Any recommendations on the purchase and installation of an autopilot for a Catalina 42 MkII. I assume a Ratheon Autohelm 7000 is the most popular product. Any guess of the cost and extent of structural work required for installation?
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Scott May
Go with Robertson
As a former marine electronics installer in Ft lauderdale i can tell you to go with a robertson. I have seen way more failures in the autohelm.i aslo believe robertson's are easier to use and have more features. scott
As a former marine electronics installer in Ft lauderdale i can tell you to go with a robertson. I have seen way more failures in the autohelm.i aslo believe robertson's are easier to use and have more features. scott
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Dan Smith
Robertson
My vote is Robertson too... Autohelm is good but in a recreational class of gear Autopilot to me is critical on 500 to 1000 + mile sails.
My vote is Robertson too... Autohelm is good but in a recreational class of gear Autopilot to me is critical on 500 to 1000 + mile sails.
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Mark Johnson
Put a Autohelm 7000 on mine..
and it worked GREAT! Be sure to size the ram properly. If memory serves me correctly they had one that was good to about 20,000lbs, then another that was good for about 30,000. Go with the larger one. It is really nice to have all your electronics interfaced. I had mine for 6 years and never a days worth of trouble.
and it worked GREAT! Be sure to size the ram properly. If memory serves me correctly they had one that was good to about 20,000lbs, then another that was good for about 30,000. Go with the larger one. It is really nice to have all your electronics interfaced. I had mine for 6 years and never a days worth of trouble.
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Tony Williams
Autopilot for 42'
I had a complete set of Raytheon equipment installed on my 1999 Catalina 42' when I bought it from the dealer. (Speed, depth, wind, radar, autopilot and chartplotter.) I thought that by having all the equipment supplied by the same manufacturer would avoid any compatibility problems. So far, so good. I've never owned a boat with an autopilot before, and I don't know how I'll ever go back to owning one without. They're a fantastic investment... I decided on the ST6000 with the Type300 bigger/smarter (???) course computer because I felt that the Catalina 42's 20,500lb displacement came close to the standard autopilot's displacement limit. I ultimately plan to do a lot of downwind sailing with a Windvane, and if the windvane isn't upto the task - in light winds say - then I wanted a backup electronic autopilot that would do a good job at the helm. I understand the Type300 computer is a bit smarter at handling larger displacement boats, particularly on this difficult point of sail. The saddest thing about the Autopilot was the installation. It was installed last - about a month after all the other gear had been installed - and the guy who did the job really rushed the wiring. I've since removed and replaced it all, and at last I'm happy. The mechanical installation was very straight forward - I forget exactly which drive unit I chose, but it was an electric unit that looks like a box with a 2" dia. tube sticking out of it. Attached to the box is a pivoting face-plate that was bolted through the swimstep floor. The other end of the drive-unit attaches to an arm (bought separately from Edson) that fits to the Steering quadrant. A fluxgate compass and a rudder-position transducer also connect to the Type300 computer. While I would still highly recommend the unit, I have to confess that my drive unit stopped working a couple of weeks ago! (After about 1 year of weekend-use.) I've sent the unit to Raytheon but haven't heard anything back yet. In its defence, I have to say that I'm not sure whether the drive unit failed because of some inherent mechanical or electrical flaw, or because of the poor electrical installation performed by the dealer. In particular, the power cables from the Type300 computer to the drive unit came out of their screw connectors on the computer but remained very close to their contacts. I'm sure that the motion of the boat worked them loose over the last season. What may have happened is that the electrical connection to the drive unit became intermittent, being opened and closed by the motion of the boat, causing sparks and current surges in the drive unit motor. I don't know if my experience is typical of Autopilots in general, specific to Raytheon, or was mitigated by the poor installation. Either way, it has worked very well for a year of light use, and will be relegated to backup status in the near future. Assuming the problem isn't inherently due to Rayhteon, I'd be happy to have it as a primary unit! Tony Williams Wind River (#678)
I had a complete set of Raytheon equipment installed on my 1999 Catalina 42' when I bought it from the dealer. (Speed, depth, wind, radar, autopilot and chartplotter.) I thought that by having all the equipment supplied by the same manufacturer would avoid any compatibility problems. So far, so good. I've never owned a boat with an autopilot before, and I don't know how I'll ever go back to owning one without. They're a fantastic investment... I decided on the ST6000 with the Type300 bigger/smarter (???) course computer because I felt that the Catalina 42's 20,500lb displacement came close to the standard autopilot's displacement limit. I ultimately plan to do a lot of downwind sailing with a Windvane, and if the windvane isn't upto the task - in light winds say - then I wanted a backup electronic autopilot that would do a good job at the helm. I understand the Type300 computer is a bit smarter at handling larger displacement boats, particularly on this difficult point of sail. The saddest thing about the Autopilot was the installation. It was installed last - about a month after all the other gear had been installed - and the guy who did the job really rushed the wiring. I've since removed and replaced it all, and at last I'm happy. The mechanical installation was very straight forward - I forget exactly which drive unit I chose, but it was an electric unit that looks like a box with a 2" dia. tube sticking out of it. Attached to the box is a pivoting face-plate that was bolted through the swimstep floor. The other end of the drive-unit attaches to an arm (bought separately from Edson) that fits to the Steering quadrant. A fluxgate compass and a rudder-position transducer also connect to the Type300 computer. While I would still highly recommend the unit, I have to confess that my drive unit stopped working a couple of weeks ago! (After about 1 year of weekend-use.) I've sent the unit to Raytheon but haven't heard anything back yet. In its defence, I have to say that I'm not sure whether the drive unit failed because of some inherent mechanical or electrical flaw, or because of the poor electrical installation performed by the dealer. In particular, the power cables from the Type300 computer to the drive unit came out of their screw connectors on the computer but remained very close to their contacts. I'm sure that the motion of the boat worked them loose over the last season. What may have happened is that the electrical connection to the drive unit became intermittent, being opened and closed by the motion of the boat, causing sparks and current surges in the drive unit motor. I don't know if my experience is typical of Autopilots in general, specific to Raytheon, or was mitigated by the poor installation. Either way, it has worked very well for a year of light use, and will be relegated to backup status in the near future. Assuming the problem isn't inherently due to Rayhteon, I'd be happy to have it as a primary unit! Tony Williams Wind River (#678)
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Bob Robeson
Autopilot?
I have a C-36 and just install all new Raytheon equipment. ST 4000, wind, speed, depth. I have yet to get the autopilot working correctly. It has a lot of settings and variables, plus it can do all kinds of things. This means it is a bit complicated. I have hopes of getting it all working, but so far that is just hopes. Good luck Bob
I have a C-36 and just install all new Raytheon equipment. ST 4000, wind, speed, depth. I have yet to get the autopilot working correctly. It has a lot of settings and variables, plus it can do all kinds of things. This means it is a bit complicated. I have hopes of getting it all working, but so far that is just hopes. Good luck Bob
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