autohelm size

[kenp]

Anyone with a Raymarine ST2000 autohelm past or present might advise be able to advise, please. Would this unit be up to steering a 10M, twin keel, 8 tonne steel boat. I know info says up to 4.5 tonne but higher spec units are a daft price. The boat is not to heavy on the helm. Might this model be up for the job or is this idea a non starter

 

[Tranona]

Depends on what you are expecting it to do. It may well work OK for light weather and motoring in calms, but will probably struggle in heavier conditions. The more powerful models are a "daft price" because they have a much bigger job to do than the low powered ones.

 

[greenalien]

I have a 6-tonne, 10m boat and use an ST4000 - I originally tried an Autohelm 1000, but it couldn't always handle the tiller load, and couldn't be interfaced to anything - however, I still keep it as a spare.
The 4000 is a nice neat unit, and I can switch it between following a compass course, tracking a route and sailing at a set wind angle as needed. Definitely part of the crew that has served me well for 15 years. So far, it has gone wrong once, but the repair was quickly done, and has lasted well since. Main other criticism is that the power socket for the actuator ram is a bit flimsy and easily broken. However, the ram itself is solid and powerful.
A useful accessory is the ST50 Compass display - uses the autopilot's fluxgate compass, gives a useful off-course display, and also has a built-in Seatalk to NMEA0183 interface.

I understand that some people have had some success in using smaller autopilots on bigger boats by adding a trim tab to their rudder, then using the autopilot to drive the trim tab, rather than driving the rudder via the tiller.

 

[KREW2]

I have a Westerly Storm, I'm thinking of getting something more beefy as it is not really up to the job.
Edit to add I have an ST 2000

 

[Georgio]

Anyone with a Raymarine ST2000 autohelm past or present might advise be able to advise, please. Would this unit be up to steering a 10M, twin keel, 8 tonne steel boat. I know info says up to 4.5 tonne but higher spec units are a daft price. The boat is not to heavy on the helm. Might this model be up for the job or is this idea a non starter

I have an ST2000 on a Contessa 32, it is ok but IMO only just up to the job, especially under spinaker in breezy conditions. I'm planning (when pennies allow) to get somthing a bit more powerfull. I would suggest that the ST2000 is VERY under-spec for your boat.

 

[LadyInBed]

My experience of Autopilots is that you buy the biggest that you can afford and that the boat can take.
ST4000 wheel pilots give lots of problems because they are driven by an elastic band and they have to overcome the resistance of the wheel, steering cables and any slack in the system before they can act on the rudder, so you need one that acts directly on the steering quadrant or tiller.
ST 2000 Tiller Pilot sits out in the elements and is subject to damp and water ingress which knackers the fluxgate compass which only leaves the
ST 4000 for tiller steering - minimal electronic exposure to the elements, separate fluxgate compass which is housed inside the boat and capable of delivering plenty of power or the ST 6000 for wheel steering that has a linear drive unit that acts directly on the steering quadrant or a 'stub' tiller on the rudder stock.

I bought the ST5000+ wheel pilot (now obsolete) for my 10 mtr boat ten years ago and it has always worked trouble free and coped in any conditions.

 

[V1701]

I wouldn't, know someone who's tried one on a heavyish long keeler, it will work in very light conditions, motoring but it's not really up to the job...

 

[Enya]

On my shopping list this winter is an Autohelm 2000ST for my Albin Vega, 27 ft and 2.3 tons displacement. Can I be sure that it will prove a reliable crew in all/most conditions?

 

[SAMYL]

Ladyinbed
ST4000 wheel pilots give lots of problems because they are driven by an elastic band and they have to overcome the resistance of the wheel, steering cables and any slack in the system before they can act on the rudder, so you need one that acts directly on the steering quadrant or tiller.




Driving the steering quadrant directly will be almost impossible unless you disconnect the wheel and cables. No steering gear will be able to cope with that for too long. Just try turning your rudder by hand next time your boat is out of the water, it can be very stiff indeed.

Driving the wheel by the toothed drive belt, no it's not a rubber band, is the path of least resistance provided the steering is set up properly. If the wheel bearings are in good order and the cables set correctly the ST4000 will give years of trouble free service. Problems only arise if the bearings seize and when the cables are too tight and wear into the outer sheaths causing resistance.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Driving the steering quadrant directly will be almost impossible unless you disconnect the wheel and cables. No steering gear will be able to cope with that for too long. Just try turning your rudder by hand next time your boat is out of the water, it can be very stiff indeed.

