Boat maneuvering system and boat

Abstract

A boat maneuvering system includes an operating unit including an operator, and a controller configured or programmed to control a magnitude and a direction of a propulsion force generated by a propulsion device of a boat in response to an operation performed on the operating unit. When a hold start operation is performed on the operating unit during boat maneuvering using the operator, the controller shifts to a first boat maneuvering state to perform a hold control to hold a control index that is at least either one of an index correlated with the magnitude of the propulsion force generated by the propulsion device or a velocity of the boat. When a steering operation is performed on the operator in the first boat maneuvering state, the controller changes the direction of the propulsion force generated by the propulsion device while maintaining the first boat maneuvering state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A boat maneuvering system comprising:
 an operating unit including an operator; and   a controller configured or programmed to control a magnitude and a direction of a propulsion force generated by a propulsion device of a boat in response to an operation on the operating unit; wherein   when a hold start operation is performed on the operating unit during boat maneuvering using the operator, the controller is configured or programmed to shift to a first boat maneuvering state to perform a hold control to hold a control index that is at least either one of an index correlated with the magnitude of the propulsion force generated by the propulsion device or a velocity of the boat; and   when a steering operation is performed on the operator in the first boat maneuvering state, the controller is configured or programmed to change the direction of the propulsion force generated by the propulsion device while maintaining the first boat maneuvering state.   
     
     
         2 . The boat maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the steering operation is at least either one of a twisting operation of the operator or a tilting operation of the operator in a steering direction. 
     
     
         3 . The boat maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein when an acceleration or deceleration operation is performed on the operator in the first boat maneuvering state, the controller is configured or programmed to change the magnitude of the control index held during the hold control. 
     
     
         4 . The boat maneuvering system according to  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to change the magnitude of the control index held during the hold control stepwise in accordance with a number of times of the acceleration or deceleration operation in the first boat maneuvering state. 
     
     
         5 . The boat maneuvering system according to  claim 3 , wherein the acceleration operation is an operation to tilt the operator in a traveling direction of the boat, and the deceleration operation is an operation to tilt the operator in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the boat. 
     
     
         6 . The boat maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein, when an automatic boat maneuvering start operation is performed on the operating unit in the first boat maneuvering state, the controller is configured or programmed to shift to a second boat maneuvering state in which, in addition to the hold control, an automatic boat maneuvering control is performed to hold a bearing or a course of the boat. 
     
     
         7 . The boat maneuvering system according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to shift to the first boat maneuvering state when the steering operation is performed on the operator in the second boat maneuvering state, and to return to the second boat maneuvering state when the steering operation on the operator is stopped. 
     
     
         8 . The boat maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to stop the hold control when a hold stop operation is performed on the operator in the first boat maneuvering state. 
     
     
         9 . The boat maneuvering system according to  claim 8 , wherein the hold stop operation is an operation to tilt the operator backward for a predetermined time or more while the boat is moving forward, or an operation to tilt the operator forward for a predetermined time or more while the boat is moving backward. 
     
     
         10 . The boat maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein,
 when the velocity of the boat is less than a predetermined value in the first boat maneuvering state, the controller is configured or programmed to shift to a third boat maneuvering state in which, in addition to the hold control, a pattern control is performed to alternately switch between an on state where the propulsion device generates the propulsion force and an off state where the propulsion device does not generate the propulsion force; and   when the velocity of the boat is the predetermined value or more, the controller is configured or programmed to return to the first boat maneuvering state.   
     
     
         11 . The boat maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the hold start operation is an operation to press a predetermined switch for a predetermined time or more. 
     
     
         12 . The boat maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the operator is a joystick including a stick portion gripped and operable by a user and a support portion supporting the stick portion to enable a tilting operation and a twisting operation. 
     
     
         13 . A boat maneuvering system comprising:
 an operating unit including an operator; and   a controller configured or programmed to control a magnitude and a direction of a propulsion force generated by a propulsion device of a boat in response to an operation on the operating unit; wherein   when a hold start operation is performed on the operating unit during boat maneuvering using the operator, the controller is configured or programmed to shift to a first boat maneuvering state to perform a hold control to hold a control index that is at least either one of an index correlated with the magnitude of the propulsion force generated by the propulsion device or a velocity of the boat; and   when an operation is performed on the operator in the first boat maneuvering state, the controller is configured or programmed to change at least either one of the magnitude or the direction of the propulsion force generated by the propulsion device while maintaining the first boat maneuvering state.   
     
     
         14 . A boat comprising:
 a boat body;   a propulsion device attached to the boat body; and   the boat maneuvering system according to  claim 1 .