auto pilot for hunter legend 37.5 1990

[ben solomon]

Has anyone installed an autopilot on their legend? I am concerned the spx5 isn't strong enough, but there doesn't seem to be any room to install an autopilot directly on the steering quadrant because of the location of the quadrant on my boat. Any suggestions are appreciated. My main cruising area is the Chesapeake bay with an occasional trip to Block Island.

Thanks,
Ben

 

[neilmcc]

we have a SPX5 on our 336 but I think it may be a bit light for a 37 footer.
The specifications for the SPX5 give a recommended size range for use but I can't remember the numbers.

 

[ben solomon]

That is my concern about the xp5. I think it is too light for my boat. The trouble is that the steering quadrant on my boat is partially exposed to the outside and none of the autohelm "steering arms" are water resistant. So......i think i am stuck with the spx5, and I will just have to realize its limitations. There is the CPT wheel pilot, but it is simply a dialed in course heading. It does not accept NMEA data, and it looks ugly, too.

Ben

 

[quadrille38]

We have a 2008 38 footer so boat is somewhat similar in size. It came with the X10 linear drive from Raymarine. It's what Hunter puts in their options package. I think the X5 is way too light and will not handle the boat. In any sort of sea I think the boat is going to wander and could even lead to burning out the drive motor because it is going to fight so hard to keep boat on course. Ours is mounted under a section of removable cockpit floor and does have a boot that seals where it exits. Even though it's under this floor section it is not sealed from rain or cockpit washing and it does just fine. IMHO I think I'd worry less about the exposure and make sure I had the unit sized to handle the boat.


I just did some additional checking, not quite sure what to make of these stats but the Raymarine specifications for an X5 say for use up to 4400 pounds displacement on mechanically steered boat and 7500 pounds on a power steered boat.

Also the displacement of your 37.5 is just under 2000 pounds less than our 38.

 

[ben solomon]

Thank you so much! That's the information i was looking for. The think about my boat is that i will most likely have to adapt a lazerette to hold the linear drive arm. There almost is no place to house the drive arm. The boat has as much livable space as they could squeeze in at the expense of storage.

My boat is a 1990. It sounds like your steering quadrant is located in a similar spot as mine: underneath the floor board in the cockpit. It is covered with the exception of a 12" opening at the stern.

I appreciate your feedback.

Thanks,
Ben

 

[quadrille38]

Yes very similar set up under the floor with gap at stern. Its large enough I even had a bird take up residence one spring. How they squeezed through that small opening I will never know. Had to pull the floor out to clean it out if you haven't done that yet, the screws come out and the floor slides out the stern.
When putting it back make sure you use silicone on the screws. If you don't it will provide a pathway for water to seep down the threads in to the boat.

 

[ben solomon]

Where is the linear drive unit on your boat? Is it in a lazerette? Thanks for the tip about the silicone. Seems I have developed a new hobby, in general.......finding the leak.

 

[quadrille38]

Leak finding and prevention can be a full time activity . We've been fortunate as we bought out 38 new and have so far not been plagued with leaks. Although I do try to stay on top of making sure bedding is sound so that I can prevent problems.
Once heard it said that boats are basically controlled leakage.


The 38 has the swim platform with two locker hatches on either side of the stern. These open into an area where the rudder post is, the holding tank on the port side and the isolation transformers on the starboard side. This area is also accessible from the aft cabin through a removable panel in the aft bulkhead. The drive unit is also in this space on the port side. This allows it to be connected to the quadrant which is under the removable panel in the cockpit.

 

[ben solomon]

Thank you. I have a similar compartment aft, but the quadrant is above the aft compartment, not within it. I am going to have to use the lazerette to house the linear drive.

Ben

 

[quadrille38]

Wish I could get to the boat to send you pictures as my linear drive attaches to the ruder above the locker as well. But she's tucked away for the winter.
It's between the cockpit panel and the top of the locker space.
Although I did find a photo of the space another contributor on here has posted. Its showing where he put the discharge for a high water bilge pump (something I am going to do). The linear drive goes through the side wall right in front of where he had labeled hand pump discharge.

 

[ben solomon]

Thank you! I, too, need to put a manual bilge pump in. I have been looking for a space to do that, too. Maybe install both at once and have only one clean up.

 

[ben solomon]

So......the linear drive arm has enough vertical clearance between the cockpit floor and the steering quadrant, obviously. I didn't think it would fit.

Ben

 

[quadrille38]

It does on mine. Plenty of room. The drive arm mechanism is at most a couple of inches diameter.
It attaches to the quadrant with a nut and bolt.

 

[ben solomon]

That is great to hear. I will look at the raymarine linear drive unit. I have a Garmin492 that uses the old nmea 0813 standard. Hopefully I can get the autohelm to talk to the gps.

 

[quadrille38]

The Raymarine autopilot has a 0183 capability.
I've not linked navigation device to drive autopilot but I do have GPS antenna + AIS antenna + the NMEA feed from the Raymarine Seatalk network linked to a Digital Yachts IAIS box that wirelessly communicates to inavx navigation software on my ipad.

Works great.

 

[ben solomon]

I just think it will be easier to interface all nmea 2000 devices. My garmin 492 is inside the companionway. I am going to place a new gps at the helm, and this way i will have two. I like the garmin gps products. What chartplotter do you have? When i was a kid, it was all about course heading, adjusting for the leeward movement and current. Now.....push button. Although I consider myself a purist, the gadgets make it easier, especially when the family is not aboard.

I looked at the raymarine linear drive for the 22,000 pound displacement boats. I think that is the one I will go for. Is yours noisy during operation? We sailors want everything, don't we?

 

[quadrille38]

It's very quiet. Makes almost no sound at all.

 

[quadrille38]

Ben.

There is another thread on here that started November 26th by windwagon.

It starts with a question on autopilot for a 35 but then a responder talks about installation on 37.5.
Thought you'd want to see it since they address your situation specifically. Even your question about the linear drive and the lazarette

 

[seadaddler]

Auto

I am pretty sure the H-38 is like my H-36 aand maybe this info I got from Hunter factory and some other info.
Nick

 

[seadaddler]

info

Factory info