Disagree completely... for a heavier boat, a qaudrant attached hydraulic or electric system is the only way to go... they are designed for the massive loads that are incurred and have the torque to cope.... my experience is that a ST4000 starts to struggle when it gets really rough, whereas hydraulic systems just keep on ploughing on

 

[Csail]

Anyone with a Raymarine ST2000 autohelm past or present might advise be able to advise, please. Would this unit be up to steering a 10M, twin keel, 8 tonne steel boat. I know info says up to 4.5 tonne but higher spec units are a daft price. The boat is not to heavy on the helm. Might this model be up for the job or is this idea a non starter

We have ST4000 on 32 footer....i would get the one above which is suggested for size of boat. Biggest problem is where to put the fluxgate compass.

 

[KREW2]

On my shopping list this winter is an Autohelm 2000ST for my Albin Vega, 27 ft and 2.3 tons displacement. Can I be sure that it will prove a reliable crew in all/most conditions?

I have one that has never been used. My boat weighs about 6 ton, and someone said it would do the job, but I'm not too sure. Its never been used at sea still boxed, and not calibrated.
I have sent you a private message if your interested in buying it.

 

[ianj99]

ST4000 converted for hydraulic steering.

I have started a project to convert an ST4000 to drive the hydaulic pump on my boat's ancient analogue Cetrek steering. (This works fine but is pre nmea & gps)

The electronics also convert the Cetrek rudder sensor voltage into ST4000 levels (& direction).

The same electronics could be modified quiet easily to drive a more powerful wheel or tiller drive motor for larger boats. I.e the ST4000 outputs are used to drive higher current transistors. (mosfets)

So if you fit an uprated drive unit, I can supply the electronics to boost the ST4000s output current. This would fit between the ST4000 and the motor drive unit, with cables to the battery for the motor supply.

 

[RobBrown]

I use an ST2000+ on a 9m 4 ton boat and this works fine, tho as others have said, can be vulnerable to water ingress in v wet conditions. In such now, I put into a plastic sleeve & no further failures thus far.

 

[GrahamM376]

Driving the steering quadrant directly will be almost impossible unless you disconnect the wheel and cables. No steering gear will be able to cope with that for too long. Just try turning your rudder by hand next time your boat is out of the water, it can be very stiff indeed.

Suggest you read up on linear drives, they're designed to work directly on the quadrant and work fine. Our Type 1 Raymarine on 38ft boat has done around 10,000 miles and has coped well in up to F9. Linear drives also have the advantage that they still work if steering cables fail.

 

[wooslehunter]

Something to also consider is the response time. When I bought my boat, it came with a very old AH800. This resonded very slowly. When it eventually dies, I bought an ST2000+ in preference to the ST1000+ which should have been fine for my boat size. The main difference as far as I'm concirned is the end-end response time. When going down wind, the boat rolls & tends to slew round. the tiller-pilot responds faster & therefore can hold the course better in these conditions. Eventually down wind in a decent sea, I have to take over anyway. But, I'm not sure anything woiuld hold the course well other than a human.

So, don't only consider the size of th eboat but also how it responds in a sea & what the pilt will need to do.

 

[Seajet]

ST2000

Enya,

further to previous posts I have an ST2000 and reckon it would handle a Vega just fine.

I have a good handling 22' lift keel boat, but there are always times when the helm loads up, in quartering seas for instance.

I have used various autopilots on the same boat, from the first Mini Seacourse through ST1000's - which I found fine, but in an unusual moment of having spare cash I 'upgraded' to a 2000.

The difference is very noticeable, I deliberately tried it in a quartering sea which a crew used to the boat's history agreed the 1000 wouldn't have coped with; the 2000 didn't miss a beat, coped very well indeed.

We were impressed, though posts re watertight qualities noted, I have a plastic sleeve too.

 

[pyrojames]

Disagree completely... for a heavier boat, a qaudrant attached hydraulic or electric system is the only way to go... they are designed for the massive loads that are incurred and have the torque to cope.... my experience is that a ST4000 starts to struggle when it gets really rough, whereas hydraulic systems just keep on ploughing on

Agreed, dedicated under deck rams and drive prevents water ingress as well. Had mine steering in a quartering sea in 7s. Not the slightest problems, 20t of boat.

 

[colhel]

My (ancient) Raymarine tiller pilot is very noisy, been compared to a squeeling pig, are they quiter these days?
Also have considered having the pilot behind the tiller, over the Lazzerette, to gain more room in the cockpit. Anybody thought of this? Would it be possible?

 

[SAMYL]

Suggest you read up on linear drives, they're designed to work directly on the quadrant and work fine. Our Type 1 Raymarine on 38ft boat has done around 10,000 miles and has coped well in up to F9. Linear drives also have the advantage that they still work if steering cables fail.

Point taken. I was really referring to my own boat which has wheel steering through a Whitlock system. It would not be an ideal setup for a quadrant driven system.