If part of your fitting out for the boating season includes replacing a worn, corroded or "sticky" steering cable, you need to know the correct length for your replacement steering cable, whether you buy the replacement at your local marine supply house, or order the replacement online. Measuring for your new steering cable only takes a few minutes and some simple addition, as long as you know what you need to measure.
Measure the distance from the center of your steering wheel to the inside of the nearest side of your boat with a measuring tape.
Measure the distance from your boat's dashboard to the outside of your boat's transom--the "back wall" of your boat's hull.
Measure the distance from the outside of your boat's side to the center of the transom, if the center is clearly indicated. If the center of the transom isn't clearly indicated, measure from the outside of one side of your boat to the outside of the other side of your boat. Divide the transom measurement by 2 to calculate the distance to the center of the transom.
Add the measurements together. If the distance from the wheel to the side is 20 inches, the distance to the transom is 118 inches and the distance from the side to the center of transom is 28 inches, then: 20 + 118 + 28 = 166 inches. Add 6 inches to the total if your outboard motor is equipped with a tilt tube type of connection for your steering cable for a total of 172 inches.
Add the measurements together. If the distance from the wheel to the side is 20 inches, the distance to the transom is 118 inches and the distance from the side to the center of transom is 28 inches, then: 20 + 118 + 28 = 166 inches. Subtract 6 inches to the total if your outboard motor is not equipped with a tilt tube type of connection for your steering cable. The total then would be 160 inches.
