Huckins Linwood 56 – Kilmarnock, Virginia

The owner purchased this Huckins Linwood 56 on the west coast of Florida, and after steering his way through the often narrow canal and river system of the Okeechobee Waterway to reach the east coast of that peninsula, he decided he needed a joystick control system. After a conversation with Tom, our founder and chief engineer, he said, “You’re the guy I want!”

We installed the Control Stick™ system at his private dock in Kilmarnock, VA, running cables, adding new hydraulics, and finding a spot for the joystick. The cabling was an issue, because rather than PVC, the conduit was made of wood, and it wasn’t continuous from one end of the boat to the other. We had to locate the original architect and find out where the hidden conduits were in order to run cables from the bow to the stern.

After a brief sea trial and lesson for him and his wife on operating the stick, the owner was able to maneuver the heavily laden yacht into his dock with confidence and precision. At the owner’s request, we supplied an unfinished mahogany joystick cover which he finished himself with a high-gloss marine varnish. This vessel is used year-round, and the control system has worked without a hitch since July of 2021.