What is this doohickey in the cockpit?

[baycloud]

Hey all, looking at a catalina 30. This is below the steering wheel on the port side of the cockpit.

Any ideas what it is?? Wondering if it was related to some autopilot thing. The last picture is inside the lazarette and the top part is attached to the cylindrical part in the cockpit.

 

[Davidasailor26]

My guess is it’s part of an old engine control. I’m thinking there may have been a handle in the top hole on the outside, and a control cable connected to one of the holes on the metal ears on the back.

 

[dlochner]

It is a single lever gear shift/throttle. The clue is the back side, the gear shift attaches to one of the wings and the throttle to the middle connection.

Has the boat been repowered?

 

[sailme88]

First off it's a thingamajig not a doohickey..... and as stated it's part of a throttle and gear control...

 

[smokey73]

It is obviously a shiny ankle-buster. Get it off before you break out cussing in front of the kids.

 

[Apex]

do you have hydraulic backstay or vang added? Overkill for a C30 perhaps, but it is there.....

 

[kloudie1]

Definitely a single handle throttle and gear control.. A PO may have wisely put the new controls on/in the pedestal.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

It is the throttle control handle base and if there is another hole in the half closest to the fiberglass, that would be for another handle inserts into that for shifting the transmission. My guess it is a Morse product, who now, I believe is owned by Teleflex.

 

[rgranger]

I think one of my economics professor talked about those.

 

[higgs]

This is certainly a shift/throttle set up that is no longer in use. I'm wondering where the engine controls are now. Was a pedestal with a wheel added? Was a new engine installed?