I wanted this boat to not only function well as a fishing boat, but to be able to cruise a bit in it as well. I know it’s not going to be pulling skiers or anything, but sometimes just driving around can be enjoyable. For that reason, I choose to go with console mounted controls for the motor instead of a tiller handle. Since I plan on eventually building casting desks and such, for now I wanted to get a temporary console in so I could at least test the boat and motor, and use it till I was ready to start building.

The factory location for the console is between the rear and middle seat, but I had envisioned it between the middle and front seat, which allowed for a better layout, and a nicer view while motoring. I decided to test it where I wanted between the middle and front seat, but I could always move the setup back to test it there if needed.

I had to order longer throttle/shift cables than the ones that came with the motor (they were 8′, I needed about 15′). I got “TeleFlex® Lubri-Core Control Cables“, model 600A in a 15′ length from iBoats.com which worked perfectly. Thankfully the electronics cable was long enough, so I had what I needed for the remote controller.

Next to plan was the steering. I wasn’t even sure how it worked in the first place, so after looking around at pictures on the internet for a while, I finally understood how the steering cable connects on one end to the box that the steering wheel is attached to, and at the other end to the tilt tube on the motor, from which an arm comes off to the motor itself. I went with the 16′ version of the “Teleflex NFB 4.2 Rotary NFB Steering System Package“, again from iBoats.com. The NFB stands for ‘No Feed Back’ which means you don’t have to hold the wheel every second, and if the motor bumps something, it’s not likely to easily change the steering position. I attached a “Viper Steering Wheel, Soft, 13.4“, also from iBoats.com to finish off the steering system. In the pictures you’ll see what looks like two cables attached. One is the steering cable itself, the other shorter one with the blue cap is the ‘overflow’, where the extra end of the cable goes when you steer towards the port side.

For the console itself, I wasn’t to concerned with looks, this is temporary, so I wanted it to function well, and go in quick without leaving much damage once I removed it. I just used some old treated decking and some plywood I had lying around to whip together a frame that I could mount everything too. I then used deck screws to attach it to the the ribs on the bottom of the boat, and at one point on the middle seat. It’s very sturdy and has worked well so far.

The motor hung on the transom and the controller sitting on the middle seat

A bow view of the temporary console

A port side view of the console

Another port side view of the console

The steering cable connects to the tilt tube, to the steering arm, to the motor

Back view of the Teleflex NFB 4.2 Rotary

Side view of the Teleflex NFB 4.2 Rotary