Automatic tiller pilot too long

STOL71

STOL71

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www.shuda-sailing.com
My new Raymarine S2000 tiller pilot is too long for my boat as its stern is quite narrow. The tiller pilot when fully contracted is approximately as long as the distance from the cockpit coaming to the middle of my wooden tiller. As the tiller pilot is contracting it should pull the tiller to starboard and steer the boat to port. But my tiller is already too long when contracted.
I was planning on making a couple of sturdy brackets so that the tiller pilot can sit beyond the coaming to starboard on a coaming bracket and beyond the tiller on port attached to a tiller bracket.
Would that work? Has anyone installed something in similar circumstances where their tiller pilot was too long? Could you possibly provide me with pictures of your solutions so that I can get some ideas of how to design and install the brackets?
I appreciate your help.
 
You would not want to move the tiller pilot from port to starboard hand mount on a regular basis because you have to tell the controller which side the ram is mounted. If you think about it the pilot has to decide whether to push or pull to turn in the required direction. That push or pull depends on which side the ram is mounted.

Could you fit an offset bracket to the tiller to mount the pin that locates the 'moving' end of the ram?
 
STOL71 said:
My new Raymarine S2000 tiller pilot is too long for my boat as its stern is quite narrow. The tiller pilot when fully contracted is approximately as long as the distance from the cockpit coaming to the middle of my wooden tiller. As the tiller pilot is contracting it should pull the tiller to starboard and steer the boat to port. But my tiller is already too long when contracted.
I was planning on making a couple of sturdy brackets so that the tiller pilot can sit beyond the coaming to starboard on a coaming bracket and beyond the tiller on port attached to a tiller bracket.
Would that work? Has anyone installed something in similar circumstances where their tiller pilot was too long? Could you possibly provide me with pictures of your solutions so that I can get some ideas of how to design and install the brackets?
I appreciate your help.
Click to expand...

Have you contacted the V27 owners assn to see what others fit
 
alahol2 said:
You would not want to move the tiller pilot from port to starboard hand mount on a regular basis because you have to tell the controller which side the ram is mounted. If you think about it the pilot has to decide whether to push or pull to turn in the required direction. That push or pull depends on which side the ram is mounted.

Could you fit an offset bracket to the tiller to mount the pin that locates the 'moving' end of the ram?
Click to expand...

The way i read it that's what he's going to do.
 
Instead of placing the tiller pilot square to the tiller have you considered placing it so that the pin on the tiller is forward of the pin on the base of the other end of the tiller pilot. IE place the tiller pilot diagonally. Try that first before making any extra brackets other than a bracket on the coaming for the base end of the autopilot.
It might make steering effect slightly one sided as retracted the autopilot will be at a steep angle & when fully extended to the other side it will be more square but that may not be a problem depending on the amounts involved. Which you have not given.
Alternatively a triangular flat plate bolted to the top of the tiller with the pin at the apex & the base line bolted to the top of the tiller should be Ok if heights match up OK
Once set up & calibrated you certainly do not want to swop the autopilot from side to side --ever-!!
 
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STOL71 said:
My new Raymarine S2000 tiller pilot is too long for my boat as its stern is quite narrow. The tiller pilot when fully contracted is approximately as long as the distance from the cockpit coaming to the middle of my wooden tiller. As the tiller pilot is contracting it should pull the tiller to starboard and steer the boat to port. But my tiller is already too long when contracted.
I was planning on making a couple of sturdy brackets so that the tiller pilot can sit beyond the coaming to starboard on a coaming bracket and beyond the tiller on port attached to a tiller bracket.
Would that work? Has anyone installed something in similar circumstances where their tiller pilot was too long? Could you possibly provide me with pictures of your solutions so that I can get some ideas of how to design and install the brackets?
I appreciate your help.
Click to expand...

Yes that is the solution.

I was lucky, mine mounts on the coaming and needs a short extension to the ram to reach the tiller.
 
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My Autohelm 2000 (yes it's a real Autohelm, it IS that old) has the same problem on my nice 26. There's a box on the side of the cockpit coaming and the end of the ram fits inside the box, bringing the end to the centre of the tiller, where the pin sits. I don't have a photo to show at the moment. The pin is a little forward of the ideal point on the tiller, but the arrangement works well.
 
No substitute for getting the coaming side pivot to the right place.
Discovered on upgrading from a failed inherited 1000 to a new 2000 that the minm. centres were 20mm short and the ram 80mm out of level although the setting out is the same.
Became obvious when the more powerful 2000 lifted itself off the mount when executing 90 turn.
Was able to reduce the mount 'tube' itself but used 10mm marine ali plate to bring above the coaming.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B7xe3QHhWHrkRHZOakZnUzlveGs?usp=sharing
Could provide you a small amount plate if its appropriate for your horizontal offset.
 
If, like me, your use is limited to putting the boat on course and then enabling the autohelm, then there is a solution with a stub tiller at right angles.

Stick a short tiller out the side of the rudder stock and fit the tiller pilot fore and aft. The geometry on my boat would easily allow it.

However, if you do clever things, like using the compass on the instrument (mine agrees with none of the other compasses on the boat), or connecting it to other instruments this may not work.
 
The problem is not enough room for the ram when at mid travel between the tiller and coming. Solutions are to mount the ram outboard of the tiller, or make the tiller longer presumably further forward gives more room, or mount the attachment to the tiller at a point not on or under the tiller but further away on the opposite side to the ram. Any combination of these solutions could solve the problem or as said fit a stub tiller at right angles to tiller on rudder stock and have ram fore and aft. I think I would go for the third option ie make an attachment bracket under the tiller that had attachment beyond centre line of tiller. olewill
 
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