DK Firearms

Boat w/Outboard & Stick Steer

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  • Dawico

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    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.
     

    karlac

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    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 ...

     

    Dawico

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    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 ...


    Now that you describe it I have heard of it and may have seen it. Never used it though.
     

    satx78247

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    Anyone have/had one?
    Any steering issues?
    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
     

    karlac

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    All three systems worked FINE, though I wouldn't suggest stick-steering for a HIGH-powered or on a really fast boat.

    16' Tracker with a 40hp Merc 4 stroke ... is exhibiting problems with difficult steering to port, AMMOF gotten pretty hard to do at planing speeds, which I can understand somewhat due to increased propeller torque, but not that damned difficult. A bit more trim when planing helps, but not that much.

    I'm thinking it might be dried lubrication in either the steering tube, or the cable needs to be replaced?

    Did that problem ever crop up and, if so, did you come up with a solution?

    Thanks ...
     

    satx78247

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    karlac,

    Which brand is your system?

    IF it's an EZ-steer, it's most likely a matter of simply needing to re-lubricate the cable OR it's kinked.
    (IF it was mine, I'd dissemble everything that can be & clean/re-lubricate every moving part. = Stick steering systems are quite simple & little ever goes wrong with them that 25 cents worth of grease/oil won't fix.)

    Best of luck, satx
     
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    karlac

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    Pretty sure EZGlide makes this one, and, after talking to them, they specifically do not recommend lubricating the cable itself, as it will "guarantee future problems".

    Since I bought the boat used, that might well be the problem?

    I'll try adjusting the trim tab to see if that helps. Hate to take it out of the water just for that, but the way I drop things lately ...

    Be interesting to hear if anyone had some experience with that particular adjustment to counteract torque, with any type of steering, and how effective it was?

    TIA ...
     

    satx78247

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    karlac,

    IF it was me, I would follow the factory's advice, though I always greased mine once a year W/O a single problem.

    Best Wishes on getting your stick-steering working properly & SOON.

    yours, satx
     

    Spoonie

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    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

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    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.

    Thanks for the link. I reamed the steering tube cylinder and adjusted the trim tab which helped a bit ... at least enough, with adjusting the motor trim to the relative speed, to make it workable until after the fall fishing.
     

    satx78247

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    karlac,

    imVho, the biggest thing that you can do to improve stick-steering is to use graphite in the cable AFTER assuring that the cable isn't "kinked".

    yours, satx
     

    deemus

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    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.
     

    ZX9RCAM

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    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?
     

    karlac

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    Is that due to the steering type, or the motor/boat size?

    Boat size would be my experience.
    Fished out of a few boats with tiller steer and 40-60Hp outboards (equipped with tension bars).
    That said, tiller steering is not under discussion, stick steering is, but higher torque can make either hard to steer in one direction or the other.
     

    deemus

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    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.
     

    karlac

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    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.

    Not all that unusual on crowded lakes during holidays and weekends. Makes you wonder how some of the idiot halfasses can manage to make enough money to own a $35k boat.

    I'm fishing on Lake Hamilton this summer and fall and make it a practice to only go out Mon thru Fri to keep out of their wakes.
     
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