard, Boston Whaler 280 Dauntless, and Simrad HALO 2000 and 3000 radars.

Where to learn more: visit brunswick.com

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Mercury Marine has introduced next-generation 25- and 30-horsepower four-stroke outboards.

The manufacturer says these outboards are engineered to be lighter, faster, and easier to operate and maintain. They have a three-cylinder, 500-cc powerhead with electronic fuel injection. For the first time, electric-start models come standard with Mercury SmartCraft digital technologies, allowing boaters to connect to digital gauges and to mobile devices through VesselView Mobile.

“In addition to being lighter, faster and quieter, the new engines in this lineup deliver what boaters have asked for, with exciting new options like digital technologies and an ergonomically positioned tiller handle,” Chris Drees, Mercury Marine president, stated in a press release.

The engines start at a weight of 132 pounds, making them 16 percent lighter than the previous generation. They’re ideally suited for 11- to 16-foot V-bottom boats and inflatables.

What options are available: Electric or manual start, tiller or remote controls, manual or power trim, and propeller or jet propulsion. Tiller models have a nearly 23-inch, ergonomically designed tiller handle that is adjustable for right- or left-handed operation.

Routine maintenance made easier: These engines have a no-spill oil-change system with a drip tray under the oil filter, and water can be quickly drained from the fuel filter without tools.

Take the next step: go to mercurymarine.com

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