Tranona
Well-known member
No. That is a below decks drive.
Pelagic Autopilot
- Thread starter oilybilge
- Start date
pandos
Well-known member
So what.
What is your issue with below deck fittings.? It may be rare or unlikely, in your experience, that a tiller steered yacht would use a below deck set up.
It may not even be feasible for the OP to fit a below deck set up.
But having steered a tiller steered yacht with a non below deck pilot, and having sailed a tiller version of my last boat which had a below deck setup, If it was possible and financially viable I would opt for a below deck set up every time.
The title of the thread is Pelagic...reference to other Pelagic products helps with general information about the brand and it's reputation, in addition to putting forward options for the OP and others.
Buck Turgidson
Well-known member
Nah...
You made and incorrect statement about country of origin and now you're moving the goalposts to save face.
Why not just move on from it?
fredrussell
Well-known member
Indeed. But, from website:
“The SD10 Sailboat Drive system makes it easy and economical to install an autopilot on small to medium size sailboats with access to a quadrant or tiller.
The SD10 is a mechanical drive unit featuring built-in rudder feedback for sailboats between 25ft and 37ft. The SD10 partners with the NAC-2 autopilot computer as part of an autopilot system. (Access to a quadrant or tiller is required).”
Any reason why the ram from this unit couldn’t work above deck in a similar fashion to a tillerpilot? I’m pretty sure I’ve read about it being done on Sailing Anarchy, but I may have it mixed up with something else - I’ll have a search on there and see.
pandos
Well-known member
Read my post. It said I was pretty sure. That was correct. Subsequently I showed a pelagic ram that seems to of UK manufacture. Whats wrong with that.
Yes the ones I linked to are heavier and not used above decks but not incorrect with regard to the origin.
Well done for the link to the Chinese version and it proves the value of these forums.
I am not moving goal posts. Read my contributions and you will see that they correct and honestly held beliefs.
None if them set out to detract from others posts or devalue the contributions of others .
Tranona
Well-known member
Not sure what your problem is. See post#18 where I explained the circumstances in which a below decks pilot could be used on a tiller steered yacht - and the number of boats that meet these conditions is vanishingly small. Below decks drives are not waterproof and many of the tiller pilots suffer because of the difficulty of keeping water out of both the electronics and the ram. The Evo partly solves this by using the same electronics as the below decks unit, but still has the issue of keeping the ram waterproof.
So for those asking for alternatives on this thread a below decks drive is not an option - if it was the makers would offer it.
Tranona
Well-known member
By tiller they mean a tiller on the stock. The unit is not waterproof and could not be used above deck which is what is needed for most tiller steered boat and why that manufacturer offers dedicated pilots for those applications.
pandos
Well-known member
It seems contributions to this thread which do not comply with the falacy that a tiller steered yacht may not use a below deck ram are to be critised...
Why bother?
Why bother?
KompetentKrew
Well-known member
IMO threads here should be primarily about helping OP, but we seem to have driven him away with our off-topic bickering.
If you like the EV-100, @oilybilge, and your only concern is the quality of the RAM then I would buy that and replace the ram with a WX Hongba one later if it fails. Alternatively, is the EVO core pack offered without the ram?
The only problem with Wuxi is the difficulty of buying a single unit - someone has to organise a group buy and deal with Wuxi; they're helpful but they're in China and they're not geared up for retail enquiries.
The standard Pelagic / Hongba ram copes fine, as I think I already said, on my 40' tiller-steered fin-keel boat, so I would have thought it would cope with a heavier 24' boat. The Evo has a higher amperage rating than my SmartPilot, so no problems there.
If you like the EV-100, @oilybilge, and your only concern is the quality of the RAM then I would buy that and replace the ram with a WX Hongba one later if it fails. Alternatively, is the EVO core pack offered without the ram?
The only problem with Wuxi is the difficulty of buying a single unit - someone has to organise a group buy and deal with Wuxi; they're helpful but they're in China and they're not geared up for retail enquiries.
The standard Pelagic / Hongba ram copes fine, as I think I already said, on my 40' tiller-steered fin-keel boat, so I would have thought it would cope with a heavier 24' boat. The Evo has a higher amperage rating than my SmartPilot, so no problems there.
fredrussell
Well-known member
Only the Bowden cable would be above deck, are you sure it’s not waterproof? The following is from YM’s feature on the various autopilot options:
“ A neat alternative to a conventional tiller pilot
The B&G SD10 drive (£1,059) is a neat alternative to a conventional tiller pilot that uses a Bowden cable (as used for steering most RIBs) to connect a below-decks motor to the tiller.
It has two further big advantages over conventional tiller pilots.
