Simrad TP10 Installation on a Contessa 26

[Jonny A]

Hi all, I've just bought a TP10, are there any other Contessa 26 owners who are willing to describe or post pictures of their installation? It would be a great help to know how best to fit it on the cockpit coaming, and the best position to use for maximum effectiveness on the tiller.

Many thanks in advance.

PS I've read all the threads here and am well aware it will fall to bits in 5 minutes, take on more water than the Titanic, etc.

 

[VicS]

Hi all, I've just bought a TP10, are there any other Contessa 26 owners who are willing to describe or post pictures of their installation? It would be a great help to know how best to fit it on the cockpit coaming, and the best position to use for maximum effectiveness on the tiller.

Many thanks in advance.

PS I've read all the threads here and am well aware it will fall to bits in 5 minutes, take on more water than the Titanic, etc.

Down load the User guide http://ww2.simrad-yachting.com/Root/TillerPilots/TP10-22-32_OM_EN_988-10413-003_w.pdf

It should be mounted so that when the tiller is centred the TP is horizontal, at right angles to the tiller, and at "mid stroke". The important dimension is the connecting point distance ahead of a line through the rudder mountings ... 460mm but its non critical within a few mm.

I sailed a Co 26 many years ago with a old Autohelm. IIRC it mounted on a pedestal on the aft deck and attached to the tiller pin on a bracket below the tiller.

You should be able to get a variety of mounting brackets etc including extensions for the push rod if needed. The instructions show them under "Spares and accessories".



The Co26 is so beautifully balanced that the Tiller pilot will just sit there hardly ever having to do anything !... If the power failed you'd probably sail for a couple of hours before noticing.


Protect from the rain.. A mate of mine had an early one on a Golden Hind. It was left on deck one very wet night lying on its side .... it never worked again!

 

[Jonny A]

Thanks Vic. The bit that worries me is fixing the base to the cockpit coaming, which is narrow in that area. Not sure how I'm going to get at it from underneath.

 

[Major_Clanger]

I too have a Co26 and use a Raymarine ST2000. The unit mounts just aft of the lazarette hatch with the locating socket close to the stbd backstay deck fitting. Works fine and isn't in the way at all. The only negative is I have to reach right aft to use the auto tack, but I rarely use it so it's a minor inconvenience.

As Vic says, the boats are so well balanced that they don't overwork the unit in normal use. Having said that I'd say the TP10 would be operating at its limit with a decent sea running.

 

[VicS]

Thanks Vic. The bit that worries me is fixing the base to the cockpit coming, which is narrow in that area. Not sure how I'm going to get at it from underneath.

Surely 460mm up the tiler from a line through the rudder mountings will come no where near the cockpit coming.

Measure this distance , by the way, at right angles to the sloping line through the rudder mountings.. Not along the tiller or horizontally

 

[Jonny A]

Ah! I misunderstood what that dimension is. Sounds easier now.

 

[andsarkit]

Pictures with a Navico TP300 which I think is the same physical size as the TP10.

To get the correct dimensions the support pillar is very near to the backstay and the mooring cleat. The other support in the picture is for an old Autohelm 1000 which is shorter and fits in a bit easier.
Don't forget that you still have to trim the sails for good balance because the Contessa 26 rudder is not balanced and the loads can get quite heavy with an unbalanced sail trim. The TP10 should be OK if you set the sails well with the main just starting to luff before the genoa

 

[Jonny A]

Pictures with a Navico TP300 which I think is the same physical size as the TP10.
To get the correct dimensions the support pillar is very near to the backstay and the mooring cleat. The other support in the picture is for an old Autohelm 1000 which is shorter and fits in a bit easier.
Don't forget that you still have to trim the sails for good balance because the Contessa 26 rudder is not balanced and the loads can get quite heavy with an unbalanced sail trim. The TP10 should be OK if you set the sails well with the main just starting to luff before the genoa

Thanks that's perfect, just what I was after and not at all what I had pictured in my mind, so very useful to know!

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

I would be overwhelmingly tempted to put the little brass socket into the aft end of the mooring cleat - or even remove the aft screw holding the teak into the brass leg, drill the hole larger and put the socket in there. You'd lose a few degrees of max rudder angle, but I hate adding more fittings to boats.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

The Co26 is so beautifully balanced that the Tiller pilot will just sit there hardly ever having to do anything !... If the power failed you'd probably sail for a couple of hours before noticing...

That was my thought. A bit of string across the cockpit with a turn around the tiller will hold a course pretty well for some time. If you want to sail to the wind shove a bit of shock cord in there. I can understand for motoring whilst working on the foredeck or something though.

 

[Jonny A]

Hi Grumpy, I am planning on doing some long-ish single-handed sailing and so need an autopilot as well as a piece of string.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Hi Grumpy, I am planning on doing some long-ish single-handed sailing and so need an autopilot as well as a piece of string.

That's fair enough, quite apart from the fact that it's your boat , even a Contessa 26 won't track true forever.

 

[andsarkit]

With the wind forward of the beam and a lashed tiller they will indeed track true forever. I sailed back from Portugal like this (two handed) after my autopilot packed up. The autopilot is essential if you want to use a spinnaker singlehanded as they are not stable enough downwind.