Tiller Pilots

[tgalea]

I'm looking at re-purchasing a tiller pilot for my boat which was pinched by its previous owner.

I've been looking at the Simrad Tiller Pilots TP10/20, etc.

Can anyone give me some information regarding these units ? Do they do the job well ?

My displacement is about 4.25 Tonnes. Which unit should i be looking at ?

Thanks once again

Tyrone.

 

[Paragon]

Hi Tyronne

I've just fitted a TP10 to a Hurley 22 but have yet to try it, I will be doing so in the next week or so and will report back. Displacement similiar to yours so could be interesting!

Regards

John

 

[AndyL]

Get the most powerful one there is. The drain on the battery is very small and if your boat carries weather helm arrange some bungee on the tiller to reduce the load on the tiller pilot to near neutral.

 

[RupertW]

Don't touch them with a bargepole.

If they are anything like their predecessors a couple of years ago then they'll barely last a season. I had an Autohelm on a GK24 for 4 years without a problem, then sold the boat to buy a First30E without a tillerpilot. I bought a Navico Tillerpilot (can't remember the model but it was overspec'd for the boat size) and had it fail before the end of the first season, just north of the Chanel de Four with just one other crew aboard. It was a long night and day back to Plymouth without it.

Water had got in and ruined the interior and this was replaced under guarantee. The same thing happened to the replacement unit a year later. Fitted an Autohelm and haven't had a peep of trouple in 3 years. It's just not worth paying less.

 

[tgalea]

Oh good luck!

Yes please do let me know.

Cheers

Tyrone.

 

[tgalea]

Thanks for the info.

Stupid question maybe but; Can i install an autohelm on a tiller ?

Regards

Tyrone.

 

[philip_stevens]

Yes.

The Autohelm brand is now sold under (I think) the Raymarine name. The model you would want, confirming one of the above posts, to "oversize it", is the 2000 . It will listen and talk in both NMEA and Seatalk.

I have one of the predecessors, the 2000 (not ) that only talks and listens to Seatalk, though I do have the interface to let it communicate with the GPS in NMEA. With this, the Autohelm will take route/courses from the GPS and steer to the GPS, in addition to its own internal fluxgate compass.

It has been on this boat for 6 years, and was on my previous boat for 3 years. Good enough?? Most definitely.

As a back-up, I also have one of the older 2000 models, but don't get to use it.

regards,
Philip

 

[charles_reed]

Having owned a number of tiller pilots (nearly all my sailing is single-handed) I would not touch any one of the combined control head + actuator type.

Autohelm MkII - survived 4 seasons with two rebuilds to replace PCB.
Autohelm 1000 - collapsed in the first rainstorm it came to, replaced FOC by an
Autohelm 2000 died coming out of Milford at beginning of its 2nd season, I had to hand steer all the way to Scilly.
Tillerpilot (purchased as backup), did two trips, with one rebuild in between. Found in rigor mortis after 4 seasons aboard.

That rules out all except the Autohelm 4000 - rather more expensive than the others but the only one which will survive a rainstorm.
Mine (flown to St Marys as replacement for the 2000) has completed 8 years of hard work - I have 2 actuators which need overhaul/rebuild every 3rd year.
I've only had to have work done on the control head once, new LCD and FOC software update.
I reckon that about the best of the cheapy autopilots tho' most offshore single-handers only carry them as back-ups.

The reason is very simple, no one has yet produced a genuinely waterproof membrane keypad.

In terms of a comparison, software on the Navico tends to be better than Raymarine (Autohelm) but mechanicals on Autohelm are superior.

On long trips, away from the coast I use the Navik windvane. Navigational accuracy isn't so good, but sailing, once trimmed, is spot on providing you don't start surfing and apparent wind is over 7 knots.

 

[dickh]

I have a Autohelm 4000 - came with the boat and have never had a problem with it - it is wildly overspecified for a 27' boat... My friend has a tillerpilot which had to have new innards this year but has worked well since.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[charles_reed]

You'll find the techies (who have to mend the things) as opposed to the marketeers (who have to sell the things) will always go up at least one model from that recommended for the boat size and never recommend anything but the 4000ST.
My boat is 31' and the 4000ST is the tillerpilot of choice - it is a quick, shortfin wing-keeler though and requires the faster motor in the actuator.

 

[toad]

I have a Navico TP1800 which works fine(27ft boat) untill it rains,i have made a nice little overcoat for it out of a sleeve from an old oilskin but it would be nice to have marine gear that is waterproof.

 

[LadyInBed]

Over a 17 year period I got through 2 autohelm 1000's on a 22ft motorsailer. I stripped them down every winter, checked for water, cleaned the circuit boards and put loads of silicone grease on the rubber seals.
One modification I made was to tag on wires to the control button connections and run the cable out of the bottom of the Autohelm to a DIN plug. I could then plug in a 'button box' and have remote control inside at the wheel.
To deal with weather helm, I made up a block with three socket holes in so to give an extra 3 inches of reach when the autohelm was slotted in to the hole closest/furthest from the tiller.

 

[Paragon]

Hi Tyronne

Well, after I figured out that the pilot had been set up for port side mounting and I had mounted on the starboard, I can report that it's a little bit of magic that I'm unlikely to want to do without now! The TP100 performed fine, not appearing to be working too hard and keeping an accurate course. I'm sure it will wear off, but it's quite entertaining to watch really!

'Hope this helps

Regards

John

 

[tgalea]

Hi John,

Thanks for the info. So tell me.. in your opinion its worth the 199 sterling they ask for? I'll get one for my boat if you tell me that at least it's worth it price!

Thanks once again
Tyrone.

 

[Paragon]

I think if you do a fair amount of single or short handed sailing then I think it's well worth it. It gives you a "competant" extra pair of hands to be able to keep a good lookout and adjust sails as well as navigate & make tea which all contribute to safer sailing. I also think that you are more alert as you are not having to concentrate so much on steering a course. In summary, now I've got one I'd have to say yes.

'Hope this helps

Regards

John

 

[Guest]

OK my are not TP 10 / 100 's etc. I have Navico 800 and another the 1000 .... with wandering extension lead ....

These equate closely to the two that you quote .....

I would not be without them having enjoyed 3 seasons of auto-helm !! Why two of them .... I had one already to fit to my previous boat - never did so kept it when I sold it, the next boat had one already .... As to which one is better - I cannot to be honest tell which is better as they both perform literally identically ... my boat is a heavy 25ft motorsailer. I normally use the 800, as it was the one with the boat when bought ..... only thing it doesn't like is a following sea - but who does !!

If I didn't have one - I would pay the money !..... but the silly sockets and pins that are extra are over-priced and can be made by the local metal-workshop ......

 

[Guest]

Extra reach ......

Now thats an idea !!! I have a distinct problem that some times the helm doesn't have enough travel to counter the weatherhelm ... providing an alternative pin fixing point is good idea ...., now all I have to do is construct another 'screw' fitting to take the vertical post that accepts the auto-helm pin.

 

[newboater]

I purchased a new simrad tp10 for my cruiser (which weighs 3 tons) and it performs very well for my purposes, motor sailing from guernsey to dartmouth and around the bays locally. when I purchased earlier this year the suggested max weight that a tp10 can be used on was up to a 28ft or about 3 tons so get the simrad iterature.