Fishermen tend to be a superstitious lot. If we believe a pair of wheels raise fish, for instance, we might keep them on the boat even after we've bumped the reef with them one too many times. And I've fished with more than one captain who will only go down the same tower leg he ascended; bad luck to go up one and down the other. And don't even get me started about bananas.
This superstitious nature also translates into suspicion of new technology and resistance to change. After all, if it's been done a certain way for years, why fool with something that works? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. A lot of guys who drive old Ryboviches still prefer chain-and-sprocket steering to hydraulic systems. When electronic engine controls first appeared on the market, this same attitude came into play in a big way.
And why not? Mech-anical cable control of the gears and throttles works well, and if it breaks, at least you know how to fix it, right? And then some early problems with electronic controls got wide publicity through dockside chatter. I remember one such instance myself.
A captain in a brand-new Carolina-built sport-fisherman that was one of the first boats we ever saw with electronic controls came roaring into Lake Worth Inlet one afternoon after a day of sailfishing. As he approached Sailfish Marina, he spun the boat around to back into his slip. As the transom approached the dock, we all saw him shift to neutral, and then to forward to stop the boat's momentum - but the engines never came out of reverse. The beautifully varnished teak transom hit the concrete dock with a sickening "thud," and then the boat continued to grind the transom into the dock as the wheels spun away, still in reverse. The transom eventually went under the dock before the captain could shut down the engines, creating quite a mess.
The electronic controls on the boat, new to the market at that time, immediately took the blame. But were they really at fault? I never heard. I do know that many boats with mechanical controls suffered similar problems when a cable broke or slipped off of a shifting lever when maneuvering in close quarters. And virtually all of the early problems with electronic controls came about because of faulty installation.
Electronic circuitry is sensitive to extreme heat, and many of the electronic-control modules came with specific mounting instructions telling installers that the units should never be mounted in the boat's engine room. Incredibly, installers put them down there anyway. When the circuitry got overheated, problems sometimes occurred.
But those days are long gone. The latest generation of electronic controls provides trouble-free operation and much greater control levels than mechanical controls ever did. Most of them offer slow-speed operations for compliance with the multitude of no-wake zones, trolling modes that let you choose from several specific engine speeds, synchronization and even optional trolling-valve modes. Trolling-valve setups marked a huge innovation, making it almost impossible to blow up your transmission by throttling up while the trolling valve was engaged - an unfortunate event that occurred quite often on boats equipped with manual trolling valves.
Engine manufacturers including Caterpillar, MTU Detroit Diesel, Cummins/MerCruiser, MAN and Volvo Penta all offer some degree of electronic control on their engines. Much of this comes about as the result of government mandates to lower exhaust emissions. Electronic engine control greatly improves the combustion process, and once you have electronic control and monitoring of the engine, it's easy to add electronic shift and throttle.
If you're in the market for a new sport-fisherman with diesel power, you'll find it increasingly difficult to find one without some level of electronic control. Control Area Network-based (CAN-bus) systems make it all possible. CAN-bus-based systems allow the instantaneous transfer of a great deal of electronic information, simplifying both monitoring and control functions.
It also eases the installation process. Instead of having to pull several bulky control cables up tower legs, through cramped engine rooms and into difficult-to-access flybridge consoles (often with severe corners and angles to contend with), now you just have to pull one multi-strand wire. It's much thinner, more flexible and easier to feed than multi-wire bundles.
What's Out There
Even if you're not in the market for a new boat with state-of-the-art electronic controls, you can still reap the benefits on your older boat. Several companies offer aftermarket packages, providing everything from simple throttle and shift capabilities to full-blown electronic control with trolling valves and synchronization. For instance, ZF Marine has several new control options based on CAN-bus technology.
ZF bought Mathers Controls some time back and still produces that company's MicroCommanders, one of the early and most successful electronic-control systems on the market. If you own mechanically controlled engines, the 9000 Series Micro
Commanders represent one of the best options for conversion to electronic throttle and shift. ZF's 9000 Series CruiseCommand system does essentially the same thing for mechanical-throttle and solenoid-shift applications, as well as electronic-throttle and mechanical-shift applications. ClearCommand also controls electronic or mechanical trolling valves.
ZF also recently introduced SmartCommand, another CAN-bus-based system that uses a new, modern-looking control head straight out of George Jetson's space car! The head features single-lever controls and electronic features like Easidock, which ensures positive clutch response for precise maneuvering in tight spaces. It allows you to modulate the clutches and control engine speed simultaneously, so you can select the perfect propeller rpm for docking.
Autotroll provides a wide range of low-speed control modes where clutch slippage is controlled while maintaining slow engine speed. Use this mode for everything from slow-trolling to maintaining slow speed in no-wake zones. Visual 
indicators on the control head show where the neutral detent is. And two-color LED lights provide a wealth of information, right at the control head.
Teleflex's new i6300 Electronic Control connects to the shift and throttle actuators with a single 1/4-inch CAN-bus cable. You can add an unlimited number of control-station heads, and it comes in either 12- or 24-volt versions. Teleflex lets you choose between a variety of trim and color options for the i6300 control head so you can match the style of your boat. A light-coded diagnostic system alerts you to potential problems, and a "get home" feature provides simple manual control in the event of an emergency.
Glendinning, another of the early electronic-control pioneers, offers a Complete Controls System, which provides a myriad of CAN-bus-based options, including plug-and-play installation, custom configuration adjustment to suit your personal 
needs, optional gear and throttle backup control that will get you home in the event of a failure, and the Smart Actuator, a system designed for mechanically governed engines.
Twin Disc also offers several different electronic-control systems, with varying options and differently styled control heads. They come in 12- or 24-volt configurations, and options include synchronization, shaft brake control, pressure switch input and trolling-valve control. You can add up to six stations with most Twin Disc systems, and they come with individual neutral gear indicators and station active indicators.
Think about it - no more wrestling with tired mechanical cables, just easy, smooth shifting and throttle response.
