What is the best Tiller Pilot?

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Windway

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I am looking at a boat, but the TP10 tiller pilot is on the blink. I have not used a Tiller Pilot before, so am unsure what model I should consider as a replacement. I think one that interfaces with the GPS would be a good idea and perhaps with a remote might also be handy. I see the Raymarine ST1000 has a GPS interface so that might be possible and Cactus have it on promotion. The boat I am considering is 8m loa, tiller steered. I would want to use the TP when under power and coupled with the wind vane steering when winds are very light. If you can recommend a model that may be suitable, I should be most grateful.
 
For an 8m boat I would be tempted to go for the ST2000 over the 1000, it has a faster hard-over time and is rated for slightly bigger boats. To some extent it depends your type of boat and how heavy on the helm it can be.

A remote is handy but not essential.

Whatever you get they don't seem to like getting wet so a cover (or even clingfilm in the rain) is a good idea.
 
I'd gathered that the ST2000 had better Meccano inside so was a bit more robust. I used one on my old folkboat type and was fine. Thought I'd outwitted the water ingress problem by duck taping up a clear plastic sleeve.
 
4000. Faster, stronger and more reliable. Forget the 'only for x size boat upwards' literature. Screen also gives loads of useful information, if you don't have something similar outside already.
 
Pye_End said:
4000. Faster, stronger and more reliable. Forget the 'only for x size boat upwards' literature. Screen also gives loads of useful information, if you don't have something similar outside already.
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Yes, I'd also suggest going up the specification ladder if you want a little more endurance. However, the fact that so many people seem to find tillerpilots fail through water ingress suggests that some form of protective cover might be a good idea. Alternatively, when you get a new one, take it to bits and re-assemble with lots of silicone sealant on the joints (yes, I know, it'll invalidate the warranty).
 
For an 8m boat, with a wind vane for use under sail, I would use a TP10 or ST1000 (I used the ST1000 for several years on my previous boat, which was 8.25m; my new boat is 10m and came with an old AH1000 which seems to cope just fine and has obviously been on the boat for years). Nowt wrong with going for something higher spec but if you always use the wind vane when under sail anyway, I wouldn't think it necessary.

Also, I personally have never seen any benefit to a GPS interface. Autopilots are for keeping your boat in a straight line for long distances, if you are having to describe a convoluted course with multiple turnpoints then you might as well hand helm anyway, IMHO.
 
Kelpie said:
Also, I personally have never seen any benefit to a GPS interface
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I rather enjoy sitting at the plotter, pointing the cursor at a spot on the chart, and telling it "go there". Especially if someone is hand steering at the time, and they don't realise that facility exists :D

But yes, fun does not equate to useful, and it's hard to see what actual tangible benefit this adds.

The ability to steer a constant angle to the wind is occasionally handy, but not really a game-changer. 98% of the usefulness of an autopilot is achieved with simple compass course-holding.

Pete
 
pvb said:
I find it very useful indeed when single-handing. The auto-tack feature is incredibly useful.
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Would it be so handy if you also had a wind vane, though?
Agree on auto-tack, very handy, but I think all tillerpilots have that, don't they?
 
Our boat is 8.99M and we have been using an st1000 for this and our previous boat.

It has only failed once to hold a course but this was downwind in a very lumpy sea when it was gusting over 40 knots.

I found out the next day that the socket that the unit is mounted to had worked loose in the fibreglass coaming!

This meant the unit was not only trying to cope with a confused sea but also with serious backlash on the push and pull!

I have since rebedded the mounting.

One tip I have had is after any degree of use the unit gets warm internally.

If you turn it off and leave it in rain or any spray any moisture could be naturally drawn into the works as it cools down despite any seals!
Imagine how you would react when a cold bucket of water or wave hits you in the face!
A sharp intake of breath is a usual reaction!

Dry it off and put it away in the warm cabin to completely dry . Worst scenario is a damp cockpit locker for storage.

The only other fault I have had is the plug and socket can corrode or the pins fail to make good electrical contact.

I have replaced the inserts in the Bulgin multi pin connectors with a much higher rated 2 pole Bulginconnector as I dont bother with the gps function.

Maybe I am old fashioned but I prefer to go the shorter route using a calculated CTS rather than follow the GPS route if significant cross tides are involved in my passage!
 
I have owned the same Tillerpilot for many years, has been totally reliable over thousands of miles. But, it is a TP30, a size bigger than the TP20 that was considered suitable for my boat. I also have a TP32 that I bought secondhand as a spare, just in case. I have used it to check it but that's all.

I have always felt that linking to GPS to take me to a waypoint is a very mobo-type activity. I almost never reach my waypoints when sailing. Even when motoring it is very easy to adjust course to hit the waypoint without requiring the gps to do it for me.
 
pvb said:
I find it very useful indeed when single-handing. The auto-tack feature is incredibly useful.
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I use auto-tack when singlehanding on Ariam with a wheel, even when I'm otherwise hand-steering, in order to work the sheets.

Kindred Spirit's tillerpilot had it, but I found I tended to just push the tiller over with my bum instead :)

Pete
 
vyv_cox said:
I have always felt that linking to GPS to take me to a waypoint is a very mobo-type activity.
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Me too. I have happily used an Autohelm 4000ST tiller pilot as a stand alone unit since 1994. Last summer it packed up (water ingress in control head, not ram) and I have now bought a Raymarine EV-100 as a replacement, still in box.
Reading the manual, it seems that the control system, much more sophisticated than on the 4000ST, will work even better if it is fed with speed data – which could be taken from from a GPS (or log of course).
So there might be a benefit of connecting, other than waypoint sailing...
 
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That Raymarine Evolution gets some great reviews. I'd go for one myself if I needed to upgrade.

I currently have an ST2000 as the main unit, it has a protective cover to keep it dry. I think that makes a hell of a difference. I don't find it a particularly good unit for course keeping despite setting it up carefully and it hates heavy rolling downwind - hunts all the time.
 
The problem I have found with my ST4000 in track mode is that unless you are exactly on track it turns towards it at quite a sharp angle rather than close it gently over a longer period of time. Also, once on the track, it steers the track and with any cross tide or leeway, drifts off and then turns back again and you end up effectively tacking up your track. However, I must admit I have not investigated trying to tune it, I find as I only generally use it under motor, heading mode is all I really need.

I would agree with the advice to get the most powerful unit you can.
 
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