Patent ID: 7438013

Claim:
A small boat comprising a steering wheel, a steering angle sensor adapted to detect a steering angle of the steering wheel, a plurality of propulsion units mounted to a transom of the boat, each of the plurality of propulsion units coupled to an electrically operable steering device, and a control unit adapted to independently control an output of each of the plurality of propulsion units, wherein the control unit adjusts the output, a trim angle or a height of a propeller of each of the plurality of propulsion units in accordance with the detected steering angle and a running condition of the boat such that a total thrust of the plurality of propulsion units and running direction of each of the plurality of propulsion units can be used to effect turning operations of the boat and wherein, upon detection of a malfunction of at least one of the electrically operable steering devices, the control unit further is adapted to set a turning angle to a preset angle and to adjust the output of each of the propulsion units based upon the steering angle of the steering wheel such that the running direction is based upon a difference between the respective outputs.