Adding Stern Controls on Hatteras

I know exactly the product you are looking to buy, have used it before on two vessels, and do not trust it and would not trust it. Period. I would not trust any NON-CORDED docking control system for docking, period. There were times when it did not engage the gears when I put it in foward or reverse and had to do it a second time on the 50' Azimut it was installed on. On the 70' Azimut that had it, we had to rip the entire system out right after it was just installed.

Especially with hynautic controls, they're going to have to rely on solenoids or retrofit solenoids or a similar mechanism to engage the hynautics in each direction as well as other issues.

There is a reason that the electronic control manufacturers (such as Sturdy, ZF, Glenndenning) with millions and millions of dollars behind them have not come out with their own remote control system. They don't work 100% of the time, and they're not taking the liability for it nor putting their name on it. Considering one of their engineers could come up with an integrated remote control system in about a weeks time.

Yacht Controller

Patch, so in the end did you buy the Yacht Controller? If so, how's it working out?

I'm about to order one to be installed on a Predator, but speaking to Sunseeker yesterday they mentioned they do not install them "at the factory because of the possible interference and safety". However, searching Google I don't find any reports of accidents involving a Yacht Controller so I don't know if the concerns are real or just "possibilities".

I am single-handed most of the time and my berth is in the Mediterranean. Med-mooring stern-to in a crowded marina single-handed with a 72' is challenging even in good weather. So I'm trying to find out if there is a safety issue with wireless Yacht Controllers, or if the concerns are with older implementations on older yachts.

Balearick,

I'm not sure how you got past our email verification system, but either supply a valid email address and complete your member profile or your membership will be removed.

You're joking right? The *EMAIL* you just sent me asking me to supply a valid email address could not have got to me had the email address not been valid... here are YOUR email headers received at my "invalid address"...

Return-Path: <yachtfor@sonic.whspn.net>
Received: from sonic.whspn.net ([64.119.182.91] verified)
Date: Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:34:28 -0700
Subject: Reply to thread 'Adding Stern Controls on Hatteras'

OK you want me to "complete" my profile by stating what boat I own... I own a Humperdink 120. What's that? I built it. It floats fine. OK you want some marketing info on me to target the ads better... I'll fill in the "how long you been boating" question... Nice welcome to Yacht Forums, thanks.

Your domain extension wasn't valid when I entered the string and generally we remove new members who don't complete the fields because 95% of the time, these are folks with other motives, such as posing as a 3rd party to endorse or promote a product. The ONLY reason I knew you didn't work for Yacht Controller is because your IP was FR based. They are a Florida based company.

Personally, I don't care if your boat floats in a bathtub, you work on a chain gang and you live in a cardboard box. Your profile has nothing to do with marketing. It has everything to do with community. Our database is shut tighter than a vault and your information remains YOUR information. But that same info will be the difference between a good informative response from our members, or being overlooked because you think your time and info is more important than everyone else here.

My domain has worked fine for some 15 years. I in no way circumvented your email confirmation. To get access I replied to your verification email just like everyone else.

(I actually though they were Italian, but I don't know enough about them which is why I'm asking others. But I'm currently near Monaco not far from the Italian border... so I could be an Italian Yacht Controller marketing guy... just joking)

I don't think that my time and info "is more important than everyone else here". That was my first post and I've only asked one question in a thread which discusses exactly what I'm hoping to install and use (I just don't have a Hatteras). A poster in this thread said he'd just ripped one out of a 70' Azimut, well I'm about to put one in a 72' Predator, so I'd like to know I'm not going to be throwing the money away.

Fair enough. Welcome to YF. Sorry for the trouble.

Yep, that's why my Mom went and took her Yachtmaster exams, just in case the Old Fart keeled over and died on the helm (they were in their late 50s & 60s when they sailed off).

On one of my boats we had a station on the bridge, one on the flybridge and another under a hatch on the aftdeck. They were MicroCommanders, electronic controls with no feel or touch; the lag in time was aweful.

