Tiller Pilot advise...

[Pete7]

He was, but I like rambling, digressing and generally drifting about.

On an internet forum surely not, ramblings should be kept for evening in front of log fires with single malts

 

[PabloPicasso]

If you want to steer manually you just lift the pushrod off the pin on the tiller and let the tillerpilot just dangle or spin it out of the way.

Not suitable for using on a quadrant as you won't be able to steer manually without going below and lifting it off the pin.

When not in use I and I guess everyone else unrig them and put them somewhere safe. It takes moments - unscrew the plug and lift off.

They have a reputation for not being waterproof. I protect mine in a raincoat.

It sounds like you need a beefier below deck pilot system which will cost you ££££.

Have you got any pics of the pilot in its raincoat?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Have you got any pics of the pilot in its raincoat?

You'll be telling me it's pink in a moment.

 

[Tintin]

You'll be telling me it's pink in a moment.

Cling film or pallet wrap also works well.

 

[onesea]

Thanks again for advise, I know I only asked after Raymarine pleased no one came back and said you should really consider, they are so much better...

A bit of Googling it seems a Below Deck Unit would come in around £3-4k by the time you get Ram Control unit and the other bits. Plus it would be a Tripple lift job, out and rudder off... Up and rudder on and finally back into the water....

So we will be starting with the affordable option ST2000, and selling it if we decide its indispensable to fund next one...

As for rain cover, I will tell SWMBO it cannot get wet . Then if we do decide to upgrade she will let me spend lots of money on the below deck unit

 

[lustyd]

not sure if it's been mentioned but don't just budget for the unit - you almost certainly need some fittings to raise/lower/extend it too and these can be quite pricey. I suggest you download the instructions first then measure and locate a suitable position then buy everything at once. When I did mine I bought the unit then measured then had a few trips back to the chandlers

 

[snooks]

But again, not related to the weight of the boat so a bit of common sense can be applied to the purchase.

But I think you'll find the loads on bigger heavier boats greater when things start going wrong

If that wasn't the case, tillers on big boats would all be the same thickness found on ickle boats

 

[Tranona]

I feel someone needs to add that the weight or mass of your yacht is utterly irrelevant to these devices since the device doesn't steer the boat. Your tiller and rudder will continue to steer the boat and as such it is the force required to move the tiller that would change and this is not necessarily related to boat size or weight but rather the design of the system. If your boat can be steered in any weather using your little finger then you don't need anything more than the lowest model. If on the other hand you need two people pushing with all their might then none of the models will help you.

Does anyone know for a fact that the higher models are capable of more thrust? The article in the mags recently Appeared to use a 40kg scale and concluded that the thrust was 40kg so wasn't convinced of that!

Despite what you say, displacement is a good differentiator of expected loads. If it was not, why would manufacturers use it as guidance for choosing a pilot? If you can get a boat well balanced then the loads are small. It is when balance goes that you need the power - typically in gusts or with big quartering seas. Then you find out why you need to follow the recommendations.

My medium displacement 37' can be balanced nicely to sail by itself and the steering loads can be low. An old 3000 could cope with that quite well, and when motoring. However when it geets tougher it is simply not powerful enough - Raymarine recommendation was up 5000kg. The next size up SPX5 is just about OK but is still close to the limits. As already suggested there is then a big jump price wise of nearly 4 times to a below decks pilot which will handle up to 10000kg.

Note, these recommendations are only guides, but they are borne out in practice, although you will obviously get exceptions.