I'm getting ready for my sabbatical sail down to the Catalina's and beyond (maybe) and need to get an autopilot. I've been told by a number of sources to begin my search for the correct auto pilot with the manufacturer's recomendation. Can anyone give me an information source that tells us what kind of auto pilot is recommended by Hunter for a '93 30T?
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Frank Walker
Autohelm
Bert, get a Autohelm 4000 . I have one on my 88 30 and have been completely satisfied. Only maintenance is to replace the drive belt last year. I mounted the control unit on the stbd side of the cockpit just into the berth area. I also have the remote unit which ties into the seatalk bus. Makes the unit even better. The 4000 is interfaced to my GPS via NMEA 0183 input. This puts all the nav data at your fingertip either on the 4000 display or the romote. If it was any better I could not stand it.
Bert, get a Autohelm 4000 . I have one on my 88 30 and have been completely satisfied. Only maintenance is to replace the drive belt last year. I mounted the control unit on the stbd side of the cockpit just into the berth area. I also have the remote unit which ties into the seatalk bus. Makes the unit even better. The 4000 is interfaced to my GPS via NMEA 0183 input. This puts all the nav data at your fingertip either on the 4000 display or the romote. If it was any better I could not stand it.
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Bert Kinyon
Mounting the Compass
Frank, I took the plunge and ordered the ST 4000 Plus. Where did you mount your compass? I have speakers mounted in both starboard and port lockers and fear that they will affect the compass. Anyone else out there have any suggestions as to where the best location for the compass would be??
Frank, I took the plunge and ordered the ST 4000 Plus. Where did you mount your compass? I have speakers mounted in both starboard and port lockers and fear that they will affect the compass. Anyone else out there have any suggestions as to where the best location for the compass would be??
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Frank Walker
Center of Rotation
Bert, the best location is at the center of rotation of the boat and away from things that can affect the earths magnetic field. This is typically in the middle area of the boat and a couple of feet above the water line. Mine is in the cabinet behind the galley sinks. It comes with plenty of cable. When you get the instructions you will find that there is a self calibration procedure that you follow. You might try a few locations with temporary attachment(duct tape) to find one that is most satisfactory. Be sure to get a good source of power for the control unit, even small motors don't like voltage drop. I ran the drive motor wiring through the pedistal along with the control cables through the stbd locker to the control head. Good luck and if you have any questions just ask. Frank
Bert, the best location is at the center of rotation of the boat and away from things that can affect the earths magnetic field. This is typically in the middle area of the boat and a couple of feet above the water line. Mine is in the cabinet behind the galley sinks. It comes with plenty of cable. When you get the instructions you will find that there is a self calibration procedure that you follow. You might try a few locations with temporary attachment(duct tape) to find one that is most satisfactory. Be sure to get a good source of power for the control unit, even small motors don't like voltage drop. I ran the drive motor wiring through the pedistal along with the control cables through the stbd locker to the control head. Good luck and if you have any questions just ask. Frank
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Bert
Conduit
Hi Frank, Thanks for the tip! Placing the compass down in the main salon brings me back to a constant problem I've been facing.... I'm finding it very difficult to run a new conduit down to the circuit board or into the main salon. The main power conduit is packed with cables and has no more room for anything else. Do you have any suggestions on a new (water proof and tidy) way to get wiring down into the main salon?
Hi Frank, Thanks for the tip! Placing the compass down in the main salon brings me back to a constant problem I've been facing.... I'm finding it very difficult to run a new conduit down to the circuit board or into the main salon. The main power conduit is packed with cables and has no more room for anything else. Do you have any suggestions on a new (water proof and tidy) way to get wiring down into the main salon?
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Frank Walker
Never enough wiring chases
Bert, you might look at the space between the inner liner and the hull along the stbd rail. The fluxgate cable has a pretty good jacket so it can be run without being in a raceway. I think that I would try to keep as much distance as possible from the power wiring to reduce the possibility of interference. You also might look at coming along the liner in the aft berth and down behind the stove. There is a pretty good space between the liner and the hull below the galley area and it can be accessed by cutting access holes in the liner. As long as you stay away from the high stress areas of that liner I have cut several access holes in the inner liner. Frank
Bert, you might look at the space between the inner liner and the hull along the stbd rail. The fluxgate cable has a pretty good jacket so it can be run without being in a raceway. I think that I would try to keep as much distance as possible from the power wiring to reduce the possibility of interference. You also might look at coming along the liner in the aft berth and down behind the stove. There is a pretty good space between the liner and the hull below the galley area and it can be accessed by cutting access holes in the liner. As long as you stay away from the high stress areas of that liner I have cut several access holes in the inner liner. Frank
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Ron Honeycutt
Autohelm for 30T
I have a 30T 1993 with an Autohelm 4000ST which does not have any belts. It works very well for the size boat the 30 is. Newer versions offered have good interfaces with GPS, chart plotters etc. I would recommend it. Sailing alone most of the time it is indespensible for taking the sails down or just relaxing with the boat.
I have a 30T 1993 with an Autohelm 4000ST which does not have any belts. It works very well for the size boat the 30 is. Newer versions offered have good interfaces with GPS, chart plotters etc. I would recommend it. Sailing alone most of the time it is indespensible for taking the sails down or just relaxing with the boat.
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