Fixed autopilot

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e014945

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Dear All,

i am desperatly looking for a fixed autopilot for our Janneau Sundream 28. as you can see on the photo attached, the ruder system is directly visible and acessible from the aft of the boat. From what i understand, this does not allow us to fix any fixed autopilot to our boat? the reason i am asking this is that we need to change the old autohelm 2000 to something more adequate and, as i am mostly sailing with the family i would like something to rely on.

For the moment, the only option that i found is the new raymarine evo100 tiller pilot, but this implies that i manually connect the autopilot everytime i want to use it.

I would greatly appreciate any feedback for the community.

Thanks,

Gary

IMG_7007.JPG
 
If you want to fit a below deck autopilot, there has to be something below deck to fit it to. So can you gain access to the rudder stock where it comes through the hull and is there room to fit an arm for an autopilot actuator ? The arm is typically 250mm long.

That said, a below deck autopilot on such a boat is a bit expensive and seems a bit over the top.
 
Thanks for your help, but i always think that the outboard pilot are not strong enough to steer the boat all day and look to me more like a toy. Also in terms of practicality it does not seem to be that easy to engage everytime on the tiller.

But maybe i am wrong (i only used the small 2000 pilot before on my boats?
 
If you want to avoid a tillerpilot one option is a cable drive such as Octopus (there are several others, all using similar motors and cables.) They are popular on outboard engined and stern drive mobos as well as some yachts with a choice of ram fittings to connect the Teleflex/Morse drive cable to the outboard or rudder. Any control set up can be used and the motor usually includes a tiller angle feedback. Expect to spend about £1k+ on the bits, Google Octopus, Simrad, Teleflex and it should lead you to the alternatives plus a PBO article on the set up on a yacht. I have installed one in the past and if you decide to spend on this option PM me and I will look out some links on sourcing bits, Octopus is marketed by the Canadian company that owns Rocna etc, distributor in Spain? there is also an Australian company with a British distributor.
 
Further to above, I sold a Teleflex motor and drive package to a forumite about a year ago,( Cueball?) he advertised it in May for £350 and may still have it for sale, you would still need to add the display head and fluxgate compass to that, it is compatible with any of them. I have a working ST400 package and a modern Raymarine EV replacement, display head, control panel and compass one of them will be sold this winter.
 
e014945 said:
Thanks for your help, but i always think that the outboard pilot are not strong enough to steer the boat all day and look to me more like a toy. Also in terms of practicality it does not seem to be that easy to engage everytime on the tiller.

But maybe i am wrong (i only used the small 2000 pilot before on my boats?
Click to expand...

I've only had experience of tiller pilots but I swapped the Raymarine ST2000 for a Raymarine EV100 tiler pilot a year ago and this has made a very substantial improvement on our Sadler 32,
 
We have a Raymarine st 4000 tiller pilot on our 32 foot boat and it regularly sails 12 hours to cross the channel. Electronics and brains are all under the deck only the electric ram is on the deck connected to the tiller. More than adequate for your boat but not cheap when compared to the basic tiller pilots that are fine if there's no significant weather. this set up copes with significant sea state and up to F6 with no connection to any other input.
 
Thank you all for you support in my choice, i just have two more questions:

1) do you find it easy to fit the arm while underway?
2) do you use a remote control of some sort for your pilot?

As i said above i will mainly sail with my young family with no help for the manoeuvres and we are sailing in zealand where the channels are quite narrow and often require direction changes.

Thanks
 
Changed from 2000 tiler pilot to av100 with ram earlier this year. Boat Kelt 29, although the 2000 worked well it struggled in swells to keep track well, also kept getting in the way when SWMBO was moving about cockpit. Found the av100 far better at control and the tiller ram smaller, very easy to attach to tiller under way, normally attach as soon as out of Haven.

I don’t have the remote control option I did have with the 2000 but with control head on cabin bulkhead it’s easier to access anyway and right next to chartplotter.
 
e014945 said:
1) do you find it easy to fit the arm while underway?
2) do you use a remote control of some sort for your pilot?
Click to expand...

1. It can be awkward, but get used too it, plan ahead a little and it's fine.

2. I have one of the larger Simrads and fully intended to buy the remote control they mentioned on their website. Unfortunately 'there was no demand' so they stopped making them and I never did find one. A bit disappointing but I'm not sure that I'd actually have used it yet.
 
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e014945 said:
1) do you find it easy to fit the arm while underway?
2) do you use a remote control of some sort for your pilot?
Click to expand...

1. No problem at all. With my EV100 The tiller pilot drive unit stays in its socket while underway and on standby. The arm can be attached to the tiller in seconds. I have the control head positioned within a metre of the tiller so can switch it to auto very quickly. Disengaging is just as easy.

2. With the control head nearby there is no need.

I can steer to a heading, to a waypoint or to wind direction with it. It's a great piece of kit.
 
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