I am in the process of purchasing a Hunter 40.5 with Raymarine ST60 instruments but no autopilot. Any suggestions for what type of autopilot I should install? Was the ST6000 the autopilot that was typically used with the ST60 series? Thanks!
Which autopilot to install?
- Thread starter Larry737
- Start date
I think that the ST60 systems are retired and you'll have to upgrade to the EV-100/200 systems if you want an autohelm
Thanks, Leo. I'm doing some research that indicates the same. There are some used ST6000/6001 units out there but may not be the best choice.
I was curious about upgrading from ST6000 series to a newer system. The hydraulic pump and cylinder is perfectly good. Presumably I would need a new course computer and instrument. Has anybody done any research on retrofitting?
Doug
You may want to look at the P70 system or i60 if staying with Raymarine, Garmin also has autopilots and can interface with your current system.
You may want to look at the P70 system or i60 if staying with Raymarine, Garmin also has autopilots and can interface with your current system.
You can recycle your hydraulic gear, my Robertson autopilot died and I had an Raymarine EV100 installed driving the old pump works OK, better after the latest software update.
Thanks, John. I appreciate the input. Right now the boat has no autopilot system at all. Hard to imagine someone would buy a 40 foot boat without an autopilot but this one never had one.
Money. A 40 foot boat is on the large size for a wheel pilot and below decks auto pilots are not inexpensive. And who needs an autopilot for day sailing and dock sailing?
I won't suggest a particular brand or model, but I'll strongly suggest that you NOT mix brands. Although they all say that they can work together, experience has proven otherwise. One Vendee Globe skipper quit his race when his systems stopped communicating (at a cost of what? $1 million?) The biggest issue will be that when you have a problem, (and you WILL have problems) no one will be able to fix it. The Raymarine technician will say that the problem is with the Garmin instruments; the Garmin technician will say that the problem is with the Raymarine equipment, and neither will be willing to work together to solve the problem for you. I know this from direct experience. And of course the biggest problem will happen when you are well offshore. So stick with one brand, whatever it is.
Just yesterday my autopilot quit after several years of hard use. At least I know that I can send the whole thing off to the local Raymarine dealer and it will get fixed.
Just yesterday my autopilot quit after several years of hard use. At least I know that I can send the whole thing off to the local Raymarine dealer and it will get fixed.
Yep. Understand. Of course someone buying a new 40 foot boat probably can afford the autopilot. I'm guessing it was just personal preference since, as you say, you don't need an autopilot for day sailing and dock sailing.Money. A 40 foot boat is on the large size for a wheel pilot and below decks auto pilots are not inexpensive. And who needs an autopilot for day sailing and dock sailing?
I think you're correct about that. I've run into the same thing with other product mixes. It's too easy to blame the other component manufacturer. Great advice. Thanks.
Even within brands there can be difficulty. Currently trying to integrate very functional legacy B&G Network instruments with current B&G Zeus2 MFD and radar. According to B&G this may not work so well, because the Network series uses NMEA 0183 v1.5 and the current system has only been tested with NMEA 0183 v 2.0 and later. And then the PO or his installer didn't bother to label any of the wires in the system, so I may be able to get them to play together or not.
Anyway, it is best to keep all critical pieces of technology in the family especially when mixing old and new.
I just replaced the autopilot on my 40.5 along with all the instruments. As far as the Raymarine equipment is concerned, the EV100 with the wheel drive is not rated for the displacement of the Hunter 40.5.
That then leaves you with the Raymarine EV200 and then you select your drive. You can go with a linear drive or a rotary drive. The Hunter 40.5 is built with the rotary drive mounting plate inside the binnacle already installed. It is a perfect fit. You will not have to try and figure out how and were to install a linear drive, reinforce the drive mount or any of that bother. The rotary drive is a "plug and play" at least as far as the drive is concerned. You will need to source Stainless Steel chain (I have some left from my install if you are interested) a stainless sprocket for the drive shaft of the rotary drive, and a stainless sproket for the end of the steering shaft (it stick out from the back of the wheel shaft) and is already keyed for a sprocket. The sprockets will need to match for the correct drive ratio and the they are not cheap, but when you are done you have a very reliable, quiet, heavy duty drive that won't fail on you in a blow. Just my 2 cents but I'd go with what the builder had in mind when he built the boat. If you want to send me an private message I'll be glad to give you some info and sources to check out.
That then leaves you with the Raymarine EV200 and then you select your drive. You can go with a linear drive or a rotary drive. The Hunter 40.5 is built with the rotary drive mounting plate inside the binnacle already installed. It is a perfect fit. You will not have to try and figure out how and were to install a linear drive, reinforce the drive mount or any of that bother. The rotary drive is a "plug and play" at least as far as the drive is concerned. You will need to source Stainless Steel chain (I have some left from my install if you are interested) a stainless sprocket for the drive shaft of the rotary drive, and a stainless sproket for the end of the steering shaft (it stick out from the back of the wheel shaft) and is already keyed for a sprocket. The sprockets will need to match for the correct drive ratio and the they are not cheap, but when you are done you have a very reliable, quiet, heavy duty drive that won't fail on you in a blow. Just my 2 cents but I'd go with what the builder had in mind when he built the boat. If you want to send me an private message I'll be glad to give you some info and sources to check out.
