Auto pilot for tillers

Gilc

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Mar 21, 2018
2
ODay 25 Kent Island
Has anyone had any experience with Autopilots for tillers? I have an O'Day 25 on Kent Island Chesapeake Bay. I am looking at the Raymarine St1000. Plus. Love my little boat such a sweetheart sailor.
 
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
I bought a used unit on Ebay cheap. Its an old Autohelm 800 and works well. Keep your eyes open and be willing to wait. There are deals to be had.
 
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Apr 4, 2013
115
O'day 240 NY, NY (City Island)
Simrad makes a nice unit also, and some here on the list use them, but I would avoid if you need to use a pushrod extension to mount it to your boat. I purchased a TP 10, and then purchased their 150mm extension tube. Inexplicably, it would not fit--the threads did not match! Simrad could neither explain nor remedy the situation, even after sending both my unit and the extension tube to them to prove the problem was real (they didn't believe me... nor would I if I were them, without seeing it with my own eyes). And I tried more than one 150mm tube... same problem. I almost stripped the threads on my tiller trying to get those tubes to fit.

I eventually gave up on the tube and devised a way to extend the mount from the other side of the tiller. Still, amazingly bad experience with Simrad.
 

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
I'm just installing a new Raymarine st1000+ on our Mac 25 today, so can't vouch for operation, but by far the best price I found on it was here ($364.00) : https://www.ebay.com/itm/291671217649 . shipped out the same day I ordered. I've heard that the older st1000 had some issues with water penetration but supposedly the newer "+" version has taken care of that, and a couple operational quirks as well.
 
Nov 22, 2011
1,192
Ericson 26-2 San Pedro, CA
Check out the Pelagic. It makes the st2000+ look like a toy. It is a little more money but at least you won't have to keep buying new ones to replace it.
 

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
Check out the Pelagic. It makes the st2000+ look like a toy. It is a little more money but at least you won't have to keep buying new ones to replace it.
"a little more money" !!!! ahh yaaaa. $780 vs 365 ;)
 

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
I upgraded to a Simrad tp22 two years ago.... I networked it into my B&G chartplotter/mfd.... taking advantage of said mfd's built in controller.... it can use wind data from the network to steer to apparent upwind, or true downwind. It can adjust to sea state automatically... It can steer a series of waypoints, or a route, if you're motoring for example....
I ended up mounting it on a simrad cantilever bracket... even though it worked well with a pushrod extension . I decided I wanted the unit closer to the tiller than I had mounted on my previous unit.

For your purpose, if you believe you'll only use the basic features without networking, I'd go with the base model in simrad or raymarine. I've owned both.... I like the Simrad although my previous Ray still runs the drives were getting worn and I wanted the B&G compatible network features.

A tiller pilot is a fantastic addition to your sailboat... well worth the money you'll spend... here's some tips....
1) make sure you understand exactly how you're going to mount the unit before you purchase mounting hardware..... most store's won't have that stuff in stock and you'll have to order online.
2)I'm not a big fan of ordering tech stuff like this on ebay....
3)Locate the unit so you can easily disengage it from the tiller when you want to steer by hand. There is no "neutral" , even though the unit can be put in "standby" it is still affecting the tiller.
4) Be aware that for the device to perform at it's best, and to minimize power consumption, your sails should be trimmed perfectly so the boat is "balanced"
 
Nov 22, 2011
1,192
Ericson 26-2 San Pedro, CA
"a little more money" !!!! ahh yaaaa. $780 vs 365 ;)
The ST2000+ lists for $539. Defender, which has it on a sale price right now, has it for $442.79. I've never seen it for $365. I just sold my used one (still in working condition) for $300, and I think the guy I sold it to got a deal.

Anyway, after you wind up replacing it every few years, you'll more than make up for the difference. Plus, the Pelagic actually steers the boat in challenging conditions, whereas the ST2000+ typically will not.

Before switching to the Pelagic, I bought an ST2000+ from WestMarine and got the extended warranty because I knew they were junk and would likely require replacement. I was right and got a second one under the extended warranty, which I recently sold. I would have got the Pelagic from the start but I was not aware of it at the time.
 

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
The ST2000+ lists for $539. Defender, which has it on a sale price right now, has it for $442.79. I've never seen it for $365. I just sold my used one (still in working condition) for $300, and I think the guy I sold it to got a deal.
I was comparing to the St1000+, which is what I purchased.
 
Nov 22, 2011
1,192
Ericson 26-2 San Pedro, CA
I was comparing to the St1000+, which is what I purchased.
But my original comment was comparing it to the ST2000, not the ST1000. In any event, the ST1000 is even more inadequate than the ST2000.
 
May 8, 2011
189
ODay 25 Cambridge
Have a st2000 on my oday 25. Took the boat from Maryland to the Bahamas using it with no problem. Do not get the st1000. The st1000 can not sense when it has reached it's limit and will grind until you stop it. The st2000 senses it has reached the limit and stops.
 
Apr 25, 2017
195
pearson 26 holland mi
I just wanted to pipe up - i was going to order the st1000 - clearly not any more :D thanks for helping me dodge that one.
 

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
Here is a clip from a Practical Sailer review on the Raymarine:
"The Raymarine ST1000 Plus is an updated version of the Autohelm 1000. It uses a conventional leadscrew drive, simpler than the recirculating ball drives found the other more expensive tillerpilots from Raymarine and Simrad. Ball screw drives generally have proven to be faster and more efficient than screw drive types. In Practical Sailor’s previous bench test, the 1000 Plus’s no-load hardover time was 8 seconds (1 second slower than the TP10), and its hardover time at 15 pounds of load was 12.8 seconds. It drew about 2 amps when operating at a 15-pound load and .05 amps in standby mode.

The Raymarine had been Allan’s main tillerpilot for two years before the SHTP race. It never once hiccupped and was not affected by single-sideband radio (SSB) transmissions, unlike other units. (Tester’s Note: In Allan’s view, more accidental jibes on cruising boats are caused by SSB transmissions affecting the autopilot than any other reason.)

In the SHTP, Allan used the Raymarine for half the race, or 385 hours. He always used the Raymarine when the true wind was less than 12 knots, as his Sail-O-Mat windvane was not as effective at boat speeds under 4 knots. In addition, the Raymarine allowed him to retract the windvane oar and eliminate the added drag.

In the latter half of the SHTP, after two particularly severe broaches in 40-knot night-time squalls, Allan increasingly began to rely on the 1000 Plus during night-time running. It seemed to have positive control and quicker adjustment than the windvane, and his confidence in the tillerpilot increased.

Although the 1000 Plus can interface with a windvane and has an optional remote control, Allan took a simpler approach. At night, he could check his masthead windex from a custom-designed cockpit hatch. He could also reach up through the hatch and adjust the course on the Raymarine as needed. In comparison, to adjust the Sail-O-Mat windvane at night meant going to the aft end of the cockpit to reach over the transom and make the windvane adjustment. During the trip, Allan’s two 43-watt solar panels and 120-amp-hour battery bank were capable of keeping up with the boat’s electrical demands, including the tillerpilot.

On Allan’s return passage from Kauai, he used the Raymarine an additional 80 hours. Just over half of this was in light winds and motoring through the Pacific High. The other 35 hours was in Force 9 gale conditions where Wildflower was running in 15- to 25-foot breaking seas. It never faultered in the gale, despite the increased loads and a very wet environment.

Bottom line: The Raymarine ST1000 Plus proved itself in some very tough conditions, and Allan noted that it showed superior resistance to water intrusion over previous Raymarine models. His biggest complaint applies to every tillerpilot on the market: There is no lanyard to keep this unit on board."
 

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
Water intrusion can be solved using a 2 gallon ziploc bag.
I've heard conflicting reports on weather or not Raymarine solved the water penetration problem on the 1000 with the "+" upgrades. some say that was one of the main upgrades, wile others say no. regardless.......... sailers always come up with creative solutions, and this amusing one was mentioned in the Practical Sailor review:

"The pushrod, which has a 9 inch throw, isn't completely water tight at its entry into the box and it will convey water into the electronics. Some people have tried using a coating of Vaseline, but that will eventually gum up the inside. So.... what resilient, puncture resistant, water-tight covering could one use to cover a tubular object? Humm... A condom! I seal the condom at the shaft hilt with mastic tape (use unlubricated condoms so the tape will stick). Works great so far! I did have to try a few brands before I found one (Trojan) that would stretch to the 9 inch throw without showing signs of strain. (You should have seen the look on the lady pharmacist's face when I complained that: "These aren't long enough. What do you have that stretches to 9 inches?")"

.02
Russ
 
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walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
I have had the ST2000 for three years now and when it works, it works perfectly and I really enjoy having it for relaxing on long distance motoring or light wind sailing. However.. I use my boat over the winter in Arizona and for the last two years right around the Dec - Jan time frame, it becomes prone to losing lock and this is very annoying (like wanting to chuck it overboard annoying). The correlation I perceive is that mine has a temperature related problem. I would estimate I have this problem in the 50F to 60F range. Things may get worse colder than this but I dont normally use the boat when its colder than 50F. I looked in the manual for any sort of operating temperature range and could not find any spec.

Even when temps are warm, it still sometime will lose lock but its not very often. Cant be sure but I think this loss of lock tends to happen at slower speeds (like say 4 mph). There is a operating speed setting in the calibration menu that has a default setting of 8 mph. I just changed this parameter to 5 mph.. we will see what happens but its also warmer now and I usually dont have the issue when it warms up so wont know if this fixed anything. I also have not yet tried a long distance run with the new setting.
 

walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
What mine does.. I will set a course and hit the "auto" button and the boat will stay on that course for some time.

Then the boat may all of a sudden make a 15 to 30 degree angle change. Fairly soon the unit starts to output a warning beep indicating that the instrument knows that the degree heading it is following is different than the degree heading when the auto button was pushed. The instrument will continue to beep until I hit standby. It wont recover on its own or at least I have not waited long enough (because Im not heading where I want). When its cold, I might have to repeat this process fairly often.
 

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
Walt. Do you have any charging wiring, as from the motor or solar, near the AP unit or it's wiring? apparently many AP units are prone to interference from charging systems or radio equipment etc. they say the internal electronic compass in them is quite sensitive to rfi.
 
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