Tiller pilot mounting - curved tiller handle

[vidapura]

Folks,

I'm looking at installing a tiller pilot on my boat.

But I've come up against a bit of a conundrum.
The install guide says the pilot needs to be 46 cm along the tiller from the tillerstock.

But I've got a curved tiller handle .. that slopes up from the ground to above sitting height.
So the only place I can put the pin in the handle to allow the pilot to be mounted horizontally across the seat ...is about 56 cm from tillerstock.

It says in the manual
"The dimensions should be adhered to as closely as possible. Some tolerance on the distance from the tillerstock is permissible, but the Tillerpilot may require a Seastate adjustment to compensate."

I'm just wondering if that extra 10cm distance is feasible.. or a stretch too far...

Thanks

 

[ghostlymoron]

The pin doesn't need to be mounted on a horizontal section or it could be mounted on a bracket. Raymarine have a selection of them. Otherwise ring Ray marine and ask their advice.

 

[pmagowan]

It is easy to make a bracket.

 

[John the kiwi]

Not wishing to insult your intelligence, but are you measuring the distance on a line perpendicular to the axis of the rudder or are you measuring actually along the tiller?
The critical measurement is perpendicular to the axis of the rudder and if the rudder stock has any rake on it then that also needs to be accounted for.
So you need to set up an extension to the rudder stock that is co axial and then measure from that at 90 degrees.
If it is still in an awkward position then making a bracket is not difficult.
I had to make a z shaped bracket to go under my tiller and i bent this up out of a piece of 25x5 stainless flat bar.
Good luck

 

[vidapura]

Hi John,
Thanks for your reply.
Yep I'm going perpendicular.. not along the curve...

This is a Centaur tiller to help explain it a bit...

http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/westerly-centaur/s9087-cockpit-aft.jpg

Tiler slopes up from the sole at the stock end until it reaches seat height.

If I was to use a bracket it'd have to go on top of the tiller I suppose.

Really I'm wondering how worried should i be about that extra 10cm.

There is a pin in place on the tiller at that point from a previous much older tiller pilot (which didn't come with the boat)

So, in the interests of avoiding more hacking of the lovely tiller, I'd nearly use that if I could at all...

Anyway, I've emailed simrad to see if they would have any advice on it.

Thanks

 

[pmagowan]

If there is already a pin then just go for it and see how it works. If it is problematic then fit a bracket. You can make one yourself with a small flat of metal (SS) which can be bent and drilled without significant effort.

 

[aquaplane]

I have a Centaur with a ST 2000+. I use the pin that was already on the tiller from the previous TP that came with the boat, obviously not working now.

I did have to make another socket in the cockpit seat as the existing one was too close and there was only about 2" travel on the piston for a turn to port.

The TP does sit on a downward slope and can catch on the seat when on full right rudder which disengages the piston from the pin on the tiller, but it's not a problem when motoring in flat calm as there is very little tiller movement.

I have screwed out the bolt in the rudder stock to adjust the height of the tiller up about 4", trying to avoid making a bracket to lift the pin, but I'm still deciding if I like the tiller at the new height for when I'm driving myself.