Well, after dealing with a sore shoulder for the past few months from turning halfway around and trying to manage the steering mass of a 25 hp 4-stroke outboard, I finally bit the bullet and converted my tiller-steered Suzuki to remote controls and a spiffy new fiberglass console.
The boat is an 11.5' 2010 West Marine 350 RIB (Zodiac Cadet.) This boat has fairly massive tubes - resulting in a pretty narrow interior - so I really needed a max 16" wide console. Fortunately, Defender had the PERFECT unit on clearance sale for $350. Teleflex Safe-T QC helm and cable, along with a bitchin' Amazon-sourced, 13.5" destroyer wheel with knob came to about another $200. Oh, and a surprisingly loud Pyle Audio amplifier/2-speaker setup for my iPod at only fifty-eight bucks.
The hard part was figuring out what actual Suzuki conversion parts I needed. Fortunately, George at Browns Point Suzuki in New Jersey was able to help me wade through the many side-mount controls, wiring harnesses, cables, engine conversion parts, and steering drag link kits to get exactly what I needed to "plug and play". I can't say enough good things about Browns Point Marine. They had EVERYTHING and shipped it to my door in three days. So, at about an even grand for the Suzuki parts, this conversion was now up over $1,600. Yikes.
Fortunately, all that was left to buy at the local BOW was a little breaker panel, a negative bus bar and some electrical ends, wires and such to connect the stereo and bilge pump.
After about 12 hours labor over the past couple days, it is complete and I am delighted with the result. We took a nice ride up to Deerfield for dinner at the Cove along with some other fellow liveaboards in their dinks. Fun was had by all...
The boat is an 11.5' 2010 West Marine 350 RIB (Zodiac Cadet.) This boat has fairly massive tubes - resulting in a pretty narrow interior - so I really needed a max 16" wide console. Fortunately, Defender had the PERFECT unit on clearance sale for $350. Teleflex Safe-T QC helm and cable, along with a bitchin' Amazon-sourced, 13.5" destroyer wheel with knob came to about another $200. Oh, and a surprisingly loud Pyle Audio amplifier/2-speaker setup for my iPod at only fifty-eight bucks.
The hard part was figuring out what actual Suzuki conversion parts I needed. Fortunately, George at Browns Point Suzuki in New Jersey was able to help me wade through the many side-mount controls, wiring harnesses, cables, engine conversion parts, and steering drag link kits to get exactly what I needed to "plug and play". I can't say enough good things about Browns Point Marine. They had EVERYTHING and shipped it to my door in three days. So, at about an even grand for the Suzuki parts, this conversion was now up over $1,600. Yikes.
Fortunately, all that was left to buy at the local BOW was a little breaker panel, a negative bus bar and some electrical ends, wires and such to connect the stereo and bilge pump.
After about 12 hours labor over the past couple days, it is complete and I am delighted with the result. We took a nice ride up to Deerfield for dinner at the Cove along with some other fellow liveaboards in their dinks. Fun was had by all...
