Koeketiene
Well-known member
Imagine the panic amongst neighbouring yachts when someone shouts:
"Lookout! There's a bloke going to try and reverse his Twister in here!"
Just give it a lttle of the old 'left hand down a bit'.
Imagine the panic amongst neighbouring yachts when someone shouts:
"Lookout! There's a bloke going to try and reverse his Twister in here!"
And a MoodyIt’s not just Vancouver’s though -you can do the same to a Hallberg I suspect
They are very useful but having had one suddenly fail with no warning, I don't trust them any more and I feel happier just heaving-to if under sail or drifting if not (always depending on the circumstances, of course).I think that a good autopilot is really important for single handed berthing. It gives you the time to lay out warps and fenders, study the sketch plan, case the joint, etc.
I have been let down on a number of occasions by my Raymarine AV100. It is a death trap. So although my boat does not lend itself to wind steering, being directionally unstable, I have an aeries which has saved me on many difficult trips.They are very useful but having had one suddenly fail with no warning, I don't trust them any more and I feel happier just heaving-to if under sail or drifting if not (always depending on the circumstances, of course).
A favourite way is to grab an unoccupied mooring buoy while getting things ready for the grand marina entry.
I have been let down on a number of occasions by my Raymarine AV100. It is a death trap. So although my boat does not lend itself to wind steering, being directionally unstable, I have an aeries which has saved me on many difficult trips.
I used that technique once, but sans bow fender - no time, and didn't get off, coming into Roscoff marina on full flood. The engine was revving at a rate where I would be doing a good 5 knots!I have adopted a simple technique that I first saw a French yachtsman using.
Rig a bow fender.
Motor gently up to the walkway at the end of the catway so that the bow fender is pressed against it.
Leave the engine running slowly.
Put the tiller over towards the catway and hold it there with a loop of shockcord ( I have a loop each side)
The boat will stay put while you step ashore and attach your lines.
Pretty fierce that current there.I used that technique once, but sans bow fender - no time, and didn't get off, coming into Roscoff marina on full flood. The engine was revving at a rate where I would be doing a good 5 knots!
Looped over a pontoon cleat up at the bow, then a finger cleat near the stern. It worked very well.
Knox Johnson took a 60 odd footer round the world single handed aged in his 70s so I dont think it is about size or your age so much as design and your skill and the boats equipment.Evening all,
what do you think? I intend to do a fair bit of single handed but Mrs B like a bit of space and comfort. I’ve got ambitions for longer passages when I have more time so my question is about boat size. A lot of my sailing friends think anything over 32 would be tricky but I love the idea of a go anywhere boat and have been eeying up nauticat 35-43, moodys, westerly oyster and bavaria oceans. I’ve seen plenty of you tube videos of folk happily sailing 40ft plus boats so what are the pro’s and cons?
But what is a good autopilot? It certainly isnt the Raymarine stick thingies that go between tiller and side deck - far too unreliable. For me its something like the one I inherited on my boat which is a below decks hydraulic system originally to a Robertson design but now sold by Simrad. Mine is 25 years old, has never ever failed and importantly is connected directly to the shaft of a big rudder with a decent skeg. It has happily kept me under control in 40kn winds (avge) , a spring tide and rolling waves in the Bristol channel.I think that a good autopilot is really important for single handed berthing. It gives you the time to lay out warps and fenders, study the sketch plan, case the joint, etc.
This model of Raymarine tiller pilot uses the same brains as the below-deck ones: Raymarine SPX/ SPX-5GP Removable Tiller Drive AutopilotsBut what is a good autopilot? It certainly isnt the Raymarine stick thingies that go between tiller and side deck - far too unreliable. For me its something like the one I inherited on my boat which is a below decks hydraulic system originally to a Robertson design but now sold by Simrad. Mine is 25 years old, has never ever failed and importantly is connected directly to the shaft of a big rudder with a decent skeg. It has happily kept me under control in 40kn winds (avge) , a spring tide and rolling waves in the Bristol channel.
if you do source a Pelagic & it does work Ok I would love to know as my raymarine ram is carp. Recently it has started to stop working & I have to leave it for 30 mins before it will work again in rough down wind conditions. I am not sure if that is the "brains" or the ramThis model of Raymarine tiller pilot uses the same brains as the below-deck ones: Raymarine SPX/ SPX-5GP Removable Tiller Drive Autopilots
For a few hundred quid you can buy the Evo core pack without the tiller-pilot arm itself, and use a Pelagic actuator arm instead.
Yes, a below-decks autopilot is superior, in that it's out of the way and protected from the down below; you don't have to disengage it manually.
But the Pelagic is surprisingly competent, and copes just fine - I've used it in force 7+, so it would seem to be just as strong as many below-decks models.
The Pelagic is just an industrial actuator arm, and it should be possible to get them more cheaply directly from the Chinese e-commerce sites. I'll be looking into this this week, with a view to getting a spare.
(Disclaimer: I'm actually using an older Raymarine SmartPilot brains at the moment, not the Evo, with the Pelagic actuator arm).
This model of Raymarine tiller pilot uses the same brains as the below-deck ones: Raymarine SPX/ SPX-5GP Removable Tiller Drive Autopilots
For a few hundred quid you can buy the Evo core pack without the tiller-pilot arm itself, and use a Pelagic actuator arm instead.
Yes, a below-decks autopilot is superior, in that it's out of the way and protected from the down below; you don't have to disengage it manually.
But the Pelagic is surprisingly competent, and copes just fine - I've used it in force 7+, so it would seem to be just as strong as many below-decks models.
The Pelagic is just an industrial actuator arm, and it should be possible to get them more cheaply directly from the Chinese e-commerce sites. I'll be looking into this this week, with a view to getting a spare.
(Disclaimer: I'm actually using an older Raymarine SmartPilot brains at the moment, not the Evo, with the Pelagic actuator arm).
????????????????????????????????????Do you mean I should reverse my Twister into a marina berth?
She looks good.View attachment 107799
It can be done but it isn't pretty. The marineros were screaming but I was just laughing.
Definitely the prettiest boat in the marinaShe looks good.
I bought a pump from HyPro but specified my own rams. All you need is a bypass valve on the hydraulics to back drive the ram. I am sure that this would be in the hypro assembly.I am sure that the the pelagic below deck unit is from these guys. Hydraulic Projects Ltd | Hy-Pro Motion & Control Solutions
If you find a chinese version please post a link as I'd like one to use with pypilot and a motor controller..
Autopilot Computers
AFAIk the difficulty with a below deck model is that it remains physically connected to the quadrant but once switched off you need to be able to back drive the ram without doing harm,
A good below decks autopilot that operates at the press of a button is like a reliable crew member. You still need to keep one eye on where you are but it does free you up to do pre docking jobs. Faffing about with a tillerpilot is not the sameThey are very useful but having had one suddenly fail with no warning, I don't trust them any more and I feel happier just heaving-to if under sail or drifting if not (always depending on the circumstances, of course).
A favourite way is to grab an unoccupied mooring buoy while getting things ready for the grand marina entry.
Hypro are a UK company and, from my experience, couldn’t be more helpful. They make the rams for a lot of the big name companies, only without the big name markup!I bought a pump from HyPro but specified my own arms. All you need is a bypass valve on the hydraulics to back drive the ram. I am sure that this would be in the hypro assembly.