Be careful for what you wish.

How easy is it to put out a fire while maintaining control of the vessel? How easy is it to keep the boat from sinking if a large hose blows while maintaining control of the vessel? How easy is it to do a complete visual engine room check every 1-2 hours while maintaining control of the vessel? What happens if the controls short out in foward? When you've run yachts and have 1000's of days of seatime, you will have experienced all of these things and sometimes numerous times, and know it's a matter of the luck of the draw as to when it's going to happen again.

Thinking of what could happen on a 55' yacht before leaving the dock single handed are key. A learjet can be flown by a good pilot without a co-pilot without any issue, however the FAA mandates a co-pilot just to account for the what-ifs.

Sorry Charlie, bad analogy. Biz jets broke that barrier in the late 1970s.

Very few jets fall into the business jet category. Lear's, Hawkers, Gulfstreams, Cessna's all still need a co-pilot.....only something similar to a pilatus doesn't......

What ifs

The "what ifs" are listed all over the threads that touch single-handing so I won't bore with that. I'll just say that, as someone on the water professionally for a long time, the words "what if" never leave my mind. It even carries over to my personal life. Not that I don't still do some fool things anyway, but at least I'm not surprised when things go south.
Hey Balearick. Dramatic entrance. Welcome to YF. I used to run a Carver with Yacht Controller. In 3 years we never had a problem, but I left using them to the owner. I always use the controls. Just don't trust plastic toggles and battery operation when I've got a bunch of tons heading for a dock.

Remote controls

We had two yachts here in Vancouver who had serious interaction with remote controls, one 72 ft went through a set of fuel hoses at a floating fuel dock, the other 125 ft near broached on it's way to Mexico, both sets were deep sixed.

There was also a boat at Harbourtowne Marina in Dania, FL with them that was in the travel lift slip a few months ago, and with the yacht control and it went full throttle foward on both engines and was pegged against the seawall in the travel lift slip still in the slings.

By the time you've stopped the vessel and dropped the hook you've already wasted at least 2-5 minutes. Meanwhile the 2nd person could've already handled the issue. By the time the fire is strong enough to make the fire system automatically discharge, you probably won't have an engine room left or much else. Most of the fire systems have to detect a 170 F engine room (seafire). In a well ventilated and larger engine room, you could have a pretty good fire going on before the engine room reaches 170 degrees. Some discharge if the temperature raises 17 degrees F in a second. Also what makes you so sure that the system will work, the fire will be in the engine room and not elsewhere, or the system will put the fire out? Meanwhile, who is communicating with help (US Coast Guard) while you're busy mitigating loss?

Early detection of a fire is paramount. I've had 2 fires in my career on boats. Both I've never run before. I smelled them, and caught them before the flame was more than 15" high and 1' across, and both were put out with very minimal damage.....only wiring on 1, and a turbo blanket on another, not paintwork, gelcoatwork, woodwork, or any of that. Had they gone for another minute un-attended, it would have been a huge insurance claim. And had I not had a mate standing on the dock getting ready to grab lines, that instead ran and got a fire extinguisher off the dock while I shut everything down, the engine harness fire that was less than 12" from the side of the fuel tank and also engine room ceiling, would've been disasterous.

I've also had several other situations occur over the years where a 2nd person saved the owner from a $75,000 engine rebuild to what could have been a sinking. I've also gotten caught in rough seas several times, where either a $1,000 cushion mysteriously blew overboard that had to be fished out of the ocean, or something got loose and was swinging around, and without a 2nd person to handle it, it would've been impossible for me to do on my own.

I almost always bring a mate (99% of the time), because as a Captain I am responsible for the safety of the vessel and the safety for the crew. I feel that my life, and the yacht that I am running is worth a heck of a lot more than the price of hiring a mate. A Captain is hired for his decision making skills and loss mitigation and preservation of the yachts value and condition.