Hey I have the same boat minus i have a single Yamaha 300. I am interested in doing this to my boat as well. I have seen some boats out in the Chesapeake Bay with towers like our boats. I am interested in how yours turns out, let me know if you end up doing this.
MindlessChubbs
I can't find nobody that wants to this. Wtf. Some of the parker dealers are telling me it can't be done. I'm not understanding why, but I'm still shopping around. Have you seen any pics of our boat with freestanding 2nd station?
fccvpc,
Can't say I've ever seen this done on a WA model. My assumption would be that due to the greater access to the helm afforded by the more open nature of the boat, most people don't see the same advantage as with a PH.
However, if you've decided that it's something you want to do, the process for installing one in your cockpit is likely the same as installing one in the cockpit of a PH. Things to consider:
1) Are your controls mechanical or fly-by-wire? If they're mechanical, you're probably looking at significant system replacement, which is going to equal big bucks. If they're fly-by-wire, it's much more plug and play.
2) Steering- You're going to need to have new hoses fabricated to essentially "tee" into the hydraulic lines at the new station. This will likely require replacing most of the hydraulic hoses currently installed.
3) While I don't know this for sure, I'm betting the dimensions of your cockpit as they relate to the freestanding station are similar to a 2520. I would recommend trying to get the relevant dimensions from a member on here with an installed freestanding station (i.e. height of covering boards, clearance to rigging tubes, etc. etc.) or trying to measure one at a dealer. If the dimensions match up, you should be able to purchase the station itself from your dealer or from Parker directly.
4) You're probably getting pushback from the dealers because it's not an option that is generally included with the 2510 model, so they might be reluctant to do it because they don't have experience doing it or Parker may be limiting the options they can install on their boats (a dealer near me lost their dealer agreement because they were pulling the Yamahas off new boats and installing ETECs). You'd likely have better luck finding an independent shop near you and working with them. This may require you obtaining most of the parts yourself and handing them over for installation.
Overall, this is going to be a pretty substantial and expensive project, and there's not a lot of precedent on your particular model. However, 2nd stations are pretty well documented on this site, I suggest doing a couple searches with the search function and reading up on the installation experience of others, as it will probably be fairly similar to yours.
Good luck!
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