Joystick steering and navigation of adapted motorboat

– suitable for wheelchair users with impaired hand function

User steers boat with joystick control
User steers boat with joystick control

The Fred 25 motorboat, see related tip, is modified so that it can be steered with a wheel from the center console or with a joystick (see photos 1 and 2). The joystick comes with a cradle. The joystick box has a long cord and can be placed on an existing attachment site on the wheelchair. When driving the boat with the wheel, the joystick is used to control the boat’s speed.

The boat is also equipped with autopilot and navigation equipment. The wheelhouse also has a monitor connected to a camera, front and back (see photo 3). This provides good visibility for the user even if the bow of the boat is raised and it’s hard to see over the ramp.

Purchased from
Hanterbara Båtar AB, hanterbarabatar.se (in Swedish), last checked May 2020.

Paid for by
The user

Joystick with cradle Photo: Katharina Ratzka
Joystick with cradle Photo: Katharina Ratzka
Console with monitor for navigation and visibility. Photo: Katharina Ratzka
Console with monitor for navigation and visibility. Photo: Katharina Ratzka

Related tips

Motorboat adapted for skipper with extensive disabilities
Motorboat adapted for skipper with extensive disabilities
Adapted motorboat that can be steered by people who use an electric wheelchair and have impaired hand function.
Steering for boat
Steering for boat
Motorboat that can be driven with a joystick - suitable for persons with impaired hand function who drive a wheelchair.

Tipsare: Erik

Erik lives together with his wife and his child in a house. He is working part time. He was injured in 1996 and has a high tetraplegia (C4-5). He has personal assistance 21 hours a day.