Outboard. tiller or steering wheel

As far as I know stick steering is also limited to smaller HP outboards. The same commonsense guidelines as a tiller OB

 

It depends on the size and type of boat. Up to 40hp are used a lot by fisherman, on garveys and skiffs. I have used a tiller control motor with an extension on a 18' skiff.
I could stand almost center of the boat and steer from either side . It was good for chasing a school of fish, while casting. For me and my use of the boat, it was simple, and the best. However if the boat is light and not safe to stand in while motoring, that might not be the best option. Still a tiller extension is simple and gets you far enough from the stern to deal with the weight distribution issue.
F

 

I've seen stick steering used on quite large HP outboards, though often in displacement craft, some have been full plane mode skiffs. It's an option and a great space saver in a small boat. The usual problem with these is they're often home built, so no anti feed back features, lots of slop, require frequent adjustment, etc. If a Teleflex cable and solid stick mount is employed, it'll work well, especially if used with a dampener on high HP setups.

A tiller extension is just a cockpit sweeping beast, best left for quite small craft and sailboats.

 

http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2011/02/outboard-horsepower-ratings-for-tiller-steer-boats/

 

Yah...the engine is way to big. Looks like 30 knots. Accident waiting to happen

 

Micheal , those rigs are sold that way, and used safety all the time. I admit it is on the big side, but the original poster just wanted some information from someone who knows.
I had a 13 whaler for years, and when the steering went , i just used the tiller, and it was better for the most part. No need to get all fancy about everything .

 

Sure...Ive used a tiller on yacht tenders all my life. I consider 25hp max.

Tiller steering boats are particularly dangerous when operated single handed, light load, upwind in a blow. Impossible to keep the boat in the water...too much power and weight aft.

If you have a special boat or a special use for the boat that can only be achieved with a tiller.... then go for it. Tillers are beautiful at low speed in tight quarters or on a work boat that needs an open cockpit for working.

Personally on a small craft I prefer a small side console...weight forward with a thwart to sit on that stiffens the sides at Bmax

Centre consoles take to much space, force you to run plumbing under the cockpit sole , compromise the watertight integrity of the foam filled bilge and impede fore and aft movement.

 

Michael, repeating the same nonsense dose not make it true. These aint yacht tenders


http://www.mercurymarine.com/gauges-and-controls/steering-systems/big-tiller/
http://www.crestliner.com//files/IMAGE/features/ORIGINAL/1650_ProTiller_2013_Action3.jpg
http://www.crestliner.com/Crestliner-Pro-Tiller-fishing-boat

 

Outboard Expert: 2011 Crestliner 1850 Pro Tiller Review

Tiller boats never went away, but three new Crestliner models provide a nice update.

Settle into the helm seat of the new Crestliner 1850 Pro Tiller and you immediately appreciate the key benefit of a tiller-steer fishing boat – the wide-open interior that offers unobstructed fishing access. As the name implies, this new model is aimed at old-school anglers who appreciate the benefits of a tiller-steer outboard over a boat with a console: chiefly more space in the boat and finer trolling control. Tiller boats never went away, but over the past twenty years, big motors and tournament fishing converted a lot of walleye anglers to console boats with remote steering.

The length of the Mercury Pro Tiller control places the boat driver forward, improving overall balance and creating space aft for a live well.

Now, according to Crestliner, there’s renewed interest in tiller steering, due mostly to the 2008 introduction of the Mercury Big Tiller with hydraulic power steering, which makes it more comfortable to confidently handle a boat with a mid-size motor and tiller steering. The Crestliner 1850 I ran for this story had a Mercury 90 four stroke with the power-steering feature, and it was fabulous. The hydraulic system is really invisible when you run the boat, but cancels all prop torque when the motor is trimmed out at 40 mph. No Popeye arms are required to run this boat safely.

Hydraulic power steering adds $2,400 to the price of a Big Tiller outboard. The handle places shifting and trim controls within easy reach.

Crestliner will offer three new models in the Pro Tiller family, ranging in length from 16 feet 8 inches to the 18-foot 8-inch model I ran. These premium models in the Crestliner line will replace Fish Hawk tiller models of about the same size.

