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In this paper, accurate trajectory tracking problem of a surface vehicle disturbed by complex marine environments is solved by creating a finite-time control (FTC) scheme whereby the nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode (NFTSM) and finite-time disturbance observer (FDO) techniques are deployed. Salient features are as follows. By devising an FDO, complex disturbances arising from marine environments can be exactly identified within a short time, in conjunction with the defined NFTSM manifold, and thereby contributing to exact trajectory tracking. Finite-time disturbance observation is completely decoupled from the nominal FTC scheme, and achieves stronger disturbance rejection and faster transient response, simultaneously. Both disturbance observation and trajectory tracking errors can exactly reach to zero in a finite time. Simulation results and comparisons are comprehensively conducted on CyberShip II …