Systems and methods for mounting a propulsion device with respect to a marine vessel

A system for supporting a propulsion device with respect to a marine vessel, the system comprising:

• an elastic mount that supports the propulsion device with respect to the marine vessel;
• an electromagnet configured so that increasing an amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet increases the shear strength of an electromagnetic fluid in the elastic mount thereby decreasing elasticity of the elastic mount, and so that decreasing the amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet decreases the shear strength of the electromagnetic fluid in the elastic mount thereby increasing the elasticity of the elastic mount;
• and
• a controller configured to automatically adapt the amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet during translation of the marine vessel so as to reduce a likelihood that the propulsion device impacts an adjacent structure on the marine vessel as a result of motion of the propulsion device caused by environmental forces including wind and waves, wherein the controller is configured to automatically increase the amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet when the controller determines that the propulsion device has become more likely to impact the adjacent structure and wherein the controller is further configured to automatically decrease the amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet when the controller determines that the propulsion device has become less likely to impact the adjacent structure;
• wherein the controller is configured to determine the likelihood that the propulsion device impacts the adjacent structure on the marine vessel based at least in part on a present speed of an engine associated with the propulsion device and a present motion of the propulsion device with respect to the marine vessel.

A system for supporting a propulsion device with respect to a marine vessel, the system comprising:

• an elastic mount that supports the propulsion device with respect to the marine vessel;
• an electromagnet configured so that increasing an amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet increases the shear strength of an electromagnetic fluid in the elastic mount thereby decreasing elasticity of the elastic mount, and so that decreasing the amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet decreases the shear strength of the electromagnetic fluid in the elastic mount thereby increasing the elasticity of the elastic mount;
• and
• a controller configured to automatically adapt the amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet during translation of the marine vessel so as to reduce a likelihood that the propulsion device impacts an adjacent structure on the marine vessel as a result of motion of the propulsion device caused by environmental forces including wind and waves, wherein the controller is configured to automatically increase the amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet when the controller determines that the propulsion device has become more likely to impact the adjacent structure, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically decrease the amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet when the controller determines that the propulsion device has become less likely to impact the adjacent structure, and wherein the controller is configured to determine the likelihood that the propulsion device impacts the adjacent structure on the marine vessel based at least in part on a present speed of an engine associated with the propulsion device and a present steering angle of the propulsion device.

A method for supporting a propulsion device with respect to a marine vessel, the method comprising:

• providing an elastic mount that supports the propulsion device with respect to the marine vessel;
• configuring an electromagnet so that increasing an amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet increases the shear strength of an electromagnetic fluid in the elastic mount thereby decreasing elasticity of the elastic mount, and so that decreasing the amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet decreases the shear strength of the electromagnetic fluid in the plastic mount thereby increasing the elasticity of the elastic mount;
• and
• automatically adapting the amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet during translation of the marine vessel so as to reduce a likelihood that the propulsion device impacts an adjacent structure on the marine vessel as a result of motion of the propulsion device caused by environmental forces including wind and waves.