ST2000+ is it up to it ?

[Badger]

I am looking at fitting a raymarine tiller pilot boat to my boat. weight 9500lbs unladen, length 30'9 feet.Mainly coastal with some offshore cruising. Is the ST2000+ up to it or do I need an St4000+. All advice welcome.

Thanks

 

[jonlaw]

imho if you fit the ST2000, it will be operating most of the time close to its limit, I would spend the extra and go for the 4000.
Raymarines internet site is great for asking questions and getting a quick reply.

 

[paulrossall]

I have a ST2000 on my Macwester 30 which I guess is of 1997 vintage. It has worked well but now has damp in it and is at Raymarine now. My boat spec says weight was 4064kg or 8960lb. displacement. Read somewhere on this site that as rule of thumb add 20% to cover bodies and kit etc. Gives 4876kg in my case. My model states 30ft or 4500kg, so I am just above the limits but autohelm did work well until it got water in it.
If you look at www.raymarine.com I think ST2000 is now speced as 5000kg. Add 20% to your weight and you are slightly over the spec. I would guess it would be OK but would ask Raymarine, they have a reputation for being helpfull. See post 28/1/02 on best place to buy by doing search under st2000. Good luck.

 

[bedouin]

According to Raymarine's own figures you are pretty well at the upper limit of the range for the ST2000+ that would probably be okay for occasional light use, but it might not be up to continuous heavy use.

The other problem with the st2000 is that the electronics are all stored in the drive unit, which is a bit exposed. There have been a number of reports of these failing due to water ingress.

I've just been through the same process, for a boat that is a little heavier than yours, and decided that the 4000 was the better choice.

 

[paulrossall]

Just been back on the Raymarine site & I was wrong. The ST2000 limit is 4500kg, not 5000kg as I mentioned in my earlier post. I would buy a ST4000 if I had your boat. The Simrad TP20 will go up to 5000kg and is advertised at £299 in PBO Jan 2003 page25 whereas the ST2000 is £379 and the ST4000 is £599 on page 28.
Wonder if the Raymarine unit is so much better than the Simrad? Does anyone have an opinion?

 

[LadyInBed]

It will depend a lot on how well balanced your helm is. If it is easy to handle in 'moderate' conditions then the 2000 may well be up to the job.
You can also mount the fittings a little further forward, which will reduce the torque required to move the tiller, but the motor will have to work for longer to correct the course.
Having said that, every recommendation I have ever heard re autohelms has been "get the most powerful one you can afford", so it's got to be the 4000, sorry!

 

[Badger]

Thanks, going for ST4000NM

nm

 

[charles_reed]

My boat is lighter, longer LWL and quicker than yours, but almost neutral on the helm except when grieviously overcanvassed.

When my ST2000 drowned during a particularly Welsh night-exit from Milford the techies in Autohelm (as it then was) insisted that the only suitable pilot for my boat was the 4000ST.

More than power, the drawback to ALL external keyboard autopilots is the keypad, which at some time will leak and cause the device to die.

I've had the 4000 ST for 11 years and except for regular overhauls of the actuators (I carry 2) and one new LCD (the old one succumbed to UV degradation) its been great - that's about 35K nautical miles in all conditions nearly all singlehanding.
In the course of 3 years I had 1 1000 and the 2000, which both died.

 

[Badger]

Thanks Charles. Just one quesion, how do you know your boat is quicker than mine, patricularly as we now know you have 135m of anchor chain and 200lbs worth of anchors on board!!!!

 

[charles_reed]

Touché

NOT "Got you you bastard".

;-)

 

[Piers]

Try calling Dave Wellcome of Raymarine. He's an autopilot development engineer who knows all the autopilots they've ever made. Good solid engineering advice from first hand knowledge. 02392 693611, extension 1614.

Piers du Pré
www.playdeau.com