Dave Shannon at Octopus has developed a new actuator configuration in production which uses a remotely mounted motor.  The concept is to have an actuator that is configurable at installation time for motor and valve location.  For our boats, this allows the motor to be located away from the bunk area so the operating noise is less bothersome.  

Also, because the bypass valve remains located on the hydraulic ram there is less friction and therefore a reduced wheel resistance from the unit. Here is what Dave Shannon of Octopus had to say:

The pumpset can be mounted well away from the cylinder - bypass - reservoir assembly. It MUST be below the level of the reservoir with the connecting hoses snaking downwards to-wards the pumpset. Note that we can mount the bypass valve/reservoir in 6 different positions on the cylinder (2 ports x 3-6-9 o'clock) also by drilling 1 extra hole in the rear "ball" gland, we can rotate the cylinder to compensate for your approx 45 degree roll due to the hull attachment. 

The distance to the pumpset is not limited but the shorter the better. We have used up to 3 metre (10 feet) hoses made from flexible nylon reinforced rubber. However for longer runs I would reccomend using a steel reinforced hose or a combination of steel or copper tubing with a short length of flexible hose to isolate both vibration and noise. The reason for the hose type concern is because the hose tend to flex slightly under pressure, this flex or elasticity is directly proportional to the linear length and the system pressure. So if you are operating in a high demand situation you will get a "mushy" response on the tiller, this can affect your pilot performance.