what is "spartan for safety" 1963 Cruisers

[Kenlyn66]

I recently purchased a 1963 Cruisers Commadore 302V - 18 footer from my neighbor. This wooden boat was sitting in his garage for the last 10 years and it was used sparingly before that. I am trying to figure out what this thing is. The wheel pulls out and behind the dashboard is a metal tube. It appears to have some liquid ( oil ) inside of the tube? See pictures below. I added some pictures of the boat for fun. The original boat came with 75 hsp Johnson, but the former owner changed it to a 1975 Chrysler 75 Hsp. Hoping to get it started this year yet, waiting on an impeller order.