Crestliner worked hard to put all fishing amenities within reach of the angler sitting at the tiller position. There’s a bait well under your right elbow on the inwale. A 29-gallon livewell is placed to the left in the aft deck. A large electronics console faces the helm from the port gunwale area with a slide-out that makes it easier to reach a fish locator; it has room for two larger electronics units. Engine instrumentation also mounts on this console.

A bait well is located just to the right of the helm position.

Rod stowage includes a compartment to starboard for eight foot sticks, while tubes in a central compartment in the forward deck will handle seven foot rods. Three people could fish from the forward deck without bumping elbows, as it stretches from the bow to almost the center of the boat. There are two locking stowage compartments in the bow, a large dry compartment, a 24-gallon livewell, and a small bait well in the bow peak.

Spray-on coating and stainless steel hardware will keep these drawers working smoothly for years.

This is a premium model from a premium brand, and two details on this boat brought that home for me. The first is the gunwale cap, a 4.5-wide polished aluminum extrusion that looks classy, promises to be durable, and is strong enough to support mounted downriggers, according to Crestliner. Another example of Crestliner’s attention to detail can be seen in the construction of the optional storage drawers that can be placed under the helm console and the aft edge of the forward deck. Each is lockable and moves on stainless steel sliders that won’t corrode over time. The drawer body is finished with a coating called Crest-Liner, a sprayed-on plastic material that’s sort of like pickup truck bed liner. The same stuff is used on the underside of hatch lids and the bottom of the bow stowage compartments. It looks good, won’t scratch or wear like paint, and it helps deaden sound.

The tiller advantage has always been more space in the boat, and no obstruction to landing a fish to starboard.

We had a great day to test the 1850 Pro Tiller in Minnesota – clear skies, fall colors, and a brisk north wind whipping up a nasty chop on the lake. The ride was outstanding in these conditions, and the boat’s reverse chines did a good job keeping spray to a minimum. The 1850 has 17 degrees of deadrise at the transom and a variable deadrise that gets deeper forward to help the boat cut through chop and track well at trolling speeds.

Crestliner is advertising the 1650 Pro Tiller at $14,695 with a Mercury 50 four stroke and a trailer. The 1850 Pro Tiller is offered with either a Mercury 90 four stroke ($27,141) or a Merc 90 Optimax two-stroke outboard ($26,930) with the Big Tiller control. Add Big Tiller power steering to either motor for about $2,400 more. A ShoreLand’r bunk trailer is included.

Crestliner has a great video of the 1850 Pro Tiller in action. There’s also a Mercury Boat House Bulletin with performance data on the Crestliner 1850 Pro Tiller.

plueddeman-head-shotCharles Plueddeman is Boats.com’s outboard, trailer, and PWC expert. He is a former editor at Boating Magazine and contributor to many national publications since 1986.


[Charles Plueddeman]

Read more: http://features.boats.com/boat-cont...stliner-1850-pro-tiller-review/#ixzz2TNmwqH7F

 

Frank,
That Merc tiller is short compared to my e-tech Evinrude.
See post #13.

And Merc's "big foot" isn't that big.

 

Yep, tillers are used, but serious, non-fad following skippers tend to prefer a real helm, by a huge margin. There's obvious reasons for this trend toward a helm, most previously posted, so the OP should have more then sufficient data to consider the pro's and con's. Having a fair bit of experience in both, I'll take a real helm every time, if for no other reason then it places the skipper in a much better position to see what's going on and participate in deck handling chores, which is a big deal on a small boat.

 

This is what im working with. I have it all in nothing is fastened down though. I have the live well up front and dry storage in back. I think i will put batteries in back with the fuel tank, like it was when it was new. The hull is a 1648. All the plywood has been replaced with aluminum. Im weighing the pros and cons of a center console or tiller steer. Thanks for everyone thoughts they have been helpfull

 

It doesn't have to be a center console. It could be a side helm, which is common on flats boats.

 

Get real Paul, the good old boys aren't following a fad , they been doing it for 40 years , and so have I .

 

Mines custom , and longer than yours. LOL