A navigation controller for a watercraft includes a grip member and control head that act as an integrated grab bar to be grabbed by a hand of a user and transfer an applied force to a mount. The grip member is engagable by fingers on the hand of the user for providing a grab bar to the user to resist movement of the body of the user caused by the applied force. A control plate supports control switches and is configured and dimensioned relative to the grip member to enable a thumb of the user to engage with one or more of the control switches while the fingers remain engaged with the grip member so that the resistance of the applied force to keep the user steady does not cause a unintended activation of one or more of the control switches.