Dockmate's DPS function has two operating modes: one mode for use on open water and one for short periods in situations such as passing bridges, in locks or in harbours. In open water operation, DPS uses only the engines to keep the boat at its target position. This is ideal to allow the skipper to leave the helm for a brief moment. During this time, he can take care of mooring lines and fenders before entering the harbour with the boat. In close-range operating mode, the system utilises both the engines and the bow and stern thrusters to keep the boat in position.
"We have invested a lot of time and research over the years to ensure that the Dockmate remote control system gives boaters the best control over their vessels in some of the most stressful situations, such as mooring and manoeuvring at close range," says Dirk Illegems, owner of the company.
Easy installation on board the new Dockmate system
The positioning system is controlled by an IMU unit (which includes a compass, accelerometer and gyroscope) and a DPS receiver installed in the vessel and connected to the Dockmate GNSS antennas. DPS is intended for installation on any vessel with at least two engines and Dockmate-compatible engine and thruster controls. The system is easy to install and requires only a short calibration test at sea.
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Jan-Ole Puls
Editor Test & Technology
Ole Puls was born in Schleswig in 1999. He quickly swapped the football pitch for the Schlei and grew up sailing a wide variety of dinghies and tall ships. From his grandfather's self-built wooden opti and a Europe to a 49er and an X362 Sport, there was a lot to choose from. After leaving school, Puls decided to train as a boat builder at the high-tech shipyard Knierim Yachtbau in Kiel in 2016. He successfully completed his training in 2020 and stayed at the shipyard as a bachelor. In 2022, he decided not only to build boats, but also to test them. Since then, he has been working for Delius Klasing Verlag in the Test & Technology section of BOOTE magazine. The training he received and the eye for detail and quality of workmanship he acquired help him immensely today. Even though he is a regatta sailor with heart and soul, he feels right at home on motorboats and enjoys separating his professional and private lives and yet combining them. Because we all know one thing: there is simply no better place to be than on the water.
