yacht electric steering

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Digital Electric Steering for Outboards

• By Chris Woodward
• Updated: April 30, 2021

If you’ve ever fished a boat with cable steering, you’d remember that arm-jarring, herky-jerky experience. In the 1970s, many boatbuilders transitioned to hydraulic steering, and in 2012, to electrohydraulic—or power-assisted—steering, particularly for larger offshore vessels.

Yamaha changed the paradigm in 2019, delivering digital electric steering (DES) built into its 425 XTO outboards. Yamaha worked on this new technology in conjunction with SeaStar Solutions (now Dometic). Today both Yamaha and Dometic offer DES options for outboards as small as 150 hp; Dometic’s Optimus Outboard Electric Steering Actuator works with all major outboard brands, including Suzuki, Mercury and Yamaha.

But what can DES do for anglers, and why should they want it? Here are the main advantages this technology brings to your boat-ownership experience and your day on the water:

• Less equipment and weight: Having DES means you don’t need to have hydraulic pumps, hoses or fluid in the steering system. Dometic says its all-electric steering on a twin-outboard boat weighs 33 pounds less than its Optimus EPS electrohydraulic steering.
• Better reliability: Eliminating hydraulics means eliminating hydraulic failure. “That’s one potential issue lost—the infamous ‘why is all that red fluid floating around my boat?’” says Ry Landry, product education manager for Yamaha.
• Less power draw: If you’re not actively steering your boat, these electric systems do not draw any power. That means you’ll have more amps available for other onboard electrical needs. With hydraulic systems, the pumps run continuously.
• Less maintenance: You no longer need to inspect seals, check hydraulic fluid levels or change fluid. DES requires only periodic greasing.
• Quicker, more precise steering: “The user should notice way better vessel handling and a lot more precise steering that’s a lot faster,” says Brian Dudra, an engineer and Dometic’s vice president. “That means more comfort and less fatigue for the driver.”
• Programmable lock-to-lock and friction settings: Both Yamaha and Dometic systems offer user-controllable steering settings. For instance, if you’re docking, you can program the steering to deliver four turns lock-to-lock, meaning it takes only four turns of the wheel to fully move the engines from side to side—a better setting for optimal maneuverability.

If you’re running offshore and don’t want that much steering sensitivity, you can program up to nine turns lock-to-lock. Lock-to-lock settings can also be made variable, based on rpm.

Steering friction is also adjustable. If you like your steering a little loose, you simply enable a bit of play, using the gauge controls. If seas build and you want more friction, just touch the gauge screen to change the setting.

Despite all of those advantages, including the increased reliability, common sense tells us that anything electric can fail. So, according to Landry, Yamaha built in redundancies to help ensure continuous operation.

But if the boat’s electrical system somehow falters or its batteries die, captains can use an Allen wrench to loosen the actuator—the bar at the front of the outboard that houses the roller screw that pushes the engines—and manually turn the outboards to slowly return to the dock.

In fact, that inverted roller screw, perfected for this application by Dometic, plus a high-power brushless motor that measures 4-by-2 inches are what make this technology possible.

For boatbuilders, an electric steering system requires a simpler installation, plus it easily integrates with a joystick. A Yamaha outboard with DES built into its bracket assembly—available for the XTO as well as new V-6 F250 and F300 motors—connects to the batteries and to the helm with a data cable. Those outboards start at $30,870.

Yamaha’s bolt-on DES accessory—available for Yamaha outboards down to the F150—costs about $3,000 for the actuator and one harness, plus $540 to $925 for a digital helm, and a few hundred more for any additional harnesses needed. Installation costs vary.

Dudra says anglers can expect to pay about 25 percent more for an electric steering system compared to electro-hydraulic. Single-engine Optimus electric systems cost about $5,700 plus installation. A boat with two outboards would require two actuators; triples and quads would require two actuators and two tie bars.

The two companies agree that electric steering will guide the future of boating, but both expect electro-hydraulic, and even cable steering, to continue providing anglers with cost-effective options. After all, not everyone can own a Mercedes.

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Marine Steering Systems

Kobelt supplies complete hydraulic and electronic marine steering systems for vessels of all shapes and sizes, certified by the world's leading classification societies. To obtain a quote for a boat steering system, download the Qualification Form  and submit to [email protected] , download the Marine Steering Systems brochure  or review Kobelt controls products below. 

Types of Boat Steering Systems Kobelt Manufactures

Control your vessel with Kobelt's complete boat steering systems which are built to last. Kobelt manufactures different five basic marine steering systems to choose from:

Manual Hydraulic Steering Systems

Kobelt marine hydraulic steering systems work entirely by hand and is solely dependent upon the force/movement of the steering wheel to push the hydraulic oil to the steering cylinder, which then directs the vessel. Benefits of this steering system are (1) produces a smooth & easy method to steer a boat (2) reliablility - providing many years of trouble - free steering control (3) simple, easy & inexpensive to install.

Electric Power Steering System

Full hydraulic power assisted steering.

The power assisted fully hydraulic boat steering system operates with a power assisted cylinder (or servo cylinder). The oil moves through the servo valve, instead of through the entire cylinder requiring less turns of the wheel. Benefits include (1) very compact and easy to install, (2) low maintenance, (3) very few and easy steering wheel turns hard over.

Electronic Steering

Powered completely by an electronic control system, the electronic marine steering is suitable for large vessels with multiple control stations. Benefits include (1) offers unlimited options, (2) very versatile with easy installation, (3) cost efficient to install even the most complex systems.

Electronic Tie Bar / DP Interface

Multi station electronic control system suitable for a Catamaran, small or medium supply vessel or a research vessel, provided with two independent rudders and integrated with a Dynamic Positioning System. Benefits include (1) two independent rudders with electronic tie bar, (2) extremely reliable, providing electronic and hydraulic backup, (3) DP, joystick and autopilot integration.

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Panther XPS GEN 2 Power Steering

Don’t get left behind…take advantage of the ease, control and power of GEN 2, the most advanced XPS Power Steering yet!  

Engineered to make steering your boat as effortless as the vehicle you drive! No matter the vessel you operate, XPS offers affordability, confidence, fit and all-around ease of operation.

We back up our products with a warranty to give you confidence and peace of mind. Read the XPS Warranty Statement for Dealers & OEMs here .

• Existing Cable steering acts as safety backup in case of system failure  
• Exceeds ABYC mechanical and hydraulic steering standards  
• Automobile like effort  
• Eliminates prop torque  
• Easy to maneuver in tight quarters especially around docks and landings  

Broad Fit Range

• Designed to fit any boat or pontoon that can use cable steering  
• The cylinder can be fully extended without interference  
• Outboard engines 90-250Hp  

Save Time & Money

• Self-bleeding hoses  
• Utilize existing mechanical steering  
• Stored energy allows for short pump run-times  
• Less power draw substantially reduces risk of dead batteries  

Panther XPS GEN 2 Flyer

Power Steering System

The panther xps power steering system is a hybrid system that combines the durability and dependability of cable steering with the ease of automobile-like power steering., the panther xps system gradually reverts to cable steering in case of hose failure, steering fluid leak or power loss to pump, so you’re never without steering., privacy overview.

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SteerCommand™ - Control System

Improved handling through electric steering.

Fully integrated

Steer-by-wire, superior performance, optimized life cycle, what can steercommand™ - control system provide, product details.

• 24VDC system
• CAN bus communication
• Micro-processor control integrated into ZF SmartCommand control unit
• CE&ABYC approved
• Optional integration with autopilot
• Angle of rudders varies as a function of boat speed
• Independent control of port and starboard rudders (available with the two linear actuator configuration)
• Standard Linear Actuator

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How to Choose a Power-Steering System for Your Boat

• By Eric Colby
• Updated: October 11, 2013

Power steering makes maneuvering easier for skippers of any style of boat. When you’re looking for a power-steering system, or a new boat fitted with one, make sure it incorporates these key components.

1. No Feedback The helm should have a stainless-steel steering column with a self-lubricating bearing to last longer in the saltwater environment. A power-steering helm also needs integrated lockouts or “stops” to ensure that feedback from the rudder doesn’t push fluid back up into the system and torque the steering wheel. Maximum backpressure for the lockouts is 300 psi.

2. Size (It Matters) Steering hoses must be sized to the system pump’s flow capacity. Except for high-performance installations that have braided stainless-steel lines to look cool, most power-steering hoses are 1,000 psi minimum, single-wire reinforced, industrial, hydraulic versions with swaged ends. Avoid the plastic hose used in manual hydraulic systems. Hot fluid from a power-steering pump can deform the hose.

3. Controlled Cruise Autopilot is easier to install on a power-steering system than on a manual hydraulic one because, at the steering end, a solenoid is all that’s added. It receives a signal from the auto­pilot unit and adjusts the steering to port or starboard.

4. Sufficient Tankage The ideal rule of thumb for fluid capacity is three times the maximum flow of the pump, but it’s unrealistic. If you have a pump making 4 gpm at 600 rpm, it will make 16 gpm at 2,400, and a 48-gallon tank takes up lots of space. Instead, most shops use a 1:1 ratio but encourage owners to install an in-line cooler to keep temperatures in check and steering smooth.

5. Pump Potential Power steering uses an engine-driven pump — either mounted on the motor or belt-operated — to open and close hydraulic cylinders. The pump needs a third reserve hose to return fluid to the tank. Typically, for a 30- to 40-foot boat, you’ll need a unit that pumps four gallons per minute at idle to maneuver around the docks. As engine rpm increase, so does the pump’s flow rate. A quality system has a diverter kick in at a preset flow rate to divert excess fluid back to the tank.

6. Steering Cylinders The point of contact for the rudder, sterndrive or outboard in the system is the steering cylinder. Most boats under 40 feet use single cylinders. Outboard cylinders may push against the boat or just the engine, and offshore performance boats use twin stainless steel.Dual-cylinder inboard installations offer smoother rudder action versus a single cylinder.

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Regardless of control station configuration, each steering comprises an electronic control system and a totally electric power system by means of electric actuators, that allow to avoid any hydraulic connection inside the engine room. Besides easiness of mounting and connection, this electric steering also offers the advantage to avoid some installation phases such as hose pressing and flushing, as well as the risk of possible oil leaks.

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