ST5000 Inboard Autopilot (or similar) for Tiller?

[Guest]

Has anyone have experience of fitting and/or using an inboard autopilot such as the Raymarine ST5000 sail pilot to a tiller steered boat? I am aware that the tiller will move by itself whilst in autopilot mode but it also does with a conventional ST4000 type.

 

[JeremyF]

No experience of fitting an inboard, but am in the market for an outboard wheel Raymarine. Everyone seems to sell them at the same price, except mmsdirect.co.uk, who are significantly cheaper for most Raymarine kit. Ive also used them for Volvo parts.

No connection, BTW

Jeremy Flynn

 

[LadyInBed]

I fitted one last winter (wheel steering). The drive unit was bigger than I expected and had to fit it upside down to how it is shown in the diagrams. Operationally it's been very good. I like the control over, and flexibility in the setups. Connecting GPS to it meant I could use it as a cockpit repeater. In Standby I can't feel any extra drag on the wheel but you probably will on a tiller.

 

[Guest]

Many thanks Nigel, I haven't yet completely decided whether to go for wheel or tiller steering on my new boat. I have still a little more time to think about it. I take your point about possible drag on the tiller and if that were the case it would certainly be annoying. Apart from having to fit the drive unit upside down, was the installation fairly straight forward?

 

[LadyInBed]

Yes, all pretty straightforward.
The hardest part was the triangulation for the drive unit and rudder reference unit.
It would have been glassing in the base for the drive unit due to the torque it can excerpt, but hanging it from the underside of the aft cabin berth overcame that problem.