Re: Mini hydroplane?
A simple cable steering system is probably your cheapest way out in that regard. Might have to fabricate a steering bar for the motor as you don't really want pulleys at the transom to get tangled in if you take a digger and end up in the drink. Think simple. The plans will likely have some sort of diagram to aid in rigging. You can probably find old style cable drum type steering wheels at a boat yard with some junkers and clunkers out back. I modified one once by swapping the drum for the mounting bracket so that I could have the drum on the cockpit side of the dashboard. With the limited space available, it's MUCH easier to rig the steering cables if you're not trying to do it behind the dashboard. Cable and clamps can be gotten at your local hardware store. Steering bar can be made from regular bar stock and bolted to the front carry handle of the motor, with a bend on either side to align the hook points to the pivot line of the motor (to keep the cables from going slack).
Aside from the obvious reason to go with a deadman type throttle, they are also quite useful for keeping your behind in the boat! You don't sit down in these things - you kneel. You use your body weight to finesse the boat over waves, around corners, etc. The throttle acts as your "oh sh*t" handle. You hang onto the steering wheel with one hand, the throttle in the other and wedge your knees against the cockpit sides. That's all that's keeping you in the boat. A regular type throttle doesn't give you anything to hold onto. If you hold onto the throttle arm, everytime you hit a wave or shift your weight you'll be moving the throttle.
It's not hard to make a throttle if you have one to pattern from (to get the range of motion correct). A friend of mine made several out of billet aluminum a few years back and they turned out nicely.
Keep in mind - it's not a matter of "if" you flip or get spit out, but of "when".
- Scott
