Love that autopilot

[OdayDave]

I just finished a week of sailing on Lake Michigan and Green Bay with a buddy of mine (almost 200 miles of total sailing), and I got to try out my new autopilot. I've had the boat for 10 years and have used a tiller-tamer when I needed to leave the helm. It worked ok, but you had to work quickly especially given that when you walk around the deck, the weight shift causes the boat to change direction (I know, there are other solutions but I need that extra layer of fat in case I fall in the 55-60 degree waters of Lake Michigan). Anyhow, I finally broke down this year and bought the Raymarine ST1000. Joe has been singing its praises for years and like all of his recommendations, this was another great one. I don't know how I got along without it for so long. Even though there were two of us on the boat, it's still nice to be able to leave the tiller for a few minutes and have the boat continue to point exactly where you want it to go. I didn't get a chance to test it in big waves this time (2 foot motor boat wake was about the limit and it handled those fine).

Anyhow, the installation was pretty easy with the only issue being how to mount in on the coaming so that it was level when attached to the tiller. I had bought the appropriate extension but hadn't purchased the pedestal that was needed to make it level. So I built mounting device that quickly attaches to the railing at the stern. I actually borrowed the design from Chuck who sails on Lake Erie and who posted his design a few years ago. My mounting platform is just a couple of pieces of maple attached with a 1 foot piano hinge, and then a couple of u-bolts that hold it in place on the railing. It works great, and I'm now a true believer. I've bought quite a few little gadgets for the boat over the years, but outside of the CDI roller furler, this has got to be my favorite.

I've attached a couple of pictures for those who might be interested. By the way, these photos are off Peninsula Park in Door County.

Dave
O'Day 222

 

[kdnichols]

Nice mount. I bought a ST1000 back in the winter and have never installed it on my Oday 23. I don't have a rail like on the 222 to mount a "temporary" mounting system....so I've just never bothered with installing it, yet.

kevin

 

[Joe11688]

I just finished a week of sailing on Lake Michigan and Green Bay with a buddy of mine (almost 200 miles of total sailing), and I got to try out my new autopilot. I've had the boat for 10 years and have used a tiller-tamer when I needed to leave the helm. It worked ok, but you had to work quickly especially given that when you walk around the deck, the weight shift causes the boat to change direction (I know, there are other solutions but I need that extra layer of fat in case I fall in the 55-60 degree waters of Lake Michigan). Anyhow, I finally broke down this year and bought the Raymarine ST1000. Joe has been singing its praises for years and like all of his recommendations, this was another great one. I don't know how I got along without it for so long. Even though there were two of us on the boat, it's still nice to be able to leave the tiller for a few minutes and have the boat continue to point exactly where you want it to go. I didn't get a chance to test it in big waves this time (2 foot motor boat wake was about the limit and it handled those fine).

Anyhow, the installation was pretty easy with the only issue being how to mount in on the coaming so that it was level when attached to the tiller. I had bought the appropriate extension but hadn't purchased the pedestal that was needed to make it level. So I built mounting device that quickly attaches to the railing at the stern. I actually borrowed the design from Chuck who sails on Lake Erie and who posted his design a few years ago. My mounting platform is just a couple of pieces of maple attached with a 1 foot piano hinge, and then a couple of u-bolts that hold it in place on the railing. It works great, and I'm now a true believer. I've bought quite a few little gadgets for the boat over the years, but outside of the CDI roller furler, this has got to be my favorite.

I've attached a couple of pictures for those who might be interested. By the way, these photos are off Peninsula Park in Door County.

