Abstract: A watercraft propulsion system includes a bow thruster, at least two propulsion devices, a translation/bow turning operator to apply a translation command to translate a hull and a bow turning command to turn a bow of the hull, and a controller configured or programmed to drive the bow thruster, and drive one of the at least two propulsion devices forward and another of the at least two propulsion devices in reverse while controlling the steering angles of the at least two propulsion devices so that propulsive force action lines of the at least two propulsion devices cross each other in the hull in a translation watercraft maneuvering mode to translate the hull in response to an operation of the translation/bow turning operator. The controller includes a calibration mode in which calibration is performed for the translation watercraft maneuvering mode.

Abstract: A watercraft propulsion system includes a bow thruster at a bow of a hull to generate a lateral propulsive force, at least two propulsion devices on a stern of the hull each having a variable steering angle, and a controller configured or programmed to control the propulsive force of the bow thruster and control the propulsive forces and the steering angles of the two propulsion devices to perform an azimuth control to control an azimuth of the hull. The azimuth control includes a bow thruster mode in which the bow thruster is controlled, and a combinational mode in which the bow thruster is controlled and the two propulsion devices are driven forward and in reverse, respectively. The controller switches between the bow thruster mode and the combinational mode based on a predetermined switching condition during the azimuth control.

Abstract: A watercraft propulsion system includes a bow thruster, at least two propulsion devices, a translation operator to command a hull translation movement, and a controller configured or programmed to, in a translation watercraft maneuvering mode, control the propulsion devices so that propulsive force action lines thereof cross each other in the hull, and to drive one of the propulsion devices forward and drive another of the propulsion device in reverse. In a standby state, the controller is configured or programmed to prevent the bow thruster and the propulsion devices from generating propulsive forces, and set the steering angles of the propulsion devices to translation standby steering angles. In response to the operation of the translation operator, the controller is configured or programmed to cause the bow thruster and the propulsion devices to start generating the propulsive forces, and change the steering angles of the propulsion devices to translation steering angles.