Yacht controllers?

A simple search on YF will bring up relevant results. Here's one to get started...

https://www.yachtforums.com/threads/dockmate-yacht-controller-etc.32613/#post-287099

Yacht controller is the only one I'd trust.....given how long they've been in the industry. Like anything electronic, I've seen them fail also.

We have the Yacht Controller brand and I love it. When backing into a slip from the Flybridge I can move around the blind spots to see where I am. Fantastic for short handing and an absolute marriage saver.

Great for anchoring and retrieving anchor.
Highly recommend.

I have no experience with the brand Carl mentions but very good experience with Yacht Controller.

I have the Dockmate Twist. It allows control of the engines, bow and stern thrusters and the anchor. Either system, Dockmate or Yacht Controller can be a life saver. Let me share my story from this past July.

This past July I anchored in a place called Sunrise Bay with my wife. Note that my wife is not an experienced boater and not a true first mate, though she's learning. Conditions were sunny with winds out of the east at roughly 12-14 knots. When we decided to leave my wife was on the bow assisting with guidance of the anchor and I was at the bridge helm. As i was raising the anchor, the windlass failed and proceeded to not only drop the anchor but continued to allow anchor rode to feed out with no way of stopping it. Mind you there are other boats anchored around us. While this was happening I simultaneously grabbed my Dockmate and proceeded to the bow in a hurry while activating my Dockmate. Basically it allowed me to put my ass in two places at one time. So while tightening the windlass which would not hold, i was maneuvering the boat with my Dockmate trying to keep it in place and avoid hitting other boats. I had to hold the windlass wrench in place while maneuvering the boat and my wife using the foot controls followed my direction in raising the anchor. In the end we avoided colliding with anyone and were able to secure the anchor. As an FYI, if I had not had such a device there was no way I would have gotten that anchor up since it would loosen up after I tightened it time and time again (it has since been fixed).

While some may think it's an unnecessary toy, you never know when you might need something like this. It saved my boat and other boats from potential damage as well as made me realize just how important it is to have an EXERIENCED deck hand on board to assist in situations like this.

I hope this helps in your decision, although I can't direct you to any specific brand

Can I borrow your Girlfriend LOL? My wife has never really driven any of my boats. Yes I know that's bad and we're working on it. I wouldn't chance that on a 50' vessel with no experience at the helm, regardless of hand signals or verbal ones.

Are there standard hand signals or what do you use?

My experience is with Yacht Controller. I'd go with them simply because they've got the most experience. However I don't like using any. Anything electronic, and especially powered by battery are subject to failure at exactly the wrong time. That said, on large, blind to the back yachts they're necessary, but on those boats they're generally plugged in to the main power grid. As for that windless failure didn't anybody think to just manually pull in the anchor line slack by hand and tie it off? As for the wife, guests should be involved with operating the boat as much as possible both to entertain them and to make them useful in an emergency. Someone who is regularly on the boat should be encouraged to share the operation and to learn. My experience has been that men love to sit behind the helm and run the boat, but that bores women. Women are better at things like close quarters maneuvering, because they're more detail oriented. If your wife regularly cruises you'll be doing you both a big favor by making her a partner and co-captain.

I agree that there should always be more than one aboard that can at least run the boat somewhat in an emergency. I too use hand signals when retrieving anchor. I also make sure to show people how to follow the black track line on a plotter to get back to town. Where I'm at people can get turned around and lost pretty easily. Also have lots of rocks and other bad things to avoid.

Thank you for that input. My wife is learning but its hard to learn on a large boat. I have hired a captain to teach her as well. As for guests, yes, all my guests participate when on board. They want to and like to. As for the anchor, my anchor rode is all chain - hard to tie off on a cleat. And in a situation like that, I have to say I can't always think of every option. It's not like you deal with this type of problem on a daily basis. I reacted the best that I could at that moment in time.

Back to the issue at hand. Yacht Controller, Dockmate - I feel they do have a place on a vessel of size. We all know there are many situations we wish we could move away from the helm even if its 4 feet away to get a better visual on any given maneuvering situation. While I prefer to be at the helm using my controls, it does work nice when needed. My suggestion if you get one, practice, practice, practice AWAY FROM THE DOCK!!!