New Twin Disc docking system is like the 'Hand of God'

The new Whitehaven 7500 Sports Yacht, Finito, was designed as its owners as the ultimate Top End cruiser with state-of-the-art electronics and systems including Twin Disc transmission, hydraulic thrusters and joystick docking stations.

"This is our final boat, hence the name Finito," explains owner Ray David, who with his wife Denis has big plans to cruise the Top End.

"We wanted everything to be just right, from the layout, fittings and interior details to all the navigational equipment onboard."

For ease of docking, the flagship Whitehaven 75-footer uses a revolutionary new Twin Disc QuickShift transmission, designed to interface with the Twin Disc EC300 MGX Electronic Control System. Added to that are three Express Joystick System (EJS) stations, one at the main helm and one each side in the cockpit.

With easy fingertip movements, the owners control direction and speed instantaneously.

Working in tandem with the Twin Disc Express Joystick System, Express Positioning maintains the boat in a fixed position and heading at the touch of a button using GPS via the Twin Disc EC300JS controller, the Twin Disc QuickShift transmissions and the proportional hydraulic thrusters.

Trevor Tucker, Sales Manager at Twin Disc, explains how it all fits together seamlessly in one great package.

"You just push the button and the boat holds its position, like the ‘hand of God’ holding the boat in one place!"

In a first for the company globally, Twin Disc Pacific integrated its system with the hydraulic Side-Power thruster system.

"And it worked very well, in fact, it was perfect!" states Tucker.

Hydraulic thrusters were specified as they allow for continuous operation where electric thrusters do not.

Finito can be controlled conventionally through the EC300 dual lever-head station right up to full speed, while the joystick is best for docking and travel or manoeuvring at slow-speed up to 10 knots.

"The Joystick and positioning system are perfect for Ray and Denise. In Darwin, they have to take their boat through a series of locks and this system gives them precise control and manoeuvrability in a relatively confined space," says Keith Hanson (photographed using the system above) from Whitehaven Motor Yachts.

"Being a large boat, they wanted precise control when they berth and when they’re island hopping navigating in the Whitsundays or closer to Darwin, the Wessel Islands and Tiwi Islands."

The fly-by-wire concept behind the EC300 is said to make the system easy to install on a new boat or retrofit. The system is also compatible with any model of engine and gear boxes. More at  www.twindisc.com.