Tiller assist including hydraulic damper and power steering

A tiller assist marine dampener and brake assembly, comprising:

• a cylinder having first and second distal ends;
• a piston reciprocal within said cylinder intermediate to and defining a fluid seal between said first cylinder end and said second cylinder end;
• a tilt tube coupler adapted to securely engage an outboard motor tilt tube;
• a transom coupler adapted to securely engage a boat transom;
• a one of said tilt tube coupler and said transom coupler secured to said cylinder, and the other of said tilt tube coupler and said transom coupler secured to said piston;
• a first fluid path external to said cylinder coupling said first cylinder end to said second cylinder end;
• first and second valves in series with each other within said first fluid path and intermediate between said first cylinder end and said second cylinder end, configured in a first open state when said first valve and said second valve are both open to provide in combination with said first fluid path a continuous and substantially unrestricted path from said first cylinder end to said second cylinder end, and configured in a second closed state when at least one of said first and second valves are closed to interrupt said first fluid path between said first cylinder end and said second cylinder end, and configured in a third flow restricted state when said first valve is open and said second valve is partially closed to restricted flow in said first fluid path adapted to provide countering torque to rapid position changes of a boat motor, and thereby dampen movement of said boat motor induced by waves;
• a second fluid path coupling said first chamber to said second chamber;
• a fluid pump provided within said second fluid path intermediate between said first and second chambers having a first inoperative state blocking said fluid from flowing through said second fluid path and a second state pumping a fluid through said second fluid path.