Autopilots

[NealP]

I will be replacing my Autopilot and I am looking for some information which manufacture to choose as I have conflicting stories about which is the most reliable if any one can give me there experience that would be a great help. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif <span style="color:blue"> </span>

 

[narooma]

Autohelm works ok for me.

 

[bobgoode]

Wheel or tiller?

 

[NealP]

Wheel, I am thinking about going for an internal drive not sure if linear or Hydraulic.

 

[captainslarty]

IMHO most of the problems with AP's are related to exposure to weather. a good underdeck unit is hard to beat.
My vote would be for Raymarine, but, be aware the underdeck systems are not cheap.

If you have an hydraulic system you will NEED a rudder sensor, but me thinks it is now standard kit.

 

[Koeketiene]

I bought a complete, BNIB Cetrek 730 from these people last year.

http://www.marineelectronicservice.com/

Computer, control unit, RFU and compass for less than £600.
Managed to link it up to the existing hydraulic ram.

I've been very pleased with it - in 1 year intensive, all-weather use I have not been able to fault it.
It's changed our sailing - once you're free from the helm, you never go back.

 

[ebbtide]

Few probs now with Raymarine's gizmo on my wheel-controlled Morse-teleflex steering, and their service back-up is good.
Locating it for minimum deviation wasn't easy cos it didn't behave where I wanted to put it.
And an interesting combination of pressing +1 and -1 together can reduce reaction bandwidth, switch on the light, OR reverse the sense of the installation from RH to LH.
Yes, that's me going round in circles outside Yarmouth in the dark - regularly!

 

[simonfraser]

def buy a long established product, autohelm i'd say. you don't want to run out of spares or buy a dud cheapie one that fails & is a pain to re-install.

 

[Koeketiene]

If there's one thing Raymarine products run out of within 5 years of manufacture it's spares. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Also they release "new models" every 2-3 years, and as luck will have it - it will be a dog to get it to work with what you've already got. Again /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

When I was new to this whole boatownership lark I asked a vastly more experienced sailor advice on what to get - electronics wise. Buy what fishermen buy - if something doesn't work, for us it's possibly just a sailed ruined, for them it's money lost.

Very few fishermen tend to buy Raymarine products.

 

[mocruising]

A good below deck pilot consists of five components. Head unit at steering position, drive unit at rudder post or bevel box, compass unit, rudder ref unit, and computer. I spent the last 6 months collecting all these items from ebay saved about 60% of the rrp, all were new in box. Mine were Simrad. There is plenty out there for sale at a fraction of the new even ex VAT price.

 

[PeterGibbs]

If the conditions you wish to fulfill look like these:

1. Keeping the boat 5+ years
2. Looking for reliability and power
3. Want to keep cockpit clear of kit

you will not be disappointed with the Simrad AP20 series (which I have) or its successor. Hydraulic for power and reliability, sub deck to keep it dry, direct onto the quadrant - can be used as auxiliary steering if the wheel or cables fail, virtually no maintenance. Best item I put on my boat in 1998 and never even wobbled in many hours of use, often in heavy weather.

Bits of gear that sit in the cockpit and are powered by small DC motors geared down with elastic bands are for the birds - they are cheap and they make the same sound - been there and done it !

PWG