Baystar Steering

[Scott Greenhoff]

Just wondering if any of you have installed Baystar or Seastar hyrdraulic steering on your boats. I have a 98 Tundra 1900 with a 135 merc. It's a heavy boat and can be a chore to steer at the end of the day. Will hydraulic steering take away all the "feel" of the boat? Is it easy to install? Will it require alot of modification to the dash? Will I lose the tilt wheel option? I know, alot of questions, but I would really appreciate your opinions before spending the $$

Thanks in advance

 

[TritonGlenn]

I've installed a Seastar hydraulic system on my previous boat - a 1997 Cajun Pro 175 - a heavier 18 foot fiberglass boat with a 150. It took ALL the feedback from the helm - I could drive it with one finger if I wanted to. Ease of install, on a scale of 1-10.... I'd probably rate it about a 4 or 5 - with most of the difficulty part of the install being at the dash. The engine mount was a piece of cake to install, as well as routing the cables. I had to drill new mounting holes for the helm and cut a very slightly larger hole in the dash (about a 1/2 inch wider in diameter). Your's may not require any cutting - your individual mount may vary in size from mine. I did lose my tilt option, but I believe SeaStar has a tilt helm available. You can also order wedges to mount it in your perfect position - not adjustable, but nevertheless, at least it would be adjusted for you. All in all, no matter how difficult of an install, no matter if you lose the tilt wheel option or not, etc.... IT IS 100% WORTH IT to install this system. You will probably feel like your driving a whole new boat by the time you are done.

All the best,

Glenn