Anyone put an autopilot on an h26 or h260?

[Doug J]

As requested by rgranger before, if anyone has one mounted on an H26, pics would be very much appreciated!

My boat came with the installation already completed, mounted on the starboard side. The vertical mounting cup is made of aluminum, homemade turned on a lathe. I haven't used it yet though. It looks like there won't be much travel, but I have seen pictures of other H26s with the same installation. Hope it works good!

 

[Joe]

There are two pins.... and this is the case for all the common tiller pilots. The one at the base is a part of the unit... it is the one that connects the unit to the boat...if that's broken or missing you're screwed. There is a smaller one that fits on the tiller.. the pushrod end cap fits over this pin when you want to engage the pilot. When you hand steer the boat, you simply lift the pushrod off the tiller pin to disconnect... the tiller pilot will stay secured to the boat by the base mounted pin.

The tiller pin should be factory issue.... they are not that expensive. The mounting brackets vary depending on the boat and tiller configuration. There are explicit mounting and installation instructions in the owner's manual available by a simple google search. The brackets, pushrod extensions, and other mounting gear can get pricey.. as I said before... so be very judicious on your plan for mounting. If you mount on the port side, rather than the starboard, you must reconfigure the steering unit.

If your boat has a transom hung rudder the proper tiller pin mounting point will be considerably farther aft than a non transom hung rudder. My boat has a spade rudder and rudder post configuration.... which puts the tiller well into the cockpit.... the AP is mounted nearer the middle of the cockpit making it very easy to reach.... interference with the outboard is not an issue.

You can use pushrod extensions to put the unit just about any place, as long as it's perpendicular to the tiller and its recommended pin location. You can use a bracket on the tiller, or a riser on the bench, or a mounted flange to get the proper height.

The most important thing is you study the mounting instructions before you start buying things... then calibrate the unit correctly..... and most importantly... when sailing with the TP.... BALANCE YOUR SAILPLAN.

 

[CHSN WND]

My boat came with the installation already completed, mounted on the starboard side. The vertical mounting cup is made of aluminum, homemade turned on a lathe. I haven't used it yet though. It looks like there won't be much travel, but I have seen pictures of other H26s with the same installation. Hope it works good!

View attachment 118664

Doug,
Thanks VERY much! That pic says a lot. I was expecting to mount the flange on the bench, but it looks like it fits great on the floor. It also looks like no pushrod extension is required.

So, an aluminum flange, threaded flange plug with the center drilled to fit the mounting pin, OEM tiller pin and waterproof 2 prong socket are the ticket. I'll check out aluminum L brackets for the tiller bracket. Doesn't seem too daunting.

Thanks also to Joe for advice rendered. I think rgranger and I should have a plan!

 

[Doug J]

CHSN WND,
I'm assuming my installation works well, the PO said so, but I have concerns. It sure doesn't look like there will be much turn to port capability. The TP10 has a tack function that is real nice for single handing. It just doesn't look like the amount of travel required will be there. I have not had a chance to use it yet. Since I got my boat last year I've been working on fixing some stuff before I launch it. I have seen pictures of other H26s with installations that look like they have the same amount of travel, even when installed on the port side. It would be real nice if someone with the same type of installation could tell us if the short travel works or not. I've been thinking I may need to move the mount to the bench, but I'd hate to have to do that, leaving holes where the mount was. But I will if it doesn't work to my satisfaction.

I had a TP10 on my Macgregor 26S. It had a lot of travel. I even had to add an extension - worked great.

Here's what it looked like. Tiller Pilots are real nice to have!

Notice that the mount on the MAC is flush with the top of the coaming, so if that type of mount is used on the bench it will not stick up when not in use, it could be sat on. WM has all the parts you need, Tiller Push Rod Extension, Tiller Pins, Tiller Pilot Pin Socket, etc. The Raymarine mounting parts should work.

 

[CHSN WND]

CHSN WND,
I'm assuming my installation works well, the PO said so, but I have concerns. It sure doesn't look like there will be much turn to port capability. The TP10 has a tack function that is real nice for single handing. It just doesn't look like the amount of travel required will be there. I have not had a chance to use it yet. Since I got my boat last year I've been working on fixing some stuff before I launch it. I have seen pictures of other H26s with installations that look like they have the same amount of travel, even when installed on the port side. It would be real nice if someone with the same type of installation could tell us if the short travel works or not. I've been thinking I may need to move the mount to the bench, but I'd hate to have to do that, leaving holes where the mount was. But I will if it doesn't work to my satisfaction.

I had a TP10 on my Macgregor 26S. It had a lot of travel. I even had to add an extension - worked great.

Here's what it looked like. Tiller Pilots are real nice to have!

View attachment 118673

Notice that the mount on the MAC is flush with the top of the coaming, so if that type of mount is used on the bench it will not stick up when not in use, it could be sat on. WM has all the parts you need, Tiller Push Rod Extension, Tiller Pins, Tiller Pilot Pin Socket, etc. The Raymarine mounting parts should work.

Thanks again, Doug. I also wondered if there was enough travel to starboard but figured if it worked for you it should work for me. I guess that's yet to be determined. I'd be super happy if I could mount mine in a similar fashion to your old MAC 26. That looks ideal from a function, safety and convenience standpoint.
I'll have to look over my cockpit to see where it makes the most sense to mount. I'll also keep searching (and begging!) for other pics of TP's mounted on the H26 so we have more ideas to work with.

 

[rgranger]

This has become a very informative thread..... thanks everyone.

r

 

[Doug J]

Of course I will give mine a try before changing anything, but I have a feeling I will be moving the mount to the seat. There has been mention of the TP10 only being good to hold a heading, since it doesn't have the capability to interface with a GPS. But for me the tacking function is just as important. I can easily live without the GPS interface. Maybe the way mine is installed now would only be good to hold a heading but not tack.

 

[twodzusfittings]

You can still jibe and tack, however its best to release the tiller pin to make a nice smooth turn, reset your pin and your course on the AP. I try often to press the 10 degree button multiple times, but find myself coming up short in the turn. My preference is, its better to turn manually.

 

[Doug J]

You can still jibe and tack, however its best to release the tiller pin to make a nice smooth turn, reset your pin and your course on the AP. I try often to press the 10 degree button multiple times, but find myself coming up short in the turn. My preference is, its better to turn manually.

The tack function seemed to work well on my MAC. When single handing it's nice to have. If I have to release the tiller pin for me it would defeat one of the main purposes of having the TP.

 

[CHSN WND]

The tack function seemed to work well on my MAC. When single handing it's nice to have. If I have to release the tiller pin for me it would defeat one of the main purposes of having the TP.

Pretty sure that when people say "all a TP10 can do is maintain a heading" they're referring to the inability to connect to NMEA instruments. The device has a "tack" button; my expectation certainly was that by pressing that button, the boat will auto-steer into a tack. If not, a $30 tiller tamer would have been a much smarter investment.

 

[Doug J]

Pretty sure that when people say "all a TP10 can do is maintain a heading" they're referring to the inability to connect to NMEA instruments. The device has a "tack" button; my expectation certainly was that by pressing that button, the boat will auto-steer into a tack. If not, a $30 tiller tamer would have been a much smarter investment.

Agreed!

 

[Daveinet]

Assuming it works like my AH800, you hit the tack button (+1&+10) and the boat will change heading by 100 degrees. The tack feature allows you to break free from the helm and take care of the jib during the tack. Once you sit back down, you bump the degree buttons to finalize your heading.
Regardless of using the tack feature or not, A good autopilot can steer much straighter than I ever could, especially sailing on a broad reach, I found the autopilot to settle into the rolling rhythm of the waves. It was starting its correction before the boat ever turned off heading. First time I ever used it, I was quite elated as to how it performed. The second advantage that I have found is that previously, I used to clamp down my tiller. As soon I would head to the front of the boat, the boat would change heading slightly, due to my weight position change. That or as I was raising the sails, the wind would change, catch the sail a small amount, and turn the boat off course. Autopilot corrects all that. I sail in close quarters sometimes, so I could not sail single handed without it.

 

[twodzusfittings]

Geez, I guess one day I will sit down and actually read all the instructions and more than likely will be very surprised at what it can actually do!

 

[Fred]

My tiller pilot (Simrad TP20) is installed on the floor like Doug's however on the port side. I suspect that location was selected because of the concerns about the stroke to starboard as mentioned above. I can say with plenty of experience that my installation works perfectly for both maintaining the heading and tacking. The two electrical connectors (power & wired remote control) are mounted on the vertical surface of the port side bench. A downside to the port location is that the fixed attachment point is in the walkway to the boarding ladder however that has not proven to be a problem. I haven't found a good picture yet showing my installation. Another point: you must allow sufficient clearance for the unit to go to full stroke because these units are very strong and can cause damage if they are blocked. I also know this from experience

 

[Doug J]

My tiller pilot (Simrad TP20) is installed on the floor like Doug's however on the port side. I suspect that location was selected because of the concerns about the stroke to starboard as mentioned above. I can say with plenty of experience that my installation works perfectly for both maintaining the heading and tacking. The two electrical connectors (power & wired remote control) are mounted on the vertical surface of the port side bench. A downside to the port location is that the fixed attachment point is in the walkway to the boarding ladder however that has not proven to be a problem. I haven't found a good picture yet showing my installation. Another point: you must allow sufficient clearance for the unit to go to full stroke because these units are very strong and can cause damage if they are blocked. I also know this from experience

That's encouraging Fred. It looks like the contours of the seat and floor are the same port and starboard. So hopefully yours is oriented similarly on the port side. A picture would sure be nice. Maybe you could provide measurements.

 

[Fred]

 

[Fred]

Doug... it is incredibly hard to find good pictures in my albums so the various snips above is the best that I can do for now. The manual recommends that the unit should be at half stroke when the rudder is centered. Looking at your picture I don`t think that you meet that requirement. Although the floor plan is symmetric you cannot mount the pedestal as far aft on the starboard side as on the port side because of the motor well. When I get to my boat next (to check the snow load on the tarp .... sigh) I`ll try to take some better pictures and measurements.

 

[Doug J]

That looks very similar if not the same relationship as on the starboard side, with regard to reach. Like I said before, I'll certainly try it before I change anything. The only thing I'm wondering at this point is how many inches of the shaft is exposed when the tiller is at center position.
Thanks for the pictures Fred, very helpful!

 

[Fred]

The manual for TP20/30 indicates the pin-pin distance at mid-stroke is 23.5 inches and the total stroke is 10 inches. In the picture below, I am not certain that the unit is fully retracted but it appears that the push rod is protruding 1 inch from the body so at mid-stroke it would be about 6 inches.

 

[Fred]

Here are some more pics of my AP installation