Experience driving a Monitor wind vane from a Tiller Pilot?

[Gerry]

We have two old Raytheon autopilots on out boat, and neither are working. So rather than upgrading the old systems I was thinking of converting to an ST2000 tiller pilot to drive the Monitor wind vane.

The advantages are lower price, lower power consumption and much greater accessibility. I read in these threads that the ST2000 is tougher than the ST1000 and also has a faster response.

The installation is obviously more vulnerable than an internal system, but I expect we'd only use it motoring when there is no wind. Also we could carry a spare tiller pilot for far less than the replacement of the two systems.

I could use the remaining working Raytheon head via seatalk to bring the buttons and display into the cockpit or I could but an S100 wireless remote.

Has anyone here had experience driving a Monitor from one of these (or from a Simrad tiller pilot)? How well do they work? Any installation tips? How reliable? Any better ideas?

www.gerryantics.blogspot.com

 

[cagey]

Have done it and in open water works well. With monitor you choose steer magnetic or to wind, my system was lashed together and have meant to set up properly but am too lazy. If you tend sheets battery usage is not too serious.

Keith

 

[Bajansailor]

It works beautifully - or at least it did when I sailed on a friend's S & S 34, which had the same system you describe. Although I think his tiller pilot was a Navico (this was 13 yrs ago).

We only used it if we wanted to motor for a while on passage if it was dead calm. The loads on the electronic pilot are much smaller than on a 'conventional' pilot driving the main rudder.

 

[bromleybysea]

I use a similar system but using an Aires gear and a Simrad tiller pilot. The first tiller pilot I had was under-powered for the boat, and failed a couple of times. I now have a beefier one for direct steering but the old one works fine with the Aires. Like Cagey it's a bit of a lash-up but it's been quite fun getting it to work.

 

[Gerry]

Many thanks for the comments, so far. Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.

Meanwhile, here is a response I got by email (for others with the same question):

Yes, we do use an ST1000 with our Monitor. I never got around to linking in the remote control (couldn't get the right plug!), but it would be worthwhile to do that(as long as it doesn't delay your departure further!). It has worked well for us when motoring or sailing downwind in light winds/ biggish seas, but because it works indirectly though the Monitor rather than directly on the rudder, the moment-to-moment course holding is not as precise as a built-in autopilot, though the overall course holding is just as accurate.

Scanmar don't recommend using the Monitor when motoring because the prop wake turbulence wears out the bearings. Because our wheel pilot was unreliable, we have used the ST1000 extensively while motoring/motor sailing (we don't use high revs, though) and while it is true that it does seem to have worn out the Monitor a little faster than before we used it, I have still done only one bearing change and that was not absolutely necessary. I would recommend it as a get-you-going/backup solution, but we have just installed a new ST6000 system in place of the old unsatisfactory ST4000 wheel pilot, even though we still have the ST1000. Reasons: always available without rigging the Monitor, a second string in case the Monitor fails, avoiding undue Monitor wear. Downside: more current draw if used when sailing. We will now use the ST1000 mainly in sailing conditions when the Monitor is struggling to find the wind, and as a backup if the ST6000 fails.

Three installation issues: 1. Make sure that the operating arm that you clamp in in place of the wind vane is long enough that full travel on the ST1000 doesn't cause the Monitor to hit its limit stops. Around 17cm should work, but be sure to measure this at right angles to the inclined axis or it will end up too short. 2. If possible, fit the operating arm above the attachment clamp, like a miniature wind vane. This may not be practicable, depending on where you can mount the fixed end of the ST1000, in which case you will have to hang it below the clamp, which requires some care in making sure it clears the Monitor structure. 3. Because the ST1000 will be pushing against the rotatable part of the Monitor, it will tend to rotate it as though you were adjusting the wind angle. Minimise this by designing it so that the ST1000 attachment pin is as close to the axis of the wind angle adjustment ring as possible, and be prepared to have to increase the friction in the wind angle adjustment lines if necessary.

 

[Redmond]

I have both a Raymarine 6000 and a 1000. The 1000 drives the monitor from the pivot pin screwed into the weight (Scanmar recommended this ) and it seems to steer as well as the 6000. We have just crossed the Atlantic with this rig and all went well until the first rain squall drowned the 1000 after 13 days continuous use. Going back to the wind vane was a huge come down as the boat yaws far more, the monitor works harder and boat trim became much more critical.
Putting the pin in to the weight makes the swing of the monitor slightly more than the full drive in and out of the 1000 so the pilot doesn't come hard up against the stops.
This setup worked brilliantly for us and the only problem was the reliability of the 1000 which has now been repaired under guarantee in the UK
The autopilot works with very small adjustments of the monitor giving a smooth track