T&T: Lower stations, do you use yours?

[Peter Bennett]

Friday, May 8, 2009, 6:27:58 AM, Mark wrote:

MA> OK, since we're on multi-station as a topic,

MA> I'm renovating a 56 foot steel trawler.  Would like to have a PH (pilot
MA> house) and FB (fly bridge) steering, engine, and nav controls.

MA> I'm planning on a self-contained hydraulic steering control setup, which I
MA> understand is pretty easy to split between multiple stations, and maintain
MA> all control should there be a power outage.

MA> It's the engine control I'm most concerned with, especially being able to
MA> maintain engine control in the midst of a power failure (sh$%^ happens, and
MA> I'd like to be able to motor home).  Is it possible to have a control cable,
MA> say in the PH, and a remote control up on the FB?

MA> How do other trawlers have this configured?  Looking for a bullet-proof
MA> solution, and at least two stations (maybe three, if I want to prep for
MA> Mediterranean mooring and put another remote station at the rear of the
MA> boat.

MA> Ideas?  Suggestions?

MA> Mark Andrew
MA> "Black River", 56 steel, circa 1955
MA> c: (616) 928-4542

I've had three boats with flybridge and cabin helms.  The first and
current boats had Teleflex cable engine controls, and the second had
Kobelt (I think).  In all cases the cables from the upper helm
controls connect to the lower helm controls, and cables go from the
lower helm controls to the engines and transmissions.  Both upper and
lower helm controls are active at all times - no switching involved,
and purely mechanical, so no electrical concerns.  I don't know how
many stations can be connected this way before friction becomes
excessive, but there's no problem with two stations.

I have Teleflex hydraulic steering (no pump or external power
required).  In this system, the two helms and the autopilot pump are
simply plumbed in parallel - again, no switching to change stations,
and no electricity involved for manual steering. (This is on a 31 ft
boat - you may need power steering on a larger vessel...)

-- 
Peter Bennett, VE7CEI    Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Ennos 31 "Honeycomb"
GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter 
Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca