Add Cockpit Speed and Shift Controls to Motorsailer

[muggles11]

I've been reading this forum for 10 years, and now that I am retired, I'm considering buying a 24 ft motorsailer and cruising the Great Loop solo.

It has a full inside helm with good visibility and a tiller in the cockpit. I want to step the mast and use it as a mini trawler. To do this, I feel I need speed and shift controls in the cockpit for docking and locking. The steep steps and narrow companionway would make it difficult to get outside in a timely fashion to complete the maneuver.

It has a Yanmar 2GM engine and the existing engine control is a single lever mounted to the side of the inside helm.

How difficult would it be to add a single lever engine control in the cockpit?

I've looked a number of replacement shift levers, and I can figure out how and where to mount it and where to run the cables. It would only be a couple of feet from the engine.

The challenge is how are the (two sets of) two cables joined at the engine? There are plenty of existing boats with a dual helm, so this is not unique. Is there an 'off the shelf' part to turn two cables into one, or does something need to be fabricated for each installation?

Thanks in advance for any info.

[capt jgw]

Same as a fly bridge boat with an inside station. On mine, the lower control lever has a double ended bell crank inside. The cable from the upper control pulls one end of the lower crank which pulls the cable on the other end of the crank which goes to the engine. There is only one shift and one throttle cable going to the engine. Other setups may do it differently but I think this is the simplest. I don't see a makers label on the lever but I think it's a Morse or Teleflex.

[muggles11]

Thanks. I see. That does seem like the most efficient arrangement with a flybridge. My application would be less so with the engine in between the two stations.

[muggles11]

Any experience with something like this?



I'm thinking less cable routing with this method.

[wrwakefield]

You have a couple of choices with mechanical dual helm controls: [Assuming a single control for both shifting and throttle.]

Series: When you move an engine control lever at one station, it moves the same lever at the other station.

Lock-out: Only one set of helm controls is active at a time. The one in use locks out the unused one. [i.e., the unused controls cannot be shifted out of neutral until the active control is put into neutral.]

Our dual helm came with the lock-out. In order to transfer control to the unused helm, the active control needs to be put into neutral. This may not be what you would prefer given your description of your use case.

In case this helps you narrow your focus.

Cheers, Bill

[leecea]

According to West Marine "Dual- or multiple-station applications almost always use single-function two-lever controls."

Sounds like you have a single lever that does throttle and forward/reverse. I wonder if that makes it more challenging?

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by leecea

According to West Marine "Dual- or multiple-station applications almost always use single-function two-lever controls."

Sounds like you have a single lever that does throttle and forward/reverse. I wonder if that makes it more challenging?

It might. Calling tech support at the control manufacturers might be the best bet here, they'll know what will work.

[muggles11]

Originally Posted by leecea

According to West Marine "Dual- or multiple-station applications almost always use single-function two-lever controls."

Sounds like you have a single lever that does throttle and forward/reverse. I wonder if that makes it more challenging?

Great link...thanks. Good question. My cable runs would be very short, so I may be able to get away with it.