I guess I knew the day would come when I would need to go back to the old side throttle, fought it as long as possible, I've always believed a hot foot is the safest thing a man could have on a boat. I wear a prosthetic leg on the right side and with age my right hip tires out with a hot foot, I'm wondering if there is any type of different hot foot setup that I could buy where I could mount it on the left side of the console and use my left foot ?

James, I don't know if anything exists like that but it would be pretty simply to leave what you have and fab up an arms that just attached to a left foot pedal I reckon, like a driver's ed vehicle control set up


Just need a left foot pedal and a linkage over to the hot foot pedal so your left foot is working it. Not the simplest or most elegant solution perhaps but if you want it, it's an idea.

Best of luck
-Richard

another idea might be hand control lever for the pedal just like handicapable controls for car gas pedals. retain the added safety of a dead-man style throttle pedal instead of the lever but that leaves you one hand steering so not much more elegant than just the regular throttle handle but still somewhat better? Just brainstorming quickly for you


....and lastly, possibly mount the pedal upside down on the other side somehow? All possible solutions, some more elegant than others, some simpler...

If you bought the older style that didn't have the tab to hold your foot on the pedal it wouldn't matter where you mounted it as long as your cable was long enough.

Someone said I should buy a top load hot foot but I don't understand how that would help me move to the left?

If you dont have hydralic steering, get it and go back to hand throttle.

TH Marine makes one that the cable comes in from the top. I have a brace on my right leg so can't use it with right foot but since the cable comes in from the top you can move it over to the left enough to use your left foot. Works perfectly.

James this advice is best. Don't fight it are try to figure out a way to keep the hot foot. Just go back to a throttle.

Im sure if you talked to a manufacturer they could figure it out. It cant be that hard, all they have to do is move the hot foot over like 2ft, not like they have to invent new tech or anything

Sure hydraulic steering is a helpful asset but in terms of a safety device not just a convenience, it doesn't really meet his desires adequately I don't think.

http://www.creativecontrolsinc.com/products/lfa.htm

Something on the left side that controls the regular hot foot would be best I reckon, as it doesn't alter a hot foot unit beyond normal use if he resells, could just remove the additional components for his use.

A hand control and hydraulic steering would never give him the "deadman switch" control like a train conductor and would leave him WFO if anything happened. No matter how easy you make the steering wheel to turn you don't add safety with hydraulic steering, just ease of use.

top load or bottom load will depend on the engine I think, my johnson would not work with a pull type throttle as it is a push cable.

hotfoot is a huge safety factor, if something happens and your foot comes off the boat goes to idle, hand control it stays where it is and should a driver be incapacitated but still in the seat you have a runaway boat to deal with.

as for your set up. get a longer cable if needed and just move it over so your left foot can operate it, even if the foot retainer hook is there you should still be able to use it or just remove the hook if it presents a problem.

I will never have a boat without a hotfoot again.

Just wear your kill switch at all times when motor is running and use your hand throttle. Same result.

I have BOTH the hotfoot and hand throttle hooked up. You might look into a setup like that. Use the hotfoot in big waves or whenever you need precise control, and switch to the hand throttle for cruising long distances.

Had a client that wanted to go in his boat to mark GPS trails and spots for a pre McDonalds trip. He had had knee replacement on his right leg. His hot foot was moved to the left side. Skeeter zx225. I drove the boat, took some getting used to, but really wasn't a problem. All he did was get a longer cable and grind off the tab.

A top mounted cable will allow you to move the hot foot for your left foot.

Another thing you could think about is putting in a lighter spring on the one you have.