stick steering info needed

[leserz]

i bought a old bass boat with stick steering in it. i have not made up my mind up yet if i will keep the stick steering or convert motor over to tiller. the cable in it is shot way beyond hope . the system in it mow says "Morris" one or two r's in the name. i have seen new cables for newer systems but not for stick. some one know where i start to find a new cable assy? the steering is real slow in it. need to move the stick 90* to move motor 45* that normal? never had a boat with stick steering. i know there still made i seen a new float boat with stick steering this summer.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: stick steering info needed

http://www.nicksoutboardmarine.com/steeringpg6.html i have use teleflex rotary cable as replacements, also.

i've had the ezy glide system on 3 boats loved it.

 

[leserz]

Re: stick steering info needed

thanks for that info

 

[aspeck]

Re: stick steering info needed

I had stick steering on an older bass boat ... was rated for 50 HP. When I had the 40HP Merc it worked great. Put a 55 HP Johnny Rude on it and the torque was just too much! Where the cable attached to the steering box broke ... twice (2 different boxes). Replaced the stick steering with a steering wheel mounted vertically on the side of the boat, so I was steering like I was sitting in a wheel chair. That worked really well also.

So, you have lots of options. But in my case, keeping weight in the front of the boat had more advantages than moving to the back with a tiller steer ... and the vertical mounted steering wheel handled the torque of the engine MUCH better than the stick steering did.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: stick steering info needed

I had stick steering on an older bass boat ... was rated for 50 HP. When I had the 40HP Merc it worked great. Put a 55 HP Johnny Rude on it and the torque was just too much! Where the cable attached to the steering box broke ... twice (2 different boxes). Replaced the stick steering with a steering wheel mounted vertically on the side of the boat, so I was steering like I was sitting in a wheel chair. That worked really well also.

So, you have lots of options. But in my case, keeping weight in the front of the boat had more advantages than moving to the back with a tiller steer ... and the vertical mounted steering wheel handled the torque of the engine MUCH better than the stick steering did.

I bet that took some getting use to . I don't think I could ever handle a boat like that.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: stick steering info needed

that is why they offer two types of stick steering. there is an 830 model for smaller motors.

 

[aspeck]

Re: stick steering info needed

I bet that took some getting use to . I don't think I could ever handle a boat like that.

It really was not bad at all! It didn't take much to get used to it, you were just steering with one hand, much like the stick steering.

And yes, they do offer the two types of stick steering to handle the motors you got ... but I was cheap and could get the steering wheel version for FREE! And FREE makes ALL the difference in the world!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: stick steering info needed

it sure does. actually i have seen stick steering mount rather than on the gunnel, mount to the front of the boat, you move the stick right to go right, and left to go left. rather than forward to go right, and back to go left.

 

[DJ]

Re: stick steering info needed

"stick steering" is atypical to human thinking. Especially to anyone that has ever driven an automobile. We get conditioned.

Replace it with a wheel or go tiller.

The wheel option is a cheap and easy do.

 

[KLINDWW]

Re: stick steering info needed

It really didn?t seem that atypical to me. My wife?s grandfather hade a boat with stick steering and I was able to jump right on and start driving. To me it was much like driving a skid loader or one of the new zero radius mowers. Oh, and yes, I have driven an automobile. I didn?t really drive it enough to have a real opinion on it but he always said that he loved the stick and would never own anything else. Since then I have heard other people comment that they loved the stick steering.

 

[dlngr]

Re: stick steering info needed

I considered the stick when I converted my 14' from tiller to remote . I wound up with the wheel and it cost about half as much as the stick. I also think it is a lot more 'natural' to steer with a wheel.

 

[DJ]

Re: stick steering info needed

It really didn?t seem that atypical to me. My wife?s grandfather hade a boat with stick steering and I was able to jump right on and start driving. To me it was much like driving a skid loader or one of the new zero radius mowers. Oh, and yes, I have driven an automobile. I didn?t really drive it enough to have a real opinion on it but he always said that he loved the stick and would never own anything else. Since then I have heard other people comment that they loved the stick steering.

I'm sorry. But, "stick steering is very "regional" and far out of date. Haviving lived in Louisiana, I understand.

I've driven stick steer boats and nothing was wrong. For the average boater, it is a mystery, added to everything else about boating. Why complicate?" A "wheel" and everyone gets it.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: stick steering info needed

stick steering has it place in a boat, but not all boats. i can be a real space saver, and doing that, it is well worth the extra money. as in this boat, where would you mount a console. you can see the stick on the left, and control on the right.

 

[dlngr]

Re: stick steering info needed

Regional-maybe it is. I have never seen a boat with a stick steer,other than the pics on this forum. [I'm in central Illinois] Tashasdaddy,as many times as I've seen that pic of your boat,I just realized your seats are all backward!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: stick steering info needed

they swivel, i turn the that way , and lay the back down when towing.

 

[Ned L]

Re: stick steering info needed

This 'stick' type of steering is old time traditional on boat club & marina launches in the N.E. where the launches take people out to boats on moorings. Totally different hardware involved, the boats are typically 22ft - 25ft totally open inboards with mechanical steering linkage up to the stick (or vertical tiller). Push forward to turn to starboard, & pull back to turn to port. Much better than wheel steering when you have to spend all day manuvering up alongside other boats (faster response & you don't wear out your arm spinning the wheel). I didn't know that this type of steering was still popular regionally & is commercially marketed (learn something new all the time).

 

[reelfishin]

Re: stick steering info needed

I'm in NJ and have owned several stick steer aluminum bass boats. I actually prefer it. Stick steering clears up a lot of space and make the drivers seat a possible fishing position as well. My one boat had the stick steering all the way up front, you could drive from the bow deck. It was great in shallow water and at high speed. I could set the stick for straight ahead with the tension knob fairly tight and steer by just leaning the boat side to side or by tapping the stick with my foot either way. I actually go real used to running that way, it let me pay better attention to the bottom and to navigate around submerged stumps at higher speeds. I could navigate the river at 35mph vs. feeling my way through at 10 mph not being able to see what under me. The feel was similar to running an air boat. I've actually been looking for another boat like that, something in the 16-17' range in aluminum. I really miss my last one but sold it to buy something bigger and better which wasn't nearly as much fun.

Stick steer is a solution to any boat without a dash or console.
The difference between having the weight up front vs at the stern can be several or more miles per hour on the water as well and inches of stern draft.
In my last boat, a 15' Grumman, when on plane, you would ride about 4' up off the waters surface when standing on the bow deck. The boat would just skim right along the surface and over so many obstacles that you would normally not be able to pass over if riding stern heavy.

 

[leserz]

Re: stick steering info needed

mine is a 16 ft bomber style boat with a 68 33 hp johnson. talk about old school