Firstly there’s a clutch, so the pilot is always connected to the tiller and doesn’t need to be removed when returning to manual steering mode.
Secondly, it incorporates a rudder angle sensor, so offers tiller steered yachts that don’t have a quadrant all the advantages of a below decks system.”
pandos
Well-known member
About 8 minutes in
oilybilge
Active member
No, still here and enjoying the thread. A squall or two doesn't bother me.
Yes, that would certainly be an option.
Oddly, Hudson Marine are currently selling the EVO without the ram for £1386 ... and with the ram for £1329
Is the ram really that bad??Thanks for all these helpful replies. I'm still quite tempted by the Pelagic. I'm also quite tempted by the idea of a cheap actuator from China and a self-built pypilot raspberry pi system ... but that's probably a rabbit hole I don't want to go down.
Daydream believer
Well-known member
If you want a decent autopilot get the complete system as used by the Figaros. If the helm can walk onto the foredeck in F7 to play with the spinnaker whilst the boat flies along at 18 knts then it would suggest a piece of kit that has a high degree of reliability. I was in Peterhead when a Dutch single hander in a First 35 came in for a 10 hour stop over for a kip. He had come through the Pentland Firth in F9 & he had the same gear. He said that he did not have a moments concern about the autopilot. He actually went to sleep for a short while. It was still F7 when he left for Ijmuiden
Trouble is you will need the complete system & about £20 K+
I discussed a below deck autopilot for my tiller steered hanse with Maintsprite. I stopped listening when the figures passed £6 k & did not include the work to the mounting points for the steering ram which need to be substantial. To make it work properly it is not just a case of wiring it to the compass. It needs all the other inputs, wind, log, gps etc so it has a full data input to work correctly.
Trouble is you will need the complete system & about £20 K+
I discussed a below deck autopilot for my tiller steered hanse with Maintsprite. I stopped listening when the figures passed £6 k & did not include the work to the mounting points for the steering ram which need to be substantial. To make it work properly it is not just a case of wiring it to the compass. It needs all the other inputs, wind, log, gps etc so it has a full data input to work correctly.
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pandos
Well-known member
Thats probably an NKE system...Patrick Laine fitted one of those in the YouTube I linked to above ....they definitely are the dogs what's-it's...
The dutch site mentioned above in the context of an alternative ram also sells a complete system https://pcnautic.nl/nl/autopilot
Corz
New member
Did you end up placing an order for the HB-DJ809 actuators ? I think you have done well just to get a quote ! I have been trying to organise an order but it is proving difficult. The Min order QTY is also a bit of pain, Ideally I would end up with 4 units max.I have a Pelagic actuator paired with a Raymarine control unit - a SmartPilot, the previous generation to the Evo - and am incredibly pleased with it. I have used it in conditions to force 7 at least, and it performed flawlessly singlehanding Biscay on a beam reach in force 6.
The great thing about Pelagic actuators is that spares are so affordable - although I don't think quite so cheaply as @Buck Turgidson says; I have a quote here for $610 for 8, which is the minimum order quality (admittedly this is the model with a feedback potentiometer, but I doubt that adds much to the price). VAT and import duty will also be payable, nevertheless it is much cheaper than Raymarine's Q047 and at least as good.
Manufacturer is the Wuxi Hongba Mechanical Electrical Equipment Co., aka WXHongba. They have a couple of websites, but are presently slow responding to my emails.
EDIT: mean to add this pic for the benefit of @pandos:
This is the original ram I received from Pelagic in the US, and you can see their sticker at the bottom; you'll see the logo at the top left of the label matches up with the logo on Wuxi Hongba's site, as does the part number.
When supplied from Pelagic there is a mounting bracket that Wuxi Hongba don't offer - I couldn't find an exact match when I looked online last year, but you could have one fabricated from stainless plate. With the mounting bracket and pin the Pelagic actuator is a drop-in replacement for Raymarine's Q047.
KompetentKrew
Well-known member
I've been writing a knowledge dump to post everything I know about these actuators - pics. specifications, contact details etc - but got distracted a few weeks ago (I think it was when my battery charger failed). PM me your email address, @Corz and I'll send you my current draft.
The minimum order quality is 8 because they're shipped in a box fitted with foam inserts which accommodate 8. I have a few available for EU buyers.
The minimum order quality is 8 because they're shipped in a box fitted with foam inserts which accommodate 8. I have a few available for EU buyers.
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Corz
New member
That would be great but I don't think I have access to DM's yet, I have only just joined the forum. I believe the attached data sheet is the exact unit I am after. Its installed length is the same as a ST-2000 which will allow me to swap between the pypilot and ray marine unit .
Any chance you would ship a couple of units the AUSTRALIA ?
