Captain Sean Gill has been putting Yamaha’s Helm Master system through its paces since the original version launched in 2013. Over the past decade-plus, he’s watched the technology evolve from a complex, large-boat-only proposition into a streamlined, modular platform that works on everything from a single F150 to quint XTO installations. With the introduction of Helm Master EX and its newest addition, a first-of-its-kind Wireless Controller, Gill says the gap between what professional captains can do and what everyday boaters can accomplish on the water has never been narrower.
“It’s like watching your kid grow up,” Gill said, describing the system’s maturation from the Legacy edition to Helm Master EX. “Now it’s like my kid has gone to college and is off my insurance. Due to the design of the original system, there were a lot of parts that had to be situated in the bilge. Obviously, that gives you some limitations and makes it more difficult to install and maintain. Now with this evolution, the system is streamlined and not nearly as limited.”
That streamlining shows up across the entire platform. Helm Master EX is built on four expandable tiers, starting with basic digital electronic controls and scaling up through electric steering, autopilot, and full joystick maneuverability with Yamaha’s SetPoint suite of automated positioning modes. A captain can start at Level 1 and build over time, with no factory-level programming required.
The newest piece of that ecosystem is the Wireless Controller, a buoyant, waterproof handheld remote that gives captains access to features like the Helm Master EX joystick, autopilot, and Man Overboard systems from anywhere on the deck. For Gill, the implications go beyond convenience.
“The controller has fishing applications and boating applications,” Gill said. “You now have the ability to safely steer the boat from any position while docking. I can maintain full control of the craft on the bow while I’m untying a dockline.”
That flexibility extends to crew management as well. “If you have inexperienced people with you, you can keep full control, which makes it much more convenient,” Gill said.
Where the system really earns its keep, though, is on the fishing grounds. FishPoint (one of several SetPoint modes available at the Level 4 configuration) locks onto a GPS position and holds the boat there, functioning like a virtual anchor driven by the main outboard engines rather than a trolling motor. The boat’s heading is free to swing with wind and current, much like a vessel on a single anchor, while the bow or stern stays pinned to the waypoint.
“FishPoint uses low RPMs, so I fish with it all the time,” Gill said. The only time he uses a traditional anchor, he says, is on a sand bar or while doing chum fishing for yellowtail. “If you want a quality catch, you need to step up your game, and propellers can disrupt your chum line. Otherwise, FishPoint is useful for just about anything else,” he said.
For deep-water species like tilefish and swordfish, anchoring is impossible and every bit of boat movement compounds mistakes transmitted down hundreds of feet of line. Helm Master EX has opened doors that were previously reserved for the most experienced operators.
“I’ve seen less-experienced anglers deep-drop fish thanks to this system,” Gill said. “Any increase in control and ease of use will open accessibility, and this system is a massive step up from standard controls.”
The system’s precision extends to trolling as well. Speed Control, available through the digital binnacle, functions like automotive cruise control for outboards, holding a set RPM and allowing the captain to bump speed up or down in 50 RPM increments at the push of a button. Pattern Shift takes it further, automatically cycling the transmission in and out of gear to achieve trolling speeds as low as half a mile per hour.
“That’s what this is: precision control of your speed,” Gill said. “And it’s a button, which makes it harder to mess up under rough conditions.”
Gill has experienced firsthand what imprecise throttle control can cost.
“If I’m on the bow with a cast net chasing mullet, adrenaline is running,” he said. “I’ve lost my footing due to an overthrottle response. Now, I can hit the ‘plus’ button five times and I know what to expect consistently.”
Beyond chasing bait, Gill says that Speed Control makes it easier to manage rough-water runs.
“If you’re launching off one side of the wave and into the next, it’s like taking a house and dropping it every few seconds. Of course that’s massive wear and tear,” Gill said. “It’s hard for a lot of newer boaters to find the right speed to avoid that, but Speed Control lets you find a sweet spot for any given day.”
For drift fishing applications, Pattern Shift and DriftPoint offer two distinct approaches to the same problem. Pattern Shift is a simpler engine-level feature that manages speed over ground without any GPS input, while DriftPoint is a GPS-based SetPoint mode that holds the boat’s heading steady while allowing it to drift naturally with wind and current. Gill sees them as complementary tools designed for different boats and different conditions.
“If I’m doing drift fishing with jigs and want the boat to move slowly, I use Pattern Shift to control speed over ground so my jigs are straight up and down,” Gill explained. “If it’s not straight, you can’t feel what’s going on. Pattern Shift is great because you can adjust it based on dynamic conditions.”
All of these features are best suited for different crafts and different applications.
“If you’ve spent time in a variety of boats, you know that all boat configurations operate a little differently,” Gill said. “Whatever your purpose, you will find something that fits your needs.”
One of the most important new features for Helm Master EX, though, has nothing to do with fishing: the autopilot’s automatic deceleration. When running a route via TrackPoint, the system doesn’t simply navigate to a waypoint and leave the captain to manage the approach. It incrementally slows the boat as it nears the final waypoint, then shifts into neutral or transitions directly into a SetPoint mode like FishPoint or DriftPoint.
“Automatic deceleration makes this autopilot safer and more effective,” Gill said. “If you’re in the open ocean, you might not notice the benefits of automated deceleration, but you certainly will in a lake or inlet.”
The autopilot level also unlocks data that’s useful beyond navigation. The system’s GPS antenna gives heading data as well as speed over ground, which allows users to manipulate speed instead of simply RPMs.
“I see a benefit in literally every aspect of fishing, from single engines up to the big boys,” Gill said. “There is something there for every price point and application. I love to take big boats a long way off shore, but there are some features that make it extremely useful for lakes or smaller craft, too.”
For single-engine boaters in particular, the joystick’s raw responsiveness makes it easy to learn and hard to live without once you’re used to it, according to Gill.
“The joystick’s strongest point is how quickly it moves the motor. The system turns it faster than you could with standard steering,” Gill said. “To me, one of the biggest aspects of boat control is how quickly I can get my boat to react in any given conditions. The faster response with the joystick makes steering more precise.”
After more than a decade of demoing Yamaha’s most advanced control technology, Gill believes that the system has matured into something that not only makes experienced captains more capable, but also makes the water more accessible to everyone else.
“There are a lot of technologies out there now, and new boats come with so many features that inexperienced anglers might not know where to start,” Gill said. “Helm Master EX makes advanced techniques much easier. You still need to learn the fundamentals, but it’s a powerful tool that takes out a lot of the guesswork that you’d otherwise need years of experience to master.”
*Captains must always be vigilant. Operation of the new Wireless Control System should only take place while onboard for safety.