Dave
O'Day 222

Dave,
Excellent job on that! :dance: It looks like a nice piece of furniture. Chuck Rothert (Lucky Bum) would be proud if he could see that. We lost Chuck in the spring of Cancer. I didn't know if you knew that. I miss him like crazy!
On a brighter note though, you're going to use that autopilot at least 90% of the time when you go sailing and you won't want to sail without it. I've done a lot of crazy things while my autopilot was steering under sail, like climb down my swim ladder and hang off it with both hands on a hot steamy day to cool off. I curtailed that activity one day when my wife and I were sailing down along the Elizabeth Islands and Martha's Vineyard years ago and we saw a large shark basking near the surface of the water. Then, I would take a mirror and lay down in the V birth and read a book. I'd point the mirror through the open forward hatch to see if the waters were clear in front of the bow, or I'd use the head. I can remember not feeling all that great and taking a pillow and laying down on top of the cabin while the boat was sailing along under the autopilot. One day, I cooked a clam chowder completely from scratch while the boat was sailing the West Passage of Narragansett Bay from Patience Island to down to Southern tip of Prudence Island. I'd poke my head up over the companionway hatch opening, to check on boats or anything that I didn't want to run into. By the time I reached the T dock at the Southern tip of the Island, my chowder was done. My late First Mate Ziggy Pitbull and I ate like kings that day. Sometimes I take a shower on the fore deck while she's on a run under the autopilot. I haul the shower bag up on the Jib halyard and get cooled off under sail. I don't mean to corrupt your boating etiquette, but I'm sure that you get the idea and perhaps you'll come up with some ideas of your own. The only thing that I might caution you about is; these autopilots can be influenced by large masses of metal such as new construction steel bridge abutment forms. Also, a radio placed next to to the autopilot will cause it to deviate. Outside of that, they're worth their weight in gold.
Kevin,
You need to install yours. If you don't do it, it will never get done. Just decide on a place to put it, and install it.
Joe

 

[OdayDave]

Sorry to hear about Chuck

Joe -

I was saddened to learn that Chuck had passed away. He was truly a perfectionist when it came to his boat and I got a lot of great ideas from him including the idea to mount the autopilot to the side railing. I would like to have met him. Fair winds Chuck.


Dave
O'Day 222

 

[Joe11688]

Joe -

I was saddened to learn that Chuck had passed away. He was truly a perfectionist when it came to his boat and I got a lot of great ideas from him including the idea to mount the autopilot to the side railing. I would like to have met him. Fair winds Chuck.


Dave
O'Day 222

Dave,
Chuck and I go back a few years, and I too would have loved to have met him. We were always trading ideas via email. He even talked me into joining a club that he founded called "The Penn Yan Antique Boat Club" on Put In Bay, Bass Island Lake Erie, to get a 5% discount on Super Ship Bottom Ablative bottom paint which is a sponsor of the club. I told him that I know nothing about these boats and couldn't contribute much to their forum, but he said, "Just wing it, who cares?" He was a great guy with a sense of humor and a heart of gold. One of the guys on this forum Jon Fruth, got to meet Chuck and his brother Rick, on Bass Island a couple of years ago at one of their get togethers during an island celebration. Chuck and Rick grew up on Put In Bay, and Rick is an EMT on that island and still lives there in the old homestead. Jon lives in Kocomo IN. I think, and vacations on PIB every year. I have a picture of Chuck, Rick, and Jon, sitting in Jon's boat at the dock during one of the get togethers. Jon has made some amazing trips in his boat and has written a book on it. He also did a lot of mods to his boat of which I have many pics of. He is a true craftsman like Chuck was. I don't think that I'll ever forget Chuck! May he rest in peace.
Joe

 

[kepeterss]

autopilot on Oday 23

Hi Kevin,

I have an Oday 23 and it came with an autopilot installed by the previous owner. Instead of being mounted on top of the tiller, mine connects to a bracket attached under the tiller. This gets the autopilot on the same level with the top of the seat. The peg in the autopilot fits into a hole in the lid of the gas tank locker on the starboard side of the cockpit. I single hand my boat often and should use it more than I do. It's great for hoisting and lowering sails alone (I have to go forward). I tend to use it most in light air or if motoring for a long distance. It is hard on batteries. Let me know if you have questions about the installation.