Engines pointing different ways, on purpose
Each Verado on a JPO boat has its own electronic steering actuator and counter-rotating propellers. To move sideways, Mercury angles the engines in opposite directions and puts one in forward and one in reverse, so the thrust cancels fore and aft and leaves a sideways push. Twist the stick and the boat spins on the spot.
A late-2024 software update changed the stick from setting engine revs to setting speed over the ground. Mercury claims up to 74% less unwanted fore-aft creep on multi-engine boats with next-gen Digital Throttle & Shift.
The GPS modes do the waiting for you. Skyhook holds position and heading, BowHook holds position and lets the bow swing to the weather, DriftHook holds heading while you drift, and Auto Heading keeps a compass course you can nudge 1° at a time by tapping the stick. Waypoint Sequencing steers a plotted route.
Two setups, two different jobs
Mercury says the joystick runs the thruster together with throttle, shift and steering, and the thruster still works from its own panel.
JPO can already move the boat sideways. The BOW PRO adds grip at the bow, which helps in a crosswind and on boats with a lot of windage forward.
One outboard can't push the bow sideways, so the thruster is what makes a joystick work at all. Mercury lists VETUS among the compatible thruster brands.
Well proven on twins, a real gain on singles
The most useful independent test we found ran a single Verado 300 with a VETUS thruster, on a Quicksilver Activ 805 Cruiser.
What works well
- Bateaux.com found the docking comfort notable: the boat spins well and holds position in wind or current.
- Power Boating's early review said JPO takes the guesswork out of docking.
- Mercury's GPS modes (Skyhook, BowHook and DriftHook) carry over to single-engine boats when Mercury's navigation sensor is fitted.
- All BOW PRO and RIMDRIVE models are compatible, VETUS states, so the thruster can be sized to the boat rather than the joystick.
Things to know
- On a single outboard, Bateaux.com found a pure sideways crab wasn't possible; alternating forward and reverse gave an angled move it still judged good enough for precise docking. It called the system practical but still perfectible.
- Single-engine JPO needs electric steering, and the GPS modes need Mercury's navigation sensor and SmartCraft Connect.
- You'll need Mercury's JPO bow thruster integration kit, installed and set up through a Mercury dealer.
- We haven't seen an Australian price or launch date for the single-outboard version yet.
On a big single Verado, a BOW PRO turns JPO from not possible into genuinely useful. On twins and triples it's the finishing touch for windy berths. Either way, we'll size the thruster and coordinate the Mercury side with your dealer.
The Mercury and VETUS parts
From VETUS's published parts list. Compatibility is confirmed with a Mercury dealer before you order.
- MERCURYJoystick Piloting for Outboards (multi-engine) or the single-outboard joystick package
- MERCURYThe JPO bow thruster integration kit
- VETUSBOW PRO or RIMDRIVE thruster sized for your boat
- VETUSCANverter (VETUS gives CANV2N2 as the example), V-CAN cables and installation set
- VETUSBPPJA proportional joystick panel for separate thruster control
Running Verados?
Tell us the boat, how many engines, their horsepower and year, and whether you have JPO now. We'll size the BOW PRO and line up the Mercury kit.
SOURCES
- Marine Business: VETUS-Maxwell and Mercury JPO
- Marine Business World: Miami 2022 announcement
- British Marine: single-engine JPO, Feb 2025
- Boating Industry: JPO speed-over-ground update
- Trade Only Today: BowHook and DriftHook
- Game & Fish: JPO features
- Bateaux.com: single-engine test with VETUS thruster
- Power Boating: JPO review