an auto pilot is a great tool for sure. get one. leaving the family home not so much
just my $0.02
just my $0.02
AUTO PILOTS?
- Thread starter drewsyntax
- Start date
Oh my god! guys!
Love the photos!
I want to bring the baby on board and will share the pictures with my wife - baby Una Marie is our first and my WIFE is super anxious about just about everything - getting her on board will happen but prob at the slip.
My wife always likes to tan on the boat more than actually sail - so if I have the hunter setup for single handed that would make it even more likely to get some sailing in with Una as a infant then toddler.
cheers!
Love the photos!
I want to bring the baby on board and will share the pictures with my wife - baby Una Marie is our first and my WIFE is super anxious about just about everything - getting her on board will happen but prob at the slip.
My wife always likes to tan on the boat more than actually sail - so if I have the hunter setup for single handed that would make it even more likely to get some sailing in with Una as a infant then toddler.
cheers!
heads up on safety with kids boating. i read this on a safety brochure that came with my boating stickers from the state years ago. i totally agree: 99% of all kids "boating" accidents happen at the dock. the parents assume the danger is while underway hence they pay less attention while getting out of the car and carrying the gear to and from the boat which means the adults are distracted. life jackets are for boating and we forget that around the dock that life jackets are a must as well. once sailing we are focused on the kids. at the dock we tend to focus on the prep.
docks, boat ramps, marina/ramp shoreline are a must area for life jackets. i see kids without ALL the time.
life jackets go on before the kids can get out of the car is a must rule for me. i tell the kids that they can do anything they want if their life jacket is on. lean out over the dock to look at minnows, jump on and off the boat 37 times. sit on the bow pulpit, walk the edge of the pier, climb all over the rocks, bend over the dock to grab a dead carp to supprise their mother, you know, all the fun stuff
i havn't lost one yet
docks, boat ramps, marina/ramp shoreline are a must area for life jackets. i see kids without ALL the time.
life jackets go on before the kids can get out of the car is a must rule for me. i tell the kids that they can do anything they want if their life jacket is on. lean out over the dock to look at minnows, jump on and off the boat 37 times. sit on the bow pulpit, walk the edge of the pier, climb all over the rocks, bend over the dock to grab a dead carp to supprise their mother, you know, all the fun stuff
i havn't lost one yet
That is an excellent point Jon. On the boat, even kids are cautious because it could sail away. No kid wants to be left behind. At the dock, kids run and climb and play. My little brother fell off the gang plank while getting ready for a cruise to Dry Tortugas on the Old Man's fishing boat. He lost a ball over the side and laid down to reach for it. He went over and ended up screaming for help while hanging to the edge of the gangway. At sea, he would have just let the ball go and been sad. There were a lot of people carrying their bags and ice and fishing equipment and coolers, etcetera, on board and no body notices him. The Old Man hardly paused in his conversation with a guest when he bent down and dragged my brother back on board. Nothing serious, but it illustrates the point.
-Will (Dragonfly)
-Will (Dragonfly)
My daughter was sailing two weeks prior to birth for a brand new Capri 27 commissioning sail we helped our local dealer with. Then we did our first sail with our new-born was when she was two-weeks old. Sue will tell you the sail after birth was much easier than the one before. Being that the boat was brand new, the head was off limits! 
A ST2000 tiller pilot was the best money I spent on my O'day 25. While tiller tamers and tiller clutches can work, nothing like setting the TP for a course and having it keep the boat straight while you move about doing some critical work.
Lots of good advice here...Hi All!
Winter storm going in the northeast - has me dreaming about my shrink-wrapped H23 down by the river just a few minutes away
My thought is to convert her to single handed come spring.
New baby means my wife won't on the helm (nor the boat) to help when I raise/lower sails
However I plan a ton of sailing solo and with friends experienced and not.
I have 2 new (to me) winches - I am going to mount the existing max-well up onto the cabin. Also run the main and head sail lift lines back too via blocks to the cabin winch - not sure if I can raise them from there - but at least to be able to drop them on my own.
All is manual on my h23 - no roller.
I've been reading that the most important aspect is to get a Autopilot?
Any recommendations on going single handed or guidance here so I don't spend too much denaro?
Thanks!
Similar thread for your reference
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/autohelm-tillerpilot-question.193071/
Thanks all!
All this will help me to help convince my wife to come enjoy + not be scared
All this will help me to help convince my wife to come enjoy + not be scared
Best autopilot for a wheel?
My H240 had an aftermarket wheel added to it. What is the best autopilot, will it drain my battery if I have my sails well set, and how difficult will it be to install? Any suggestions on best source to buy?
My H240 had an aftermarket wheel added to it. What is the best autopilot, will it drain my battery if I have my sails well set, and how difficult will it be to install? Any suggestions on best source to buy?
I installed the Raymarine EV100 on my H25 and it works great. I have 2 batteries and it hasn’t run out of juice yet. Installation is fairly straightforward but it helps to have a friend that knows his way around wiring and of course the combined experience of this forum is always there. This link will get you to the unit I have:
http://www.raymarine.com/view/?id=6866
BTW, it’s one of my best investments on the boat.
http://www.raymarine.com/view/?id=6866
BTW, it’s one of my best investments on the boat.
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And it is one of only two options for a wheel pilot. I haven't looked into the other one but heard it mentioned on the site.
I've read complaints about the construction and durability of the EV-100 wheel drive, which is the same drive as RM used for the ST4000.
But the EV-100 is very popular. Do a search on it here on the forums, you'll find a lot of info.
PS: I'm installing one this winter.
I've read complaints about the construction and durability of the EV-100 wheel drive, which is the same drive as RM used for the ST4000.
But the EV-100 is very popular. Do a search on it here on the forums, you'll find a lot of info.
PS: I'm installing one this winter.
I should add my 1993 C30 came with the ST4000. The belt stripped this past summer but replacements are available.
The EV-100 has a newer drive wheel which I took out of the box and installed instead of replacing the belt. My point being the St4000, which was replaced by the EV-100, lasted 25 years.
The EV-100 has a newer drive wheel which I took out of the box and installed instead of replacing the belt. My point being the St4000, which was replaced by the EV-100, lasted 25 years.
I have had ST1000 on several of my boats including the present Hunter 23. I have always thought that it was one of the best purchases that I ever made. I use mainsheet steering once out of the harbor but for putting up sails and getting ship shape for open water an auto pilot is hard to beat. Once owned you will never regret the purchase. They are available on Ebay for $350-400.
