Survvded the weekend
Hi, all. We are back from a long weekend with the 75% functional ST4000 remote control. 1. The wine of choice on board comes in a box, around $12 for 5 liters. 2. The scotch of choice runs $17 for 1.5 liters. Price is not so much the determinant here as the plastic bottle. Glass ones won't fit in the spirit locker. OTOH we have become so used to cheap rotten scotch the good stuff tastes funny. 3. There is a remote control on our ST4000 because the previous owner installed it (though he was unable to link the autopilot to the LORAN, one of its more valuable features). He also installed the control head way down near the cockpit sole where getting at it from behind the wheel is not always convenient. With the remote I can sit out on the foredeck, back against the mast, and steer. This can be very pleasant. 4. Three of the four buttons work. I can choose which three. At the moment, we have one degree port and one and ten dgrees starboard. I just click the port button a lot. Sometimes this is better in that you get a smoother turn with less overshoot. Worked flawlessly all weekend after I installed the new drive belt. The one functionality lost is the 100 degree turn from starboard to port when you press 1 and 10 on the same side simultaneously. But that function remains available at the control head. I just have to bend down, thus spilling my beer (no wine or scotch underway). 5. The missing piece very closely resembles a shirt stud. 6. There is just no point in going out for a sail on Long Island Sound much before 3 PM. Just no wind.
