Yamaha has some exciting new developments in the marketplace this summer that should catch the eye of offshore anglers. The latest version of the venerable F350 outboard now offers five full years of limited warranty protection. Also, Yamaha’s Helm Master Integrated Boat Control System has a new feature that will make large boats powered by big outboards even easier to control.
The newest version of Yamaha’s most powerful outboard, the new 5.3-liter F350C now provides five full years of limited warranty coverage, wrapping a refined outboard package with a list of benefits and features that are still unique in the marketplace nine years after the debut of the original F350.
“The inclusion of five years of limited warranty coverage with the F350C underscores the reliability of the F350,” said Ben Speciale, President, Yamaha Marine Group. “We are confident that this benefit for our 5.3-liter V8 customers builds in exceptional value for Yamaha’s most powerful outboard on the market.”
Yamaha’s F350 redefined offshore power in 2007 and still has little competition in its class. The first F350 offered an outboard capable of the raw thrust necessary for pushing larger and heavier offshore boats. Thousands of F350s later, there is still nothing like it.
And for boaters looking to control all that power, the new and improved Helm Master Integrated Boat Control System makes fishing from and docking big boats a breeze.
Yamaha Marine Group recently announced a new feature that gives its Helm Master Integrated Boat Control System even greater levels of control. With the Set Point boat positioning function, boaters now have the capability to integrate all boat control systems and then guide them with GPS navigation technology.
“The introduction of Helm Master changed the way boaters think about controlling larger outboard-powered boats,” said Speciale. “Helm Master made docking less stressful and fishing on the open water more enjoyable. Set Point takes that functionality and precision to the next level.”
Set Point is comprised of a suite of satellite-guided capabilities designed to improve the boater’s ability to fish, maneuver and simply enjoy life on the water. Using a unique dual-antenna GPS to provide Helm Master’s operating system more navigational information, the Set Point function provides even greater and more precise control.
Set Point has three primary modes: Stay Point, Fish Point, and Drift Point. Each Set Point mode provides a solution to the tricky maneuvering challenges boaters encounter every day.
Stay Point keeps the boat positioned near a particular spot; it maintains a selected position and heading. This mode is particularly helpful when a boat must hold a position and heading, for example at a fuel dock or at a bridge opening. In adverse weather or high currents, Helm Master uses higher RPM and greater engine activity to keep the boat as close to the mark as possible, within a 75-foot circle of the set point.
Fish Point enhances fishing options; it maintains a selected position, but not a heading, and primarily uses only idle RPM to do so. The Fish Point mode makes use of a captain’s knowledge in heading a boat into the current or wind, bow upstream or downstream, to maintain a heading. Under normal conditions, the Set Point function will use no more than idle RPM to hold the Fish Point position, which means Fish Point operation is less likely to scare the fish. In stronger seas, Fish Point will attempt to keep the boat on the point selected using no more than the requested Fish Point RPM to do so, up to 2,500 RPM. Yamaha’s Shift Dampener System propellers play a role in keeping the boat on point quietly, too.
Drift Point allows the boater to drift the boat with the wind or the current; it maintains a selected heading, but not a position. Drift Point mode is particularly useful to maintain a heading when drift fishing or kite fishing. Drift Point allows the boat to drift with the wind or current, but stay pointed in the heading chosen.
Each Set Point mode is activated with the touch of a button. The Set Point control buttons are integrated into the new Helm Master joystick and use Yamaha’s new CL7 touch screen display to initially configure the operator’s preferences. Each Set Point mode is user-defined for the needs of individual boaters. Helm Master Set Point hardware includes a dual-antenna GPS and stern-mounted lighting that illuminates any time any mode of the SetPoint system is active.
The Yamaha CL7 display has a 7-inch touch panel screen with full multi-function display (MFD) capability and connectivity. The display offers precise engine and boat systems data for up to four outboards on one screen, along with other MFD functions such as maps, fishfinder, and graphing capabilities using its built-in 10 MHz GPS. It is the primary display for Yamaha’s fully integrated Helm Master boat control system and is the required point of access to configure Set Point.
Contact your dealer about the latest version of the Helm Master or for information about a retrofit kit that will bring earlier Helm Master-equipped boats up to date with the new technology. For information on all of Yamaha’s industry-leading products, go to www.yamahaoutboards.com.