Transom helms

[Raider Ronnie]

When I rip up my deck (soon) a few other things I'm planning to do is to modify my cockpit wash rails, narrowing them both port & stb and the transom as well.
Plan to build a box off the stb side to mount a hauler.
The transom, I'm ripping out the built in livewell and will build another smaller air box in it's place.
I'm planning to do a transom helm station and want to conceal it out of the way when not in use (I gill net over the transom a lot so can't have things exposed snagging my nets.
I've talked with a few guys who have chartered Karen Lynn's 43 Lowel out of Gloucester and they told me of a motorized helm they have that raises when in use and lowers when not.
Not looking to go crazy with motors or hydraulics but am looking for ideas as to design.
Plan to use a jog stick or a toggle Simrad makes for my auto pilot to steer and Figuring I'll have to rig another Morse with cables controls.
(open to ideas/suggestions for electronic)

I'm thinking of mounting on a hatch mounted with 2 hinges and drops down into the air box when not is use and a 2nd hatch cover to close off & keep elements out.
So who here has stern controls, ideas, pictures ect......

 

[F/V First Team]

Why hinge it when you can just make it fixed and have a small access port for when you need it?

Drill and tap the steering shaft so you can pop on a wheel when you want, when you're done undo the screw and stow the wheel, slap the cover plate back in place and you're all set.

Example: (sorry if it's crude, just threw this together)

 

[CEShawn]

Just know there is a little bit of delay in the NFU levers that attach to the autopilots and it works but just not as you think. I know people who have tried sticking with just the NFU level and does not work for the quick response. Now I dont even see the old type levers they used to have. Some of the old levers were pretty interesting, some cool ones if you ever saw the ones with the degree's on it.

I had a friend who did that same control in the stern. He had it on a drop down box, just held in place on the sides with latches if I remember. Worked out great and covered it with a flip top lid. Trying to get more details...

 

[Raider Ronnie]

Travis,
As I said don't want anything exposed on the transom when gill netting.
Don't want to have to kneel down to use when it's up also.

Why hinge it when you can just make it fixed and have a small access port for when you need it?

Drill and tap the steering shaft so you can pop on a wheel when you want, when you're done undo the screw and stow the wheel, slap the cover plate back in place and you're all set.

Example: (sorry if it's crude, just threw this together)

 

[CEShawn]

Best part about downeast boats is you can customize it all! Sounds like a pop up stern helm! Great winter thread coming for you I hope....

 

[F/V First Team]

Only thing exposed is a small bronze deck plate?
3/16 of an inch with a beveled corner
:?

Thought you were building this in an air box, my bad.

 

[Raider Ronnie]

Most likely planning to use this toggle with my auto pilot.
Pretty much instant.

Just know there is a little bit of delay in the NFU levers that attach to the autopilots and it works but just not as you think. I know people who have tried sticking with just the NFU level and does not work for the quick response. Now I dont even see the old type levers they used to have. Some of the old levers were pretty interesting, some cool ones if you ever saw the ones with the degree's on it.

I had a friend who did that same control in the stern. He had it on a drop down box, just held in place on the sides with latches if I remember. Worked out great and covered it with a flip top lid. Trying to get more details...

 

[steveinak]

Most likely planning to use this toggle with my auto pilot.
Pretty much instant.

Ronnie,
is that a simrad part or aftermarket, i'm looking for something similar for my pilot install this winter.
I think Travis's idea has some merit, i like the idea of it being mounted below the gunnel and you could just have a wheel or even a crank handle on a short shaft to go down over the helm shaft, when you dont need it just cover it up with a deck plate. Do you need controls back there also?
What do you gillnet for? bait for tuna?

 

[Raider Ronnie]

Simrad part
Simrad JS10 autopilot joystick. Simrad makes a FU follow up steering lever also (Jog lever)
Need controls back there also.
Don't want a steering helm pump back there (I can just see a charter dropping the wheel in the water, I've replaced 6 livewell hatch covers on charters due to customers playing with the lid in the transom, I finally took one they broke the hinge and put some 300lb mono leashes )
I net pogies (menhaden) feed them to striped bass and occasionally tuna.
90% of my charters are live bait for stripers.

Ronnie,
is that a simrad part or aftermarket, i'm looking for something similar for my pilot install this winter.
I think Travis's idea has some merit, i like the idea of it being mounted below the gunnel and you could just have a wheel or even a crank handle on a short shaft to go down over the helm shaft, when you dont need it just cover it up with a deck plate. Do you need controls back there also?
What do you gillnet for? bait for tuna?

 

[CEShawn]

Charters can do amazing things! Ahh Cap, you know the wheel back there... I think some black sea bass are hanging out on it now. I always worry with more than one station with them, sounds like you wont have that problem... Sounds like a busy winter for you...

 

[BillD]

When I rip up my deck (soon) a few other things I'm planning to do is to modify my cockpit wash rails, narrowing them both port & stb and the transom as well.
Plan to build a box off the stb side to mount a hauler.
The transom, I'm ripping out the built in livewell and will build another smaller air box in it's place.
I'm planning to do a transom helm station and want to conceal it out of the way when not in use (I gill net over the transom a lot so can't have things exposed snagging my nets.
I've talked with a few guys who have chartered Karen Lynn's 43 Lowel out of Gloucester and they told me of a motorized helm they have that raises when in use and lowers when not.
Not looking to go crazy with motors or hydraulics but am looking for ideas as to design.
Plan to use a jog stick or a toggle Simrad makes for my auto pilot to steer and Figuring I'll have to rig another Morse with cables controls.
(open to ideas/suggestions for electronic)

I'm thinking of mounting on a hatch mounted with 2 hinges and drops down into the air box when not is use and a 2nd hatch cover to close off & keep elements out.
So who here has stern controls, ideas, pictures ect......

Ronnie,

I was on the Karen Lynn back there leaning over the stern while my sales manager Jim was fighting a schoolie tuna. Colin (spelling) was handling the boat with the "pop-up station" attaching a wheel on the steering shaft after it popped up.

Neat setup but the Karen Lynn is a 43 footer wide ass stern, big cockpit , tons of real estate back there for the captain, mate, guy fighting the fish and "onlookers" like bm hanging over the stern! Check the pics, you could stand 9-10 people across the stern of the Karen Lynn with shoulder room

You could do it Ronnie, gonna be kinda tight back there on space with the the 28.

FWIW,

Bill D

 

[steveinak]

Simrad part
Simrad JS10 autopilot joystick. Simrad makes a FU follow up steering lever also (Jog lever)
Need controls back there also.
Don't want a steering helm pump back there (I can just see a charter dropping the wheel in the water, I've replaced 6 livewell hatch covers on charters due to customers playing with the lid in the transom, I finally took one they broke the hinge and put some 300lb mono leashes )
I net pogies (menhaden) feed them to striped bass and occasionally tuna.
90% of my charters are live bait for stripers.

Thanks, i'm trying to decide if i want the joystick at the new steering station inside the split house, dash will be crowded with electronics and if i use the joystick inside i won't have to move and replumb my hydraulic tank to make room for another helm mounted through the bulkhead or do all the work inside for the helm and just use the joystick outside by the hauler to pull up to the buoys and general running of the boat from out there. Is the steering response with the joystick or joglever just as fast as the regular hydro helm ? or is it slow to answer?

Too bad about the customers busting/losing the lids, how about one of those wireless remotes for the pilot, lanyard around your neck so you don't drop it over ??
OK pogies for bass bait, those guys are pretty smart around gillnets, they like to follow them instead of running into the web we have that problem with salmon follow the web so we always towed hooks into the end of the net, works really well sort of like a trap. Are your nets sinking or are they floating ?

 

[Raider Ronnie]

I'm more looking for ideas for the controls.
I've got 2 sets now.
Tower has a Kobelt control with 1 set of cables down to the lower Kobelt set at the wheelhouse helm, and 2nd set of controls down to the engine & trans.
Not sure I can run a set of cables from transom to engine & trans, doubling up the connections there, or have to run a set from transom up to the tower.
I don't think you can run 3 sets of cables to the lower wheelhouse Kobelt helm.
Also, I know from adding the tower, having a 2nd set of controls & cables takes a bit more effort to move controls in forward & reverse, throttle up & down, I have to imagine a 3rd set will make things stiffer/tighter, hence looking for suggestions as to electronic.
I've pretty much got the design in my head to mount the helm controls inside the transom air box. Will make up a plywood mockup when I get to it.
I want it up above the transom when in the up position, down below when stored. Don't want to have to reach down into a hole to use it and don't want anything up above when not, for reasons when I gill net and I can just see charters playing with it while I'm underway from the wheelhouse helm.

 

[starrfish]

here is a pic of my stern controls with the simrad jog lever and some morse controls..we occasionaly pitch a net, but i usually flake it out the transom door..
as far as the controls go they work perfect for charters and comm bluefin, never had a problem.

 

[starrfish]

hope this works

 

[tunaorlater]

I have 3 sets of controls. My bridge and pilot house cables run to the rear station (bulkhead) then from there one cable to the engine. Hope it helps.

 

[RKrough]

You could also use a $25 quick release steering wheel hub set up. This one is a weld on. If you search you should find a 3/4" tapered hub adapter to work with a Teleflex or hydraulic steering box

Wilwood Disc Brakes 270-2016 - Wilwood Quick-Release Steering Hubs - Overview - SummitRacing.com

 

[petrel]

A lot of the cockpit controls on commercial boats around here (gill net/hooking) are somewhere along the starboard washboard.

 

[Raider Ronnie]

You could also use a $25 quick release steering wheel hub set up. This one is a weld on. If you search you should find a 3/4" tapered hub adapter to work with a Teleflex or hydraulic steering box

Wilwood Disc Brakes 270-2016 - Wilwood Quick-Release Steering Hubs - Overview - SummitRacing.com

Thanks for the suggestion, but as I said prior have no interest in a helm with a wheel.
Will definitely use either the JS10 toggle or the jog stick. The toggle @ around $330 and it's plug & play is pretty much a no brainer.
A wheel, helm, hoses, fittings ect will be 4 times that.
If I didn't have a Simrad auto pilot now it would be a much different story.
To be honest, I don't know how anyone lives without auto pilot !!!

 

[Super Suck]

Why not a tiller arm? Very quick response and I assume easier to setup. My dad install one in his 32 BHM and was removable because it was over the fish door, he setup controls and a ball valve.