Nav Pilot 300 safe helm 2 power assist with Suzuki DF350A

[FishAddict]

I’m looking at upgrading my single outboard engine to the new 2022 or 23 Suzuki DF350A dual prop. My Suzuki dealer says that a power assist steering is required for the new dual prop engines. He only has installed the SeaStar power assist pump and doesn’t know anything about the Furuno Nav Pilot 300 Power Assist feature with the SafeHelm2. Does anyone have any experience with this setup? I already have the Nav Pilot 300 with SafeHelm 2 and the power assist feature with a Accusteer AP pump so would I really need to add another power steering assist pump from SeaStar?

 

[Quitsa]

First off, when the dealer says you "require" power assist with the Suzuki dual prop engines, I suspect that what he is really saying is that the steering feel would be very heavy otherwise and you would want power assist, not that it is actually necessary for the installation.

I have a NavPilot 700 and Safe Helm 2. I have a Sea Star power assist unit in my Teleflex hydraulic steering system that was already in place when the Furuno autopilot was installed. Just out of curiosity, I cut the breaker to the power assist pump and then enabled the power assist on the autopilot. It seemed to function more or less exactly the same. At the dock with the engines off, when I turned the wheel I could hear the autopilot pump run (it was in standby and thus should not have been running at all).

It may be that your dealer is not familiar with the Safe Helm or the Furuno autopilots because he is proposing that you have a duplicate parallel system. The only caveat is that I am not familiar with the Suzuki "fly by wire" control system and it is possible that it is somehow linked to it and that is the reason but that doesn't make a lot of sense if you have a conventional hydraulic steering ram and not one of the new electric drives.

 

[Nedda]

I have the 2022 Suzuki DF350A installed on my 8.1m with sea star tournament hydraulic ram, accur steer pump and the Furuno autopilot 300.
The steering is a little hard under certain speeds but it is all manageable.
If I were to install the safehelm2 into the system would this help with reducing the hard steering

 

[Magnetron]

I’m looking at upgrading my single outboard engine to the new 2022 or 23 Suzuki DF350A dual prop. My Suzuki dealer says that a power assist steering is required for the new dual prop engines. He only has installed the SeaStar power assist pump and doesn’t know anything about the Furuno Nav Pilot 300 Power Assist feature with the SafeHelm2. Does anyone have any experience with this setup? I already have the Nav Pilot 300 with SafeHelm 2 and the power assist feature with a Accusteer AP pump so would I really need to add another power steering assist pump from SeaStar?

Greetings FishAddict & Nedda,

SAFEHELM2 is capable of Power Assist as well as SAFEHELM. The Furuno Power Assist isn't a pump, it's a directional flow sensor that activates the reversing pump in the direction you are steering and will help, to some degree (at 10 kts. default, up to 25 kts.), with some of that heavy steering. However, if handling is still very heavy with those dual props even with it activated, than I would keep the SAFEHELM2 installed anyway for the SAFEHELM feature and add a dedicated steering assist pump.

Hope this helps, :sail

- Maggy