I have a small boat with an outboard and rotary cable steering. It is a power boat with the steering console on the bulkhead separating the cockpit and interior space. The cockpit has a windshield but no top. I was out the other day and it was raining and breezy. I experimented with sitting in the hatch forward of the bulkhead. The hatch is hinged and in the raised position I can sit in the hatch space and still see forward as the hatch has a clear panel. With the heater going I was comfortable except for having to reach behind me and steer. I got to thinking about some kind of remote steering that I could use inside. Of course you say why not get an autopilot. An autopilot would be great except I can't spend that kind of money now. A used wheel autopilot is a possibility even one without brains and jury rigged direct wire control. A push pull lever and cables with some kind of attachment to a sprocket on the steering wheel shaft might work though it would have to be detachable. Perhaps a fabric strap around the steering wheel itself might work. I wouldn't need stop to stop steering. Any ideas? The top speed of the boat is 7 knots with a 10hp outboard.
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simple remote steering
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whitepointer23
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Google atkins boat designs and look at the small power launchs. Some have a fore and aft moving stick hooked to 2 cables. Great idea for a low speed boat as they don't use much space and are very simple to make with bits from the hardware store.
markstrimaran
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remote steering
A 10 pound lead weight on a rope tied to the 3 o'clock position countered with a rope tied at 9 o'clock. Direct the rope with some small pullies. To where your sitting. Is my 2 cents.
A 10 pound lead weight on a rope tied to the 3 o'clock position countered with a rope tied at 9 o'clock. Direct the rope with some small pullies. To where your sitting. Is my 2 cents.
PAR
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Brendan is on the right track. Push/pull steering is as simple as it gets and easy to engineer on the fly. Of course, you'll need to adapt the existing helm and some of these, are better than others with this. See if you can get access to the shaft on your rotary drum. You may be able to extend it and/or the drum, for the extra wind up room, needed for the additional helm station.
Alternatively, you could make a quadrant arm for the end of your helm drum or shaft. Most commercial helms are 3 or 4 turns lock to lock and a quadrant arm, will only swing it a 1/2 turn at best, unless you make an "over center" type of deal with a circular quadrant. I think the Glen-L.com site might have something on this too.
Alternatively, you could make a quadrant arm for the end of your helm drum or shaft. Most commercial helms are 3 or 4 turns lock to lock and a quadrant arm, will only swing it a 1/2 turn at best, unless you make an "over center" type of deal with a circular quadrant. I think the Glen-L.com site might have something on this too.
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