I'm not saying my setup without a cooler is good or bad. I do know it has worked fine.
I do have a MM reservoir and also a fairly large filter on my system that may helping dissipate some heat.

Well until some tenps are taken we are all just guessing. Every application is different, and that's why some data would be necessary and helpful to those wondering.

and some motors run hotter than others including some have no t-stat some have 120 t-stat some have a 140 some have 160 and some have 170 degree t-stat. Also if you think about it, a bravo III outdrive causes more resistance running in & thru the water than an alpha single prop outdrive so the bravo III will have a higher fluid temp apples to apples comparison .

Also some engine compartments are cooler than some others and some vent heat well and some not as well. Also lake water temps in Maine are a lot cooler than dead Southern states especially in the hot summer months.. To find boats running the exact steering fluid temps across the board would be an average at best. Anyways the fluid has to maintain a certain temp and not run too hot so that the steering pressures maintain there specs. Thanks basically it for a the short list as to why for the cooler, like I said before.

Thanksgiving is around the corner...sounds like a fun way to cook a turkey! Seriously, with watercooled exhaust how would the temp get much beyond the thermostat temp? That dude is spewing BS