Watercraft auto-docking system and watercraft auto-docking method

A watercraft auto-docking system comprising:

• a user interface including a display monitor;
• and
• a digital controller including a processor, a computer memory and an I/O interface, the user interface being connected to the I/O interface,
• the digital controller being configured to select a target dock for docking a watercraft in an auto-docking mode,
• the digital controller being configured to generate a docking path including a single waypoint from a current location of the watercraft to a target location of the target dock such that the single waypoint is located at a predetermined distance from the target location of the target dock, with the predetermined distance being settable using the user interface,
• the digital controller being configured to autonomously navigate the watercraft using an autopilot system along the docking path until the watercraft reaches the target location of the target dock such that the watercraft turns at the single waypoint to align with a target orientation of the watercraft at the target location of the target dock, and
• the digital controller being configured to generate the docking path in response to receiving a user selection of the target dock via the user interface subsequent to the auto-docking mode being activated by a user operation of the user interface.

A watercraft auto-docking method comprising:

• selecting, by a digital controller, a target dock for docking a watercraft in an auto-docking mode;
• determining, by the digital controller, whether a distance from a current location of the watercraft to a target location of the target dock is greater than a predetermined threshold;
• generating, by the digital controller, a first docking path including a single waypoint between the current location of the watercraft and the target location of the target dock in response to determining that the distance is greater than the predetermined threshold;
• generating, by the digital controller, a second docking path including no waypoint between the current location of the watercraft and the target location of the target dock in response to determining that the distance is not greater than the predetermined threshold;
• and
• autonomously navigating, by the digital controller, the watercraft using an autopilot system along the first or second docking path until the watercraft reaches the target location of the target dock, with the watercraft turning at the single waypoint to align with a target orientation of the watercraft at the target location of the target dock while the watercraft is navigated along the first docking path,
• the generating of the first or second docking path including generating the first or second docking path in response to receiving a user selection of the target dock via a user interface subsequent to the auto-docking mode being activated by a user operation of the user interface.