Abstract: A marine propulsion system for a marine vessel includes one steerable rear marine drive positioned along the center line of the marine vessel and a lateral marine drive positioned at a bow region of the marine vessel. The rear marine drive is steerable about a vertical steering axis to a range of steering angles. The lateral marine drive is positioned at a fixed angle with respect to the marine vessel and configured to generate lateral thrust on the marine vessel. A user input device is operable by a user to provide a propulsion demand input commanding surge movement, sway movement, and yaw movement of the marine vessel, and the control system is configured to control steering and thrust of the rear marine drive and thrust of the lateral marine drive based on the propulsion demand input to generate the surge movement, sway movement, and/or the yaw movement commanded by the user.

Abstract: A marine propulsion system for a marine vessel includes a lateral marine drive positioned at a bow region of the marine vessel, wherein the lateral marine drive is configured to generate lateral thrust on the marine vessel and a user input device operable by a user to provide a propulsion demand input to control the lateral marine drive. A control system is configured to determine a maximum allowable lateral output based on a speed characteristic and to control the lateral marine drive based on the propulsion demand input such that the lateral marine drive does not exceed the maximum allowable lateral output.

Abstract: A method for controlling propulsion of at least two marine drives on a marine vessel includes monitoring an engine output indicator for each of the at least two marine drives on the marine vessel and detecting whether the engine output indicator for a subset of those at least two marine drives is below an expected value. If so, then an output restriction is imposed on at least one remaining marine drive not in the subset of marine drives, wherein the output restriction reduces an engine output of the at least one remaining marine drive to a predetermined level.