I am considering purchasing a Autohelm 4000 for my H340. Down on Auckland's Waitemata harbour we can experience wind from nothing to 20kt+ gusts within a short period of time. I have a Leisure Furl on the main (absolute requirement for single handed sailing in such conditions) and I tend to sail with the equiv of about 1 reef as soon as the avg gets above 12 kts. My concern is that the Autohelm may not cope with the strong weather helm that can result from a sudden puff of wind with a large main full of air. Have others found the autohelm only useful in consistent or light conditions, or can I expect it to maintain reasonable control even when my sails are unbalanced for short periods of time? Thanks in advance!
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4000 is great
I've got a 4000 on my 340 and it's a great help especially with short handed sailing. I don't think you'll have too much problem as long as you keep the rig fairly well balanced, it's sounds like you reef at around 12 knots so that should be fine. You do have to keep an eye on how far over it has the wheel cranked and trim accordingly. If you're not paying attention it will crank the wheel halfway around fighting weather helm. In really gusty conditions you'd probably want to hand steer since it can only turn the wheel so fast but as long as you don't expect it to automatically cover up bad sail trim I think you'll love it!
I've got a 4000 on my 340 and it's a great help especially with short handed sailing. I don't think you'll have too much problem as long as you keep the rig fairly well balanced, it's sounds like you reef at around 12 knots so that should be fine. You do have to keep an eye on how far over it has the wheel cranked and trim accordingly. If you're not paying attention it will crank the wheel halfway around fighting weather helm. In really gusty conditions you'd probably want to hand steer since it can only turn the wheel so fast but as long as you don't expect it to automatically cover up bad sail trim I think you'll love it!
Consider Windvane?
Suposedly the Autohelm ST4000 is suitable for boats up to 16,500 lb which your boat is well within that range but the literature doesn't indicate under what conditions. Your boat is well within the suggested displacement but the sailing conditions would be an offset. What one would be looking at is the time to react and turn the wheel according to a magnetic course. As the previous post stated, if the boat is reasonably balanced the Autohelm should be able to handle a fairly good gust, at least until you can react and get a hand on the wheel. Being down below and letting the Autohelm do it's thing when a good sized gust comes along is probably not an option. As a suggestion, there is an optional Windvane package that might be useful which would steer the boat according to apparent wind vice magnetic course. If the cruising grounds are in an area where the wind angle changes or if the gusts come with different apparent wind angles, then this is an option worth considering. The unit is only about 2.5 feet (70 cm?) long, more or less, (2.5 cm) diameter tube so if you have a dodger or bimini then one would want to install it elevated off the stern rail. I've used one with good success mounted on the stern rail (not elevated) of a Hunter 35 with a dodger. The air was, I'm sure, "dirty" but it was still okay. If you eventually get an Autohelm make sure that the fluxgate compas is away from iron or magnetic items. I stored my steel outboard fuel tank near the fluxgate compass and the Autohelm had fits until I figured out what the problem was.
Suposedly the Autohelm ST4000 is suitable for boats up to 16,500 lb which your boat is well within that range but the literature doesn't indicate under what conditions. Your boat is well within the suggested displacement but the sailing conditions would be an offset. What one would be looking at is the time to react and turn the wheel according to a magnetic course. As the previous post stated, if the boat is reasonably balanced the Autohelm should be able to handle a fairly good gust, at least until you can react and get a hand on the wheel. Being down below and letting the Autohelm do it's thing when a good sized gust comes along is probably not an option. As a suggestion, there is an optional Windvane package that might be useful which would steer the boat according to apparent wind vice magnetic course. If the cruising grounds are in an area where the wind angle changes or if the gusts come with different apparent wind angles, then this is an option worth considering. The unit is only about 2.5 feet (70 cm?) long, more or less, (2.5 cm) diameter tube so if you have a dodger or bimini then one would want to install it elevated off the stern rail. I've used one with good success mounted on the stern rail (not elevated) of a Hunter 35 with a dodger. The air was, I'm sure, "dirty" but it was still okay. If you eventually get an Autohelm make sure that the fluxgate compas is away from iron or magnetic items. I stored my steel outboard fuel tank near the fluxgate compass and the Autohelm had fits until I figured out what the problem was.
Autohelm great in steady wind
I have a Hunter 34 and I find that using the Autohelm is a dream on all but really heavy days. I have crew set by the panel and suspended the autopilot when things get a little gusty till it passes. I still stay behind the wind but you can really enjoy the sun and relax without continually watching your heading. Good Luck
I have a Hunter 34 and I find that using the Autohelm is a dream on all but really heavy days. I have crew set by the panel and suspended the autopilot when things get a little gusty till it passes. I still stay behind the wind but you can really enjoy the sun and relax without continually watching your heading. Good Luck
handles gusts fine, but
Peter, experiences on my 340 suggest the 4000 will handle gusts just fine. What you need to be cautious about is running over long periods of time with too much weather helm. I shredded a belt sailing overnight in winds that justified less sail than I was using. Had I reefed the main down I could have reduced the weather helm and the autopilot would have faired much better.
Peter, experiences on my 340 suggest the 4000 will handle gusts just fine. What you need to be cautious about is running over long periods of time with too much weather helm. I shredded a belt sailing overnight in winds that justified less sail than I was using. Had I reefed the main down I could have reduced the weather helm and the autopilot would have faired much better.
Thanks for your time
Very useful responses, thanks to everybody for taking the time to answer. I feel confident enough to proceed with the purchase.
Very useful responses, thanks to everybody for taking the time to answer. I feel confident enough to proceed with the purchase.
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