Upgrade to hydraulic or electric steering systems

[hanke777]

I am thinking of upgrading my 208 steering to hydraulic or electric steering system.

Any thoughts?

 

[efx]

Hydraulic is easy to install but you must follow the directions carefully. Running the lines and filling the system is probably the toughest part. It’s not cheap. Single engines on high end mechanical no feedback systems are actually pretty good and require almost not maintenance. Is your boat hard to steer or has slip in it? How big is the engine? I’ve never heard of electric steering.

 

[hanke777]

I am toying with the idea of putting an auto pilot system on it and they seem to require hydraulic steering. While I was searching auto pilot systems I came across Yamaha Helm Master EX which looks like it uses electric steering. It is priced well out of my range but got me wondering about it's reliability and performance. I have a single 200hp on a 208.

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[seasick]

I am thinking of upgrading my 208 steering to hydraulic or electric steering system.

Any thoughts?

What engine do you have?

 

[hanke777]

2002 Yamaha F200

 

[efx]

Go with hydraulic steering for that year of engine,then get a auto pilot with a pump. Garmin and simrad make good ones with reputable backup. I prefer simrad.

 

[hanke777]

What Brand/model hydraulic steering would you recommend?

What model Garmin or Simrad would you recommend?

 

[PNW_Drifter]

How many thousands of dollars are you willing to spend on this project? It's not going to be cheap.

 

[ElyseM]

you might want to check out the Optimus electrics and see what works with what autopilots. you will just run with steering control for autopilot, not full engine control like the Helm Master. can't hurt to do the research. good luck, ron

 

[hanke777]

$ 2,000 to $ 3,000

 

[hanke777]

What brand hydraulic steering? Sea Star Solutions?

 

[wrxhoon]

$ 2,000 to $ 3,000

That will get you hydraulic steering add the same or more for the auto pilot . Forget about the Helm master. Don't get me wrong from my research it is a good set up and not just because of the electric steering, it does a lot of other stuff .
I'm interested in one as well but it is not viable as an add on even on my engine that has DTS. The other thing I'm not sure how well it works on a single engine set up. When you are buying a new boat it is more viable because it saves the $$ for hydraulic steering and auto pilot.
It is possible to have auto pilot with a cable steering but I wouldn't recommend it. Hydraulic steering is no much better.

 

[hanke777]

I have done more research today and I agree. I will upgrade to hydraulic steering 1st than maybe a Simrad or Garmin auto pilot. The Helm Master video impressed me with all it could do!

 

[PNW_Drifter]

If your boat is hard to steer, you could replace the steering cable for $150ish. They need it every 10 years or so. I could steer my 20' boat with cable steering with one pinky. You didn't say there was a problem. But if autopilot is the goal then ya go hydraulic for sure.

 

[hanke777]

Yes it is about putting an autopilot on it.

 

[PointedRose]

If I can offer one bit of $0.02… take your time getting familiar with the boat on the water before tackling too much for upgrades. I think you were considering a hardtop too on another thread. More time on the water will provide you the answer of which upgrade you want the most and do that first.

Don’t get me wrong, if you have the means and the drive to make it your own, feel free, but don’t expect to recover all the costs if you plan to resell at some point. You could save $5k by skipping the hardtop for now (as much as you might like it), and you’ll have it when you need it for engine maintenance or a fuel tank replacement or trailer issues or something else more critical.

I mean you could just sell that boat at some point and get a different one with a hardtop later, without dropping custom manufacturer coin - a hardtop add some to resale but certainly will not recover the full cost.

 

[hanke777]

Your point is very well taken I have much more drive then means; the hardtop and autopilot are something I am working towards.

 

[Don Davis]

Hydraulic steering is a great upgrade from cable steering on it’s own as there are just so many advantages. I did the upgrade years ago on my previous Campion and it was awesome, well worth the price and a great selling feature.

 

[seasick]

Grady's recommendation for a 200 on that hull is hydraulic steering. With regards to auto pilot and other upgrades; Heck, it's a 208, a great boat but still a 20 foot relatively light one. I am not sure I see a need for auto-pilot without understanding your trip needs.

 

[hanke777]

I am thinking autopilot would be handy for trolling, I could take my hands and mind of driving for a moment to grab a jacket, sandwich, get fishing gear in to the water etc. maybe help me get back if I get caught in the fog?