Wheel pilot on a Bavaria 36..... Help,!!!!!!

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rim58

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Spoke to Raymarine about a wheel pilot for my Bavaria 36, no problem they said! Didn't mention the fact that the drive motor fouls the pedestal, or that a different bracket is required as Bavaria has a pedestal!
When I phoned RM technical they just said.. Yes we know it fouls the pedestal you'll just have to cut a hole in it to make it it! Very helpful!
Has anyone fitted one? Any photos?
Any helpful suggestions welcome.
Thanks.
 
Er - yes - the motor is in the pedestal ... as it is on the 34 & 37 - I didn't fit it so can't comment on how/why/wherefore - IMHO it's not the best system - but it does work most of the time.
 
Thanks Fireball,
This is a proposed new install so wanting to know how the drive motor fits, i.e. port side/starboard side, top/bottom. photos would help me decide if its something I can tackle or do I have to bring in the "experts". thanks
 
Bav34 posted a photo of his somewhere on here - have a look through his posts ...
My set up is the same - I think it's the same base console ...
 
The pedestal is Lewmar. There is a special version of the Lewmar Mamba drive for your boat. Look in the Lewmar catalogue, I am sure is there. Pretty expensive however ...
 
Thanks to all, but too late already have the Raymarine unit!
Need help from anyone who has fitted one.
Thanks for the ideas though, but limited udget I'm afraid.
Thanks again,
 
The Raymarine wheeldrive unit is not going to be powerfull enough for the 36.

Best get shot and get a inboard....

I have a ST4000 on my 31 and its not powerfull enough.

Dont cut up your binnacle for something which you are going to be dissapointed with.
 
I fitted one to my B37. Not had a good experience with it so far - had two gearbox failures - both replaced FOC by Raymarine. On the other hand there are many charter boats in Corfu (and no doubt elsewhere in the med) with them fitted and no problems. The inboard pilots are nearly 3 times the price fitted so it is clear why the wheelpilot is attractive.

As to fitting, you need the bulkhead mounting kit which has a template for laying out the stop and the position for the motor hole. The motor will probably need to go at around the 8 o'lock position (bottom left), mainly because that is furthest away from the steering compass. However, the shielding on the motor is variable (another Raymarine QC problem!) and I have seen them fitted successfully top right. Bottom right is out of bounds because of the engine control cables. The front panels on the binnacle vary quite considerably from model to model and even year to year. Mine had supplementary instruments at an angle, so I ended up re-making the front panel incorporating a bracket for the stop. So you will have to look at your layout to see how best to fit it - there is not a lot of space between the back of the wheel and the binnacle. I transferred the template to a piece of ply centered on the wheel spindle to get the two holes in the binnacle right.

The compass is best in the clothes locker in the starboard aft cabin, low down and on the aft wall. The control box is in the aft cabin on the inboard longitudinal bulkhead for easy access of cables into the binnacle. Make sure you tighten all the wheel spokes up before you mount the wheel drive and the drive must be completely central and flat otherwise you may end up with stickiness cause by the belt binding in standby.

Hope this helps - although this might persuade you to blow the bank and get the "proper job" - I would if the boat was a long term buy and I was going to do a lot of cruising.
 
Hi, I'd really like to help but I just don't understand the problem :confused:

ALL Bavarias have a pedestal. That's what the wheel is mounted on!

Um.

All the Bavs that I have been on have had Raymarine Autopilots.

Er.

Our pedestal has probably a foot of space between the front and back so I'm sorry I just don't understand why you are having a problem fitting the motor


Can you attach a photo of the pedestal and problem part?

Here's a pic of mine.

Console-1.jpg


The drive motor is at about 8 o'clock

Ps our ST4000 is more than capable providing the sea doesn't pick up the stern quarter of the boat and try to throw it round ... but that must affect most boats.
 
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The direct-to-wheel units are an unsatisfactory answer to a wheel-steered autopilot - you'll find no dedicated single-hander with one.
Additionally the pilot is probably inadequate for the size of boat (I was advised by Autohelm Tech to ALWAYS go to the next size up to that recommended).
As already advised, a direct quadrant mounted one is far more effective.

I'd suggest starting again and leaving your pedestal strictly alone - I think you'll find Raymarine (if you go in person and talk to the service dept) sympathetic and inclined to assist with a swap.
Of couse a paradigm shift in cost, but it will work, and it won't involve surgery.
 
I guess a lot depends on your expected usage of the autopilot - I'm intending to fit a wheelpilot on our 33 footer and have been round this discussion before. The point is that I would never have expected to put the boat on autopilot in difficult weather conditions - it initially surprised me when people were criticising the Ray wheelpilots on the basis that they could not cope in heavy seas/force 6 winds and above...

My expectation is (and always was) to be able to knock on the autopilot under very mild weather conditions for five minutes while I raise the sails, or trim them, when sailing short handed. To be able to kick it in so that I can nip down below to make a cup of tea, or consult the paper chart 'cos I don't trust the plotter. To be able to switch it on so that the wife and I can have a civilised lunch sitting down in the cockpit rather than having to stand at the wheel with a sarnie. It would never have occurred to me to trust any lump of servos and electronics with my life in difficult weather conditions.

I still believe that the wheelpilot will satisfy my needs and it is a fraction of the price of the other systems. Also a lot easier to fit (in most cases, at least!)
 
Thanks Bav34 for responding and picture.
My problem was that I discussed the proposal with a RM dealer and explained what boat make, Bavaria 36, and they suggested the RM XPS-5 as the kit for the job, we further discussed fitting it and in their opinion it was straight forward and they were on the end of the phone if I needed "phone help".
Once the kit arrived and I read through the installation instructions it became clear that it fitting to a pedestal an alternative bracket is required. Dealer didn't mention this when we were discussing it initially.
When we made it to the boat it became evident that the drive motor would foul the pedestal, thats when I made a call direct to RM technical who after 20 mins of ringing tone finally answered and stated, "yes we know. you'll just have to cut a hole in the pedestal!!"
That when I started the call to help from other people who may have fitted one.
From the replies it transpires that RM actually do an additional fitting kit with a template and sealing ring for the hole in the pedestal. Would have been nice if the dealer had mentioned it or RM technical had mentioned it during my phone calls.
Thanks to all have responded, it has helped!
Will keep you informed of progress.
Thanks again.
 
Getting somewhere!

See http://www.raymarine.com/ProductDetail.aspx?SITE=1&SECTION=2&PAGE=88&PRODUCT=201

It shows a tubular pedestal with the motor on the outside. Ours simply fit inside. You may be annoyed but you really don't seem to have a big problem.

And this shows the installation of my ST4000+

http://www.raymarine.com/SubmittedFiles/Handbooks/Legacy_Handbooks/Autopilot/ST4000Wheel.pdf

All is clear now.

As far as I know, the only difference between my system and the modern one is the computer for mine is inside the head ... yours is external.

Get that hole cutter out! Not a problem :) note that you will need the pedestal bracket pin with a flat not curved end as per my pic.
 
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duncan99210 said:
Go with Twister's idea - much better to have a ram on the rudder qudrant than the wheel version.
Click to expand...

I agree. Systems that drive the quadrant directly are usually powerful enough for the job, and because the drive is direct they have less cause to "hunt". Anything that drives the wheel has to cope with the inevitable slack in the system.
 
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