Yup--I did indeed reference the "other" daysailor on my links page:
http://www.tritondaysailor.com/links1.htm
I'm well aware that I'm not the first with this idea--still, my version is going to be quite different from the "other" one.
That sure does look a lot like the sort of control you're talking about! It seems like sailboat engine controls get the short end of the stick, so to speak--perhaps the market is too small. Good sailboat engine controls are tough to come by, and even the best ones tend to get in the way. I had an old Morse set that had removable levers, at least. Now I have a very nice Vetus control which hasn't so far proved to be a line-snagger.
Trouble is, most new boats--even some silly 25-footers--come with wheel steering now. Get to 30 feet or over and it's almost a guarantee. So the separate control market is even smaller now, as these boats feature (usually) pedestal-mount controls.
Other than that, I can't imagine why someone hasn't marketed the very thing you describe. I've seen
deckplates equipped with a star-type winch handle drive, which I always thought was a good idea instead of the ridiculous small deck plate keys that we have to fumble with.
