After realizing my wife, 6