or bigger!!!?? larger stainless 5 spoke would give you room to see through it.
Hi all,
Ive just installed the 9 inch Garmin combo in the Whittley and I'm really impressed with the touchscreen unit.
My dilemma is that the steering wheel hampers vision when seated, not as bad when standing.
Has anyone got any thought re: smaller steering wheel (probably 10 inches) or cut off top of standard steering wheel, or ???
Current wheel is 13.5 inches, pics attached.
or bigger!!!?? larger stainless 5 spoke would give you room to see through it.
Thanks Moose, I've thought about it but I'm wary of going bigger with the wheel. At the moment i'm looking at getting a similar sized wheel second hand & cutting off the top section too see how it works.
Is the steering mechanical or hydraulic? Hydraulic steering creeps so centre will move and the cut section won't always be at the top to go straight.
Hi terryc,
If you want a spare helm unit and cable I have for free. In perfect condition except the steering wheel I will keep. I am installing a hydraulic system so up for grabs if anyone wants it.
Hi Scottar, its mechanical to the motor then power steering, steering is easy to use which is why I've also thought of going smaller.
Thanks Brett for the offer, however mines all good and a spare would collect dust on the shelf, would be ideal for someone who needs to replace theirs.
My Son found this on Ebay in China $53-00 not sure how well it would work
All good then. Give it a rip. You could always dummy up a wheel out of a bit of ply to see if you are happy with the steering effort required at a given diameter.
Might have been better to just redesign the dash so the steering wheel is not an issue.
did somebody say rum???
I take my hat off to you Brett, redesigning a whittley dash would be a big undertaking, not much room to move behind the dash plus I would have to stay with coffee being a non drinker. I've lifted the sounder as high as possible, any higher and i would have had to bring it outside from the dash face, probably then too close to steering wheel. The Garmin is a great unit but it takes up a lot of rear space as the bracket must stay connected to the screen.
I'm still researching my options, found out there is a Tilting helm allowing up & down tilt, also possible bezel replacement to enable the steering wheel to tilt out. One of my sons reckons i would be mad to cut out part of the top steering wheel, he reckons it would be dangerous & questions the legality. I hate red tape.
Here is a full pic of the dash area
Mate the dash on these boats are well designed and look great but with all the new gear out these days they really don't lend themselves to change well. I had the same situation with installing the new equipment and there was no chance of it fitting. I am lucky as I pulled the boat to pieces and now re-designing the dash is a must. Surprisingly once you work it out you end up with much more room but don't have the nice style that Whittley have in the dash. As you know moving the steering unit is not a opinion as in the best position now. I am still designing the dash and have a couple of different ideas at present and not far from putting the cutter to work.
steering wheel is too big, dash area is great, go the cut off option, like formula one racing cars.