Auto Pilot

[Beneteau]

Considering installing a Raymarine wheel pilot on our 1997 Beneteau 321. With a Whitlock
Wheel / pedisal.Has anyone done this install?
Any tips to make install go smoothly.some back ground info will be tieing into a new
B & G backbone system
Thank You

 

[Gunni]

Spend the money and do the below deck drive system.

 

[DougM]

Spend the money and do the below deck drive system.

+1
Its worth the expense!

 

[Beneteau 321]

Don’t think there is enough room between cockpit floor to mount hardware on rudder head

 

[Gunni]

Don’t think there is enough room between cockpit floor to mount hardware on rudder head

Sure there is. Plenty of 321 are done that way.

 

[Sailm8]

FYI I bought a complete wheel pilot from Defender. It didn't work because the software needed to be up graded. I don't know how you can check this before installation but if it doesn't work that is probably the reason.

 

[jssailem]

@Sailm8 the assumption is the software needs to be updated.

The question is how?

Answer,

1. ask a local dealer to upgrade using a Raymarine chart plotter.
2. Ask a friend who has a Raymarine Chart plotter
3. Buy a Raymarine chart plotter

 

[Sanfelice]

I sent my ev100 back to Raymarine this winter for a software upgrade since I don't have a plotter. They need the "compass", computer and control head to reprogram. Pretty quick turnaround and no charge other than my shipping cost to them. Waiting for spring to see if there is any improvement. Nor sure if it will ever be totally accurate without a rudder reference but I have no room to fit one.

 

[Sailm8]

Since mine was under warranty I sent the works to Raymarine on their dime. Fast turn around, 8 days.

 

[HMT2]

If you go forward with the Raymarine Wheel Pilot. Check out this thread for tapping the Seatalk NG into your N2K backbone.

https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/seatalk-ng-demystified.182555/

 

[DougM]

Don’t think there is enough room between cockpit floor to mount hardware on rudder head

I have a 323 which is similar to the 321. Hydraulic pump is mounted in the lazarette, Hydraulic cylinder is through-bolted to small stainless steel plates on the transom with the rod end on the steering quadrant. Rudder position sensor is mounted “upside down” because of space restriction, and the port/starboard inputs to the course computer are reversed.
The setup has worked well for the 14 years I have owned the boat. I don’t experience nearly the amount of autopilot “hunting” that I have observed on other’s boats.