R30 Joystick add-on

[Dextero717]

Hi all,

I recently bought a 2016 R30 with twin 380 VPs. It doesn’t have joystick control but i would like to add it. Has anyone here added joystick control to their R30 and if so what was the cost to do so? Also is it worth it?

Thank you!

[AsLan7]

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Hey D717. Welcome to the Cobaltchat forum. So glad you found us!

Haven’t heard of anyone on the site doing this. Maybe you could blaze the trail and document it for us.

Any pics of your machine?

Again welcome aboard mate!

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[cmattj]

Welcome and brace your self $$.
Our owner had a twin outboard he got a quote at 15k .
Throttle gears and steering becomes seperate.

I’ve had twins for a couple of boats and would not consider joystick until I was 40 feet. Bow thruster would be handier. But none are needed in my opinion.

Is this your first twin engine?
If so it takes seat time to realize everything you knew about driving and parking a single engine won’t work a majority of the time.

You won’t get as much side kick with a duo prop but you will learn to drive it like a tank with the controls.

Parking.. I turn around in the cockpit 180 degrees and leaving the steering wheel alone I bump each stick to maneuver it.

Go play on some up wind and down wind empty docks for an hour. You’ll be glad you saved your$$

Ok now where’s the picks of my next Cobalt??

[mdadgar]

Welcome and brace your self $$.
Our owner had a twin outboard he got a quote at 15k .
Throttle gears and steering becomes seperate.

I would guess the newer boats with EVC are consideredly cheaper than that.

I think it's currently a $12K option from the factory, so the real cost is probably $6K.

I totally covet an R30 with twins and the joystick control, just so I can flex at the marina gas pumps.

- Mark

[CaptBob]

My previous boat was a SeaRay SLX300 with Axius joystick drives. Yes, around the docks, fuel docks, they are alot of fun and a real attention getter. Always fun to put a boat where people don't think you can. They are busy though. While they are doing their thing, they are moving alot (alot!) of water. The skyhook feature was neat also, but again, things were really busy in the stern.

Previous to that one was a Carver 360 SS, 8.1 twins, shafts with really big props. I was generally always able to put that one where I needed. It's not that hard to sideslip a shaft driven boat when you realize the rudders don't do much in reverse. (Outboard <from where you want to go> side in forward, rudder cranked all the way over, away from where you want to go push the boat sidewise, the other engine in reverse to help counter the pivot. Throttle as needed to slide)

But, the joysitck was fun. If there is another boat in my future with twins, (and there probably is) it will be an option discussed. Many want to shy away from the technology/ electrionics, but it's creeping in everywhere. Pods scare me, too much stuff hanging straight down. (and designed to rip off!) The Axius and the ones for outboards seem a good comprimise. Fairly normal drives with a computer controlled throttle, shifter, and steer by wire. In normal operation, the fly by wire steering was so smooth, it was power steering to an extreme level. I proabably miss that the most! An outboard boat with it is really fun to watch the outboards dance around fully independent from each other.

[trs23]

I have an R30 without the joystick. While I thought it would be a huge loss (I test drove a couple that had them), once I got used to driving twins I can park the boat in pretty much any location. Being able to spin completely around in it's own length is pretty awesome!

I imagine it will be 15-20K to add as there's significant wiring / computers / hydraulics to add.

Get used to driving it first and see if you really need it, after the first few weeks you'll be ok. The 30' isn't a huge boat and it's easy to muscle around if you get in a bad situation.

[Dextero717]

Thanks for the info, i appreciate it! I pick the boat up next weekend and haven’t even drove it yet

[MBSOB]

Thanks for the info, i appreciate it! I pick the boat up next weekend and haven’t even drove it yet

So a year on, how did it go?