I just bought an Oday 26 and cannot wait to get her under sail. I have a Raymarine ST1000 tiller autopilot that I'll be installing. Has anyone else out there done this with the same autopilot brand on a 26? I have a few questions.
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ST1000
I put an ST2000 (overkill but bought at discount) on a 25. Essentially the same thing. Just measure according to the manual. I had to get an offset bracket for the tiller but nothing major. Tuning it was the only learning experience. A fast response setting makes it a little twitchy and scrubs speed. Slow response and you can head up before the rudder takes effect. With a fin keel and short waterline length, the 25/26 doesn't track straight in rolling seas so the autotiller isn't useful. Really only good when things are calm. It's a step up from a tiller tamer but I wouldn't bet my safety on it. The hardest part was drilling holes in the cockpit for the pintle and power supply. At some point you have to commit to poking a hole. Just make sure you measured correctly.
I put an ST2000 (overkill but bought at discount) on a 25. Essentially the same thing. Just measure according to the manual. I had to get an offset bracket for the tiller but nothing major. Tuning it was the only learning experience. A fast response setting makes it a little twitchy and scrubs speed. Slow response and you can head up before the rudder takes effect. With a fin keel and short waterline length, the 25/26 doesn't track straight in rolling seas so the autotiller isn't useful. Really only good when things are calm. It's a step up from a tiller tamer but I wouldn't bet my safety on it. The hardest part was drilling holes in the cockpit for the pintle and power supply. At some point you have to commit to poking a hole. Just make sure you measured correctly.
O'Day ST1000
I have a ST1000 I have been trying to get installed in my 222 but just haven't come up with anyone who has done the installation yet. I think I will probably take the chance this year, but after reading this post am having second thoughts again. As Ed mentioned I am not real sure it will help me under sail but I think it would be a great help under power. I just have a problem with poking holes in a perfactly good boat.
I have a ST1000 I have been trying to get installed in my 222 but just haven't come up with anyone who has done the installation yet. I think I will probably take the chance this year, but after reading this post am having second thoughts again. As Ed mentioned I am not real sure it will help me under sail but I think it would be a great help under power. I just have a problem with poking holes in a perfactly good boat.
1976 O'Day 25
I too have an ST2000 on my O'Day 25. Installation was pretty straigtforward, but as mentioned, it needed the offset bracket.
I too have an ST2000 on my O'Day 25. Installation was pretty straigtforward, but as mentioned, it needed the offset bracket.
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