Autopilot Installation

[muckypup]

Anyone know roughly how much it will be to have an autopilot fitted?

Can all autopilots be interfaced with your plotter or does it have to be a compatible type?

Steve

 

[Talbot]

cost will very much depend on type of autopilot, and type of steering.

Most new plotters will send data to the autopilot via nmea message. Most new autopilots will read NMEA from the plotter,

 

[muckypup]

Say on a 40' motor crusier. I'm not sure what sort of steering this has...

Steve

 

[Talbot]

That has to assume Wheel steering - well that removes about 30% of the possibilities.

solution will depend on how complex a system you want to install

e.g. Raymarine st3000 - simple installation requiring minimal work (can be done yourself easily) but requires connecting a belt up each time you want to use it. cost with D-I-Y install = approx £450

Raymarine st4000 - again a relatively simple instalation onto the wheel, and less effort to switch on autopilot.
cost with D-I-Y install = approx £850


Both these are attachments to the wheel, and ignore any problems/difficulties with the steering system to the rudders. However, both are less capable than their more expensive S1/S2 systems. These more expensive systems have their own connection to the rudder, so can work as a temporary steering system to replace normal one. However, the method of connection to the rudder will depend on whether you have cable steering or hydraulic, and will require that the steering compartment is dry. Whilst this is within he capabilities of a competent D-I-Yer it is complex and time consuming.

Costs for these systems are so variable dependent on which system and which steering that its impossible to give an estimate.

 

[blueglass]

as noted elsewhere in this thread - impossible to give accurate estimate but a ballpark figur to get you going is about £1500, which is what it cost us for ours recently on a similar sized boat. You will probably have hydraulic steering on a 40 ft boat? That price was for a Raymarine ST6001 interfaced to chartplotter. Having seen the installation there is no way I would have fancied taking it on, and the labour side of the bill was less than £400. You need to fit the helm console unit with interfacing to chartplotter/GPS, in turn both connected to a control unit and a drive unit to the steering. Add to this an electronic compass remote to all of the above, at the other end of the boat, sea trials/setting up etc, unless you have the skills required i personally wouldn't see it as a DIY project.

 

[steverow]

Roughly about £1500 or so all in.
More if you go for the rate gyro option.
You will also need a second station if you have a flybridge boat.
The ST 6000+ or ST 6001 are pretty much standard fit on motorboats.
Most Mobos have hydraulic steering and use a hydraulic pump which is "tapped" into the existing steering hoses.
As has been said it's not really a diy job if you dont have a lot of electrical/electronic experience, particularly with NMEA as you will probably at some stage have to get down to reading individual sentences. I dont like to tackle the hydraulic bits 'cos Im not good with fluids, although I did successfully fit a new steering pump a while back. You will need to know what sort of hydraulic steering you have...some have three ports...some have two.
It isnt rocket science to fit an autopilot but you do need to have engineering common sense, and it will probably take a while..particularly the calibration and set up at sea, and as I previously said a working knowledge of NMEA linking and protocol will be required.

You purchase a "corepack" which consists of Course computer, fluxgate compass,
rudder reference unit and steering pump.
Add to that your control unit, and gyro option if you want to run Marpa on your radar.
You will need a chartplotter, either PC, or standalone to tell the autopilot what to do, using the APB sentence or via seatalk if using other Raymarine instruments.
I use a combination of both NMEA and Seatalk on my boat and everything integrates together nicely, all being controlled by C-mapECS on the laptop.
Be wary of some of the older autopilots like earlier Cetrek units.
These will not interface to NMEA and were stand alone units.
If you do have to purchase an A/P I would stay firmly in the Raymarine camp.


Steve.

 

[muckypup]

mmm... I think I'll let the experts deal with this one. I'll pencil in approx costs for ~£1500.

(the other) Steve

 

[andyball]

when I looked at raymarine for our 38' steel boat, just the kit from raymarine was £1300+ & that with a cheapy hydraulic pump thrown in. Navman cheaper I think & still with rate gyro.