What is stick steer? Actually sitting by the engine using the built in handle?
If so that describes about 75% of the boats my family uses in MN. I have drive a few and they work fine.
What you describe is tiller steering.
Stick steering is done with a shaft that moves backward and forward, and, depending upon which side of the boat it is mounted on it's generally pushed forward to turn toward the starboard, pulled back to port.
Advantages is that you don't have to sit at the back to steer the boat, it takes up less room than console steering with a wheel, thus you have more room in the boat, it gives the driver much more visibility and more time to react to obstacles, and better distribution of weight in some situations.
Like anything, it has it evangelists and detractors. I personally prefer it over tiller steer, but having some torque problems with mine and was hoping some of the fisherman/boaters around here might have some experience/expertise.
This'll give you and idea of how it's used and works ...
karlac,Anyone have/had one?
Any steering issues?
All three systems worked FINE, though I wouldn't suggest stick-steering for a HIGH-powered or on a really fast boat.
Posting in an old thread, but go over www.mudmotortalk.com. As the name implies it's more for mud motors as opposed to regular outboards but stick steering is pretty common on the inboard mud boats. Someone will very likely be able to help you there.
karlac,
I've owned a couple of 1970s bass-boats (Both had 40HP Johnson OBs) & a BIG/deep/wide (24 foot) Carolina skiff with stick-steering, powered with a pair of 4-cycle 55HP OBs..
(The bass-boats had EZ-Steer & the other my homebrew/ersatz system, copied from BOATS TO GO: Boats That Go Fast With Low Power.)
All three systems worked FINE, though I wouldn't suggest stick-steering for a HIGH-powered or on a really fast boat.
(None of my boats would exceed about 30-35MPH, which imo is fast enough for a fishing rig.)
just my OPINION, satx
I second that opinion. Tiller should only be for something under 20 HP IMO.
I had one on a small john boat, with a 10 HP motor. Worked fine as long as you are not on a big lake. Some A-hole in a ski boat can swamp you, and you can't get away from it.
Is that due to the steering type, or the motor/boat size?
I was on a lake camping. Took the kids and my little jon boat and headed for a cove on the other side from the camping area, not too far. Got about 4/5 of the way there and this big boat took two passes near us and his wake literally came inside the boat. They were laughing there asses off, meanwhile my kids were terrified.
Thank god it had a ton of flotation in the seat wells or we would have sunk. I gunned it and rammed it ashore. We had to empty all the stuff out, remove the motor, and bail for about 30 minutes before we could drag it on the bank and flip it over to all the water out. I sold it a couple weeks later.