Sounds like your boat might have Rack & Pinion "cable" type steering. Either single or dual cable system. Only way to confirm is visually.
Take boat for a normal drive. If hard cornering and rough wave riding is your thing, then do it. If fighting too much with its steering, you may need to install NFB steering system. Either single or dual cable system.
NFB helm system dramatically reduces movement (jerking) backfeed - from its motor to its attached steering wheel. Thus, smoother feel on its steering wheel. I recently installed NFB Rack&Pinion single cable system on my boat and love it. But if I had the spare dollars, I would have installed Power Steering system instead.
If wondering, my steering system "slop" was from worn out tilt system. Way too much movement within its joints. So, I removed its tilt helm and replaced with straight helm. And, installed new cable as well - to ensure its Rack and Pinion gears matched each other. Perfect solution for the low cost.
If you have spare dollars and plan to keep your boat for many years, upgrading to Power Steering system (which is much better) might work for you as well.
Hope this helps.