Patent ID: 7743721

Claim:
A method for controlling a heading of a watercraft, comprising: acquiring a desired heading of the watercraft; acquiring an actual heading of the watercraft at time T 0 ; calculating a heading error by comparing the desired heading with the actual heading; determining a rate of change of the heading error: determining a plurality of algorithm gains, based on the heading error and the heading error rate, to control at least one of an amount and rate of a deflection of a nozzle of the watercraft for use in maintaining the heading of the watercraft; determining a value for a nozzle control signal by taking into account each determined algorithm gain; determining an amount of deflection for a nozzle of the watercraft, for altering a heading of the watercraft, based on the value for the nozzle control signal; deflecting the nozzle based on the determined amount of deflection; repeating the above steps until the actual heading equals the desired heading.