New steering concept!!!

[Otero62986]

Some may qualify this as crazy but I have an idea for a new steering concept and ask you more experienced boaters if I am crazy or is this doable....first off I have a 1985 bass tracker with a 25hp merc, has regular ole steering wheel control, throttle is set up for electric trim but I have no trim or hydraulics in place for trim (and I don't really need it) so my question is if I found a small trim kit and essentially rotated the piston 90 degrees and fabbed up a mount and adapted the links of my old steering then I could essentially control my steering with the trim control. Allowing me to remove the console and freeing up more gear/storage and fishing space. Now I know most of you are screaming stick steer and I would agree but I would argue that A They are around $300 and B the fun thing about building a boat is how you can personalize an be creative/unique. So ladies an gents am I crazy?

 

[alumacrafty]

Would you control it with the usual rocker switch?

 

[Otero62986]

No I was planning on just using the trim controls on my throttle, I was also looking into electric actuators with 100-150# thrust....thoughts

 

[Country Dave]

It could work my only concern we be speed. Sometimes we need to turn the OB slow and sometimes we have to be faster. If you were only going to use the speed of a normal trim tab motor or motor tilt/trim it would be to slow.

You're going to have to figure out a way vary the speed.

 

[PSG-1]

Country Dave is right, steering response may be too slow in the event of having to make an evasive maneuver.

On a quick side note of 'steering concepts' I remember one time when the steering cable broke on my jetboat. Since it's a push-pull cable, it would still work on the 'push' side (left turn) but it wouldn't pull the cable back in (right turn) Fortunately I had 2 other people with me, so, I put them toward the bow, on the starboard side. With the weight distributed like this, all I had to do was counter-act by holding the wheel more to port, and if I needed to turn right, I simply turned the wheel back. Running like this, we were able to make it back, running on plane!

 

[Country Dave]

I think it could be done this way, I just don’t know how piratical it would be,

You could use a high amp electric 12 volt PM motor. You would have to wire it to be able to reverse the polarity. Mount the toggle switch so it toggles left and right instead of up and down. You could overcome the slow speed of the motor in the linkage. You would have to make the pivot point were when the electric motor moves the linkage arm say 1” at the electric motor side the other side of the linkage at the OB would move about say 5”

You would have to play with it to get it dialed in. You would have to vary the duration when toggling the switch to control the overall speed, I think it would probably be a bit herky jerky though. You could also add variable resistor to the circuit. This way you can change the voltage to the motor and that will make the motor run faster or slower respectively.
If you can find a high thrust 12 volt trolling motor you would have all the components you needed. At that point you would just have to disassemble it and grab all the goodies……………… :mrgreen:

 

[JMichael]

I think that by the time you could create the controls that would give you slow precise control that is variable all the way up to fast control with some degree of precision, you would have more money and untold man hours invested in it than the stick steer would set you back. Have you considered trying to design and build your own version of a stick steer?

 

[Otero62986]

Again thanks for everyone's input, I really do appreciate it. I have not thought about creating my own stick steer, ideas??? I have been contemplating removing the steering column all together and just fab a tiller handle simply to steer with....again crazy?

 

[lucescoflathead]

I did that with the 9.9 Evinrude I had on my Polar Kraft. I like just having a tiller and the controls mounted separately on the side of the boat .The one I had on my 9.9 was a piece of aluminum tubing and a bicycle grip. You can make it as long as you need it and don't have to worry about tiller extensions.

I plan on building a stronger one for my 25 Hp Evinrude. I haven't got a chance to fab one up yet, but will post some pictures when I do.

 

[JMichael]

Otero62986 » 36 minutes ago[/url]"]Again thanks for everyone's input, I really do appreciate it. I have not thought about creating my own stick steer, ideas??? I have been contemplating removing the steering column all together and just fab a tiller handle simply to steer with....again crazy?

I know there is at least one build on this forum where the owner fabed his own stick steer with pics, but I don't have a link to it. As for removing the column and fabing a tiller, that's pretty much what I did to my boat when I got it. Except I didn't fab the tiller. I was patient and lucky, and ended up finding all the parts I needed on ebay for about $30. It looked like this when I started. The previous owner had actually cut the tiller mount bracket off with a hack saw and fabed his own steering cable hookup.

I found all the parts I needed on ebay and now it looks like this.

 

[Otero62986]

Sounds like a plan! Any suggestions as far as materials go for my 25hp merc?

 

[Otero62986]

That's awesome! I think I would like to stick with having my controls seperate, I know it may seem silly to some but it's just an odd preference that I have

 

[2sac]

https://www.mercurymarine.com/gauges-and-controls/controls/digital/joystick/

 

[kfa4303]

.......so if your battery dies you can't run your lights, start your motor, or steer, which means you might hit me, or someone else on the water? Not a good idea.https://www.tinboats.net/forum/posting.php?mode=reply&f=3&t=32933# Less is more, especially when it comes to boat. Keep as many systems separate, simple and mechanical as possible. If you cannot adequately handle your craft, you'll be a hazard not only to yourself, but to everyone else on the water as well.

 

[rscottp]

kfa4303 » 05 Jan 2014, 13:30[/url]"].......so if your battery dies you can't run your lights, start your motor, or steer, which means you might hit me, or someone else on the water? Not a good idea.https://www.tinboats.net/forum/posting.php?mode=reply&f=3&t=32933# Less is more, especially when it comes to boat. Keep as many systems separate, simple and mechanical as possible. If you cannot adequately handle your craft, you'll be a hazard not only to yourself, but to everyone else on the water as well.

I tend to agree. Seems like a lot of things that can go wrong for a function so important to your safety!

 

[Otero62986]

I would once again like to thank everyone for their input, after careful consideration I am going to put this idea on the back burner indefinitely and fab up a tiller handle to steer with and keep my throttle and shift cables as they are, I intend to keep the boat as simple yet functional as possible. Once again any and all input is appreciated