We installed the Control Stick™ on this 58-foot aluminum-hull research vessel in 2018 near Seattle, WA. The boat, now owned by L3 Harris, is located in San Diego, CA, and has dual stations – one at the helm and one at the aft section, which is used to hold the vessel in place while submarines are deployed.
It has always been a pleasure working with you. The boat was only listed for two weeks before we got an offer from the buyer the very same afternoon he looked at it. He did his homework on Whisperjets.
Thanks for making the trip to Connecticut. We are very happy to have our boat running again and appreciate Tom’s expert workmanship.
It was a pleasure doing business with you. I thank you for the awesome and prompt work on Bingo Bango. The customer is very excited to get their boat.
System has been working great! Thanks again, and look forward to working with you again!
I enjoyed working with you guys and really appreciate your efforts. I took the boat out yesterday and put her through her paces and everything worked! I was actually able to back in and dock her in her new slip. Thank you again.
The system was installed in about a day at my dock and worked perfectly from day one! I have been a boat owner since the 1960's and can honestly say that I have never encountered a marine technician/engineer with the skill, experience, integrity and ingenuity of Tom Serrao and Control Engineering.
The joystick that started it all is the Hinckley Jetstick™, which was developed by Tom Serrao and introduced in 1998 for the company’s waterjet powerboats. Waterjet boats with joysticks are wonderfully maneuverable and can be more agile than pod boats.
Tom Serrao installed his system, carried out sea trials and handed the revitalized boat over to me all in the course of a four-day visit to Germany. I found myself thoroughly won over by his friendly and thorough authentic manner, his obviously profound expertise and his quiet, methodical approach.
The owner moved the joystick forward and to the left, and Crazy Horse obeyed without a moment’s hesitation. That’s the “joy” in Joystick. The boat goes where you point the stick. All the directional changes were silent – no gnashing of gears, vibes from propellers or lurches of acceleration.
It’s a strange sensation because it is intuitive and vastly different from any other steering and control function on any production powerboat I have been on. In simple terms, the joystick handles all facets of the boat, except for the RPM. I don’t need to do the usual and dance and alternate between grabbing the wheel, throttle and gear shift.
I just wanted to thank you for all your help and to recommend you and your great product. I hope to work with you again in the future!!!
Just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how impressed I was with the performance of your control stick on John’s 38’ Little Harbor. We took the boat around Shelter Island this weekend and it was very cool the way the boat responded to the stick both underway and docking.