Electronic engine controls: good or bad?

Well said. Electric you can have as many stations you want or where you want, or a remote such as a yacht controller.

Well said, and I take that to mean I shouldn’t go offshore with electronic controls unless I have a back up.

There's still Sea Tow.

Definite advantage of mechanical controls...most of us will need a tech to fix the electronic controls.

Good choice, but what does low voltage have to see with your Hynautics controls?
They need no current at all, AFAIK.
Or did I miss a separate issue?

That last sentence is a bit of a shocker. If you're looking for a boat with no problems they just don't exist.

Glad I misunderstood.

Will never get electronic controls again...was going across the ditch in florida and coming up to a lock...unfortunately a power failure locked the throttles and gear in place...had to run her up on the hill at speed to stop...mind you this was all in about 500 ft.

Dang, what brand controls? Seems I read another post having a similar problem.

Was also the stop solenoid jammed?
That would be a weird concidence, 'cause usually they have nothing to see with the control levers.

For some reason I previously missed your reply.
I'm no SF expert at all, is that a behaviour you would expect from any of them?
A sudden total loss of power on one side (at any speed) is one of several tests that any yard should do on their boats, and the reaction should remain smooth enough to avoid the risk of throwing someone overboard.
I'm even aware of some cruisers that can stay on the plane with just one engine.
But even those (the majority, in fairness) who don't, normally react to the situation you describe by slowing down and turning on the dead engine side, but nowhere near as hard as by steering hard over.
Maybe SFs are designed with props more far apart for better maneuverability? Just guessing...

A lot of deep V inboard planing boats will do this if you totally cut power on one side in an instant and are at 80%. Keep in mind we were on autopilot and also takes a few seconds to evaluate what is going on.......

Mmm... Did you actually try that with any other boats?
As I said, it should be part of routine tests for any new boat.
And a total power cut on one side should never create any dangerous condition, even at WOT.
That's with no rudder action BTW, i.e.keeping them centered.
If anything, the a/p should have immediately reacted contrasting the turn.

PS: I'm well aware that the behaviour you described is unavoidable in an offshore boat running at very high speed.
That can indeed be very dangerous, potentially leading to a hook and spin, if not even a capsize.
But at 25kts? That rather sounds like poor hull design...

It was not a scary OH MY GOD moment, it just made a hard turn as if you turned the wheel hard over.......had we happened to be passing another boat, buoy, or other object 100-200 yards off our side, it would have been a very dangerous situation simple because of what it did.

Spongy hynautic is likely calling for a new set of seals at one or more location in the chain of stations and slaves. But spongy hynautic is still reliable. I'd always lean to mechanical over hydraulic, hydraulic over electronic...if the vessel allows you the option.

Yeah, I can see how that experience would tighten your shorts. Thankfully, as you said, you were in the open. My luck would find me between two jetties in a nasty inlet.

I was sitting at dinner at the dock at Houston's in Pompano Beach when an electronic failed and ripped the place up pretty good...you have what you have with electronic engines, but that thought is forever in your head when you've seen it happen. Me? Lightening strike nearby, not direct, took everything including sensors and injectors etc on the mains. Thankfully I was neither aboard nor underway. Big expensive mess, and then along came Pantropic to make it even more pleasurable.