Tiller Pilots - What're they like to use in practice?

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All The Gear No Idea

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I'm quite interested in bidding for a tiller steered boat i've found, but have always sailed wheel steered boats.

What I like about wheel steering is the speed at which the autohelm can be engaged (a flick of a lever and touch of a button).

I find this very useful if you suddenly need to "get on" something when other crew members are "engaged" below, indisposed or whatever.

With tiller pilots I see most have an actuator assemby which mechanically attaches to the tiller on end and the other to one of the cockpit coamings (or whatever's suitable fixing point).

Do they remain attached to the tiller all the time, or is one end disconnected until you want to engage autohelm?

I have no idea!
 
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They are not attached to the tiller when you are hand steering. Hook them on, press the 'Auto' botton and hey presto. They have 1 or 10 deg buttons for port and starboard - press the 1 and 10 together and it tacks.

Wouldn't be without one (Raymarine 2000ST)
 
hello
we normally leave the tiller pilot attached at the boat end, you can then just lift the tiller end on/off swivelling it out of the way when not in use, it must be disconnected to be able to steer!
hope that helps.
 
MoodySabre said:
They are not attached to the tiller when you are hand steering. Hook them on, press the 'Auto' botton and hey presto. They have 1 or 10 deg buttons for port and starboard - press the 1 and 10 together and it tacks.

Wouldn't be without one (Raymarine 2000ST)
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Cheers for the swift reply!

So what stops the actuator swinging about, scratching stuff and generally getting in the way when disengaged?
 
All The Gear said:
So what stops the actuator swinging about, scratching stuff and generally getting in the way when disengaged?
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Mine is mounted on top of the coaming. I unhitch it from the tiller, swing it forward so that it lies along the top of the coaming.. That makes it retract fully. I then switch it off and park the end of the pushrod on a specially made rest and clip it there.
 
dratsea said:
It hooks on at both ends, disconnect at both ends at the same time.
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My TP operates from a stand-up fitting on the cockpit seat. When not in use it stays on the seat. There is only a need to disconnect both ends if there is no place to rest it - this depends on the configuration of the seat, coamings and tiller. The TP needs to be horizontal and a set distance from the end of the tiller (see handbook online). The tiller pin on to which it fixes can be either on top of the tiller or (as mine) on a bracket unde the tiller.
 
Thanks for all your replies!

I think some sort of stainless steel "parking" clip is the way i would go and then hope nobody fouls the cabling (including me).

I think I still prefer wheel autohelms, but tiller steering has it's appeal; like knowing exactly which way the rudder is pointed without having to think about it, feeling the balance of the sails better, being able to take shelter in the lee of the sprahood and better control of everything shorthanded.

I know there are pro's and con's for either means of steering.
 
I too have just bought an autohelm.

I've not yet fitted it to the boat or tried it in anger, but I have to admit to being dissapointed that there's no clutch built in, so you have to unhook it when you want to manually steer,

If I had been designing it, I would have built in a simple dog clutch that disconnected drive and allowed the pushrod to move freely in and out so it could remain atached.

I guess that would add to the cost, but I can't see it would be that difficult, or that much extra mechanics.

I suspect this one little extra bit of inconvenience might restrict how much we use it, but I won't know that until I try it for real.
 
It's really no difficulty to unhook it from the tiller. In fact, if things are really going pearshaped, it's a lot quicker to knock it off its mount than to try to find buttons! Not recommended for normal routine - if you don't put it in standby it will carry on trying to steer and get unhappy when it's "hard over" but the boat isn't responding - but if I need control RIGHT BLOODY NOW because I've just spotted a pot buoy ten feet ahead, I'll slap the pilot off the tiller and worry about it later.

Most boats don't seem to need "parking" clips, though they're easy enough to add if you do. They're more convenient if they don't require the rod to be at a particular length to fit.

Pete
 
prv said:
Most boats don't seem to need "parking" clips, though they're easy enough to add if you do. They're more convenient if they don't require the rod to be at a particular length to fit.

Pete
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Yes indeed.

Again this is just theory, since I have not tried it in anger, but you really want to disengage and "park" the autohelm at, or very close to the straight ahead position.

Also, having bought my autohelm very cheap, but with no mountings, I'm staggered at the cost of the mounting brackets.

So far I've found and bought a nice cheap second hand tiller bracket, but I still need the brass socket for the boat end. I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion I will be buying. some brass bar and making my own (handy having a lathe) I reckon I can buy the bar, make 4 brass sockets, keep one and sell the other 3 and turn a profit on that exercise.
 
prv said:
:confused:

Why? What does it matter?

Pete
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Because if the autohelm was say at full extension, then to clip it onto the tiller, you would have to push the tiller hard to port, at which time you will be steering hard to starboard. You then engage the autohelm, what course will it maintain?

It seems to me (again just theory, I haven't tried it in practice yet) it would be best if you can clip the autohelm onto the tiller while the tiller remains just about straight ahead, then turn the autohelm on.

As I say, this may be nonsense, it just seems to me thinking about it, that's how it would work. I'll know in a few weeks when we launch the boat again and try it.
 
Ah - the crucial bit you may not have realised is that you can manually drive the rod in and and out (fnarr fnarr) as required. When it's in standby mode, the buttons don't control the course but just the rod position. At least, this is the case on my AH800, but I assume others are the same as it would be bloody inconvenient if not.

Pete
 
prv said:
Ah - the crucial bit you may not have realised is that you can manually drive the rod in and and out (fnarr fnarr) as required. When it's in standby mode, the buttons don't control the course but just the rod position. At least, this is the case on my AH800, but I assume others are the same as it would be bloody inconvenient if not.

Pete
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Yes, but if it was centred before you disengage it, you wouldn't need to do that.

Mines an AH800 as well so yes I know you can manually drive it.

I'm sure the finer points of it's use will become clear once we use it on the boat.
 
They'll transform your life.

Mainly, they have the little ss pin which you glue into the tiller. You'd have to be very unlucky for that to cause any problems with the pilot off.

Then you have the socket for mounting into the coaming. This needs to be within a range from the tiller pin. At this point many yachtsmen have drawn up a massive ss bracket. When polished I'd guess that they have spent at least £100.

What you actually do is measure the shortfall and buy an extension piece for the rod. Cost pennies by comparison.

The drive is by worm screw, so a clutch is not really do-able.

Don't go hunting for a clip for the tiller end. It will be in the wrong place when you've got used to the system, and someone will step on it.

As above, put it into standby when it's as straight ahead as poss, and lift it off the tiller and let it dangle on the edge of the cockpit seat. Once you've sorted out the reason for disengaging, pull out the power plug and lift it from the coaming socket. It won't come to any significant harm on the lee floor or seat.

This method has never been a problem for me, but on thinking about it, a bit of elastic tied around the tiller and the end of the rod would leave it hanging in a handy position. Can't see why not?

And lastly, as long as you have a boat that can be trimmed nicely, tiller is always far better for feel and speed. Geared wheels let you wang in loads of speed-sapping weather helm that you don't really feel.

End of lecture.
 
"So what stops the actuator swinging about, scratching stuff and generally getting in the way when disengaged?"

Intrinsically, nothing. But I'm sure you'll think of something. Everyone else has.

"Because if the autohelm was say at full extension, then to clip it onto the tiller, you would have to push the tiller hard to port, at which time you will be steering hard to starboard. You then engage the autohelm, what course will it maintain?"

As others have suggested, you're winding yourself into a lather for no reason. The rod can be extended/retracted at the push of a button before attaching to the tiller.

Just buy the damn thing. Then post us back in six months to say it's the best thing you ever put on the boat. Honestly, unless it's a lemon, that's what you'll think.

P.S. What make/model is it? We can probably give you a link to the handbook.
 
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ProDave said:
Also, having bought my autohelm very cheap, but with no mountings, I'm staggered at the cost of the mounting brackets.

So far I've found and bought a nice cheap second hand tiller bracket, but I still need the brass socket for the boat end. I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion I will be buying. some brass bar and making my own (handy having a lathe) I reckon I can buy the bar, make 4 brass sockets, keep one and sell the other 3 and turn a profit on that exercise.
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Or make one up with plumbing bits from B&Q :)

File0173.jpg
 
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