Buy Tiller Pilot

[Alan Gomes]

The Pelagic is an outstanding unit for sure... but if you want a direct Raymarine comparo you best compare it to the EV-100. Its arguably more capable than the Pelagic, but also twice ($1500) the price.

View attachment 145024

You are right about the Pelagic being more comparable to the EV-100. But I think the comparison I made is apt as the Pelagic is closer in price to the ST2000 than it is to the EV-100, especially when you add a remote, which is dirt-cheap for the Pelagic vs. the Raymarine.

As far as the Raymarine EV-100 being "more capable," I guess that depends on what you want out of the unit. The EV-100 has some advantage if you want to network it, as the Pelagic is mostly a non-networked unit. For example, it will not steer to a waypoint, though it can be set up to take wind information. (I have never found the "steer to waypoint" function especially useful anyway.) For me, I just want it to steer the freakin' boat, even on challenging points of sail, and not break. The Pelagic does this admirably, even in conditions that give my Raymarine fits. I can't see where the EV-100 would be one bit better in that regard.

I have an ST2000+ in good working order (at the moment!), still under an extended West Marine transferrable warranty, that I need to sell off. The one I have is working as well as they work, which ain't saying much. (And yes, I've fiddled with the various adjustments.) When I bought a tiller steered boat in 2012, I bought the ST2000+ because it really was the only game in town. But knowing that they are junk, I also bought the WM extended warranty--something I typically don't do. A few years later it started making ugly noises and the motor began to struggle, so I took it back in to WM under their warranty and swapped it for the replacement ST2000 I have now and also extended the warranty on the replacement unit. But I was still not happy with the performance and decided to look into the Pelagic. The difference is night and day.

Tech support for the Pelagic is outstanding, by the way.

 

[Jackdaw]

That's right. But I think the comparison I made is apt as the Pelagic is closer in price to the ST2000 than it is to the EV-100, especially when you add a remote, which is dirt-cheap for the Pelagic vs. the Raymarine.

I Agree with all of that.

Question, do you have to remove the drive unit from the pin when in standby? I'm remember that you do not, which is more of a Ev100 feature and not a ST2000 feature.

 

[Hayden Watson]

The Pelagic is an outstanding unit for sure... but if you want a direct Raymarine comparo you best compare it to the EV-100. Its arguably more capable than the Pelagic, but also twice ($1500) the price.

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What additional capabilities does the AV-100 have?

 

[Sumner]

I used a ST2000 for over 1000 miles on the trip to the Bahamas with no problems from the unit but often began to think if I took a trip like that again I'd want a second one, especially sailing alone just in case something happened to one. If I was to take the trip again solo I think I'd look seriously at the Pelagic.

The 2000 worked all the time under sail fine except for tacking most of the time. It wouldn't put the tiller over far enough fast enough most of the time tacking and the boat would stall. I ended up pushing it into standby and lifting it off at the tiller end and hand steering during the tack. That worked on the Mac as I could put it hard over and still manage the sails at the same time. Once on the new tack I'd put it back on at the tiller end and push the resume button. It all worked fine but I was on long tacks over there.

I did have problems a couple times under power with it keeping up with the wind and waves. Quartering into heavier waves with the wind the boat would ride up a wave at times and fall off of it and the action of the boat heading in a new direction with the wind also now pushing the bow more was at times more than the 2000 could keep up with and I'd have to hand steer for a bit off an on.

The answer to the problem was ...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/outside-29.html

... to use the connector I made between the tiller and the outboard tiller. Now the outboard was also turning and helping and the 2000 handled 98% of the waves and winds. Twice I was in a wave/wind situation where I had to absolutely hand steer continuously. Both of those situations were ones I would not like to repeat if at all possible.

I did decide on the 2000 over the 1000 after reading pros and cons of one vs. the other....

https://www.google.com/search?q=st1...1.69i57j0l2.7009j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The 2000 was about $75-$90 more and I felt it was worth the added expense considering how and where I wanted to sail,

Sumner
=====================================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas

 

[Meriachee]

I don’t understand what the advantage to the EV unit is unless you’re going to network it? The real advantage to these things is the other inputs. The ap will steer to wind far, far better than most people and there are days when pushing the button and having the ap follow the route back to the mooring is pretty cool.
None of this applies to the original post though.

 

[Daveinet]

I'm on the other side of the fence from everyone here. If you can find something that works for 100 bucks, I'd say buy it. This assumes that your need is purely recreational convenience, and not required for survival. you see parts advertised on Ebay for many different older models, so there is a way to survive. I bought an Autohelm 800 on Ebay that was in unknown condition for less than 80 bucks. It turned out to be an old store demo unit that inside looked unused. First thing I did to it was pull it apart and coat everything with silicon grease. Packed the gears and lead screw as well. The unit works wonderfully. I've had it 3 years. I figure lubing it up good, it should last many, many more.

Many will argue that you get what you pay for. That may be true sometimes, but if you are a DIYer, you can find a lot of really cool stuff for pretty cheap used.

 

[Alan Gomes]

I Agree with all of that.

Question, do you have to remove the drive unit from the pin when in standby? I'm remember that you do not, which is more of a Ev100 feature and not a ST2000 feature.

The Pelagic and the ST2000 are alike in that you pull it off the pin when in standby. If the EV-100 has a clutch that would be a feature neither of those units has.

By the way: The Pelagic brain could drive a Raymarine actuator if you wanted to do that for some reason.