Pedestal steer question...

Nov 26, 2017
64
Hunter 260 Mille Lacs
Hi All
New member, here. We recently purchased a 260 and now can't wait for spring. Boat is a tiller steer model that I'm going to convert to wheel steer. YES, I'M VERY (VERY!) WELL AWARE that most sailors first thought is "Why would you do that?!?!", but I'm not looking to start that conversation. I've sailed and enjoyed both, on a boat of this size and configuration. For a variety of reasons, I want a wheel on this one. So, again, I'm not looking to start a conversation about the cons of a wheel on a small boat.

So here's my my question: From pictures I can find online, in 260's with the wheel option at least, there appears to be a box in the ceiling of the aft berth, ie. beneath the floor of the cockpit just under the base of the pedestal. I assume this is to make clearance for the pedestal attachment,sheaves, etc. Does this box exist on 260s like mine, that were built with tiller steering? I'd just go look, but the boat is in winter storage near our lake house 3 states away.

Thanks,
Jeff
 
Apr 8, 2013
205
Hunter 260 Nanaimo
Somebody converted a H240 to wheel and posted the process on this forum. A H260 may have been done. The inspection hatch in the aft berth opens to reveal solid cored fibreglass. Adding an inspection hatch to this does allow access to the underside of the pedestal .
Its not an easy conversion.
buy one or the other.
Or good luck.
 
Nov 26, 2017
64
Hunter 260 Mille Lacs
Thanks for the response! Yes, I realize it will be a challenging project in any event. My question, really, is whether the "inspection hatch" small space above it (through which the cables would run aft) even exists on a tiller boat like mine. If so, I can cut into that box (and install a watertight cover afterward, of course.) to get access to the bottom of the pedestal and have a passage for the cables. If not, the job will be quite a bit bigger...

So can anyone confirm whether that box/passage exists in a tiller boat?
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
Jeff;

On the Hunter 260, the aft portion of the cockpit deck is a separate piece one designed for a tiller and the other for a wheel. Caverun shows a mod to a 260 and I am the referenced dave that Jim Seamans helped me to install. He learned a lot paticurlaly about the size of the wheel which I told him was too big. Jim and I were close friends but he is now deceased.

Back to the cockpit floor. The one for the tiller did not have the reinforced block on the floor which to install a wheel. Installing a wheel on this would have caused the floor to flex so you have to reinforce your deck floor plate. The one for the wheel steering installed at Hunter had the reinforced deck.

Whatever you do, reinforce the deck with a wood block or whatever you want to add. With the wood block, I would cover with glass and apply gel coat.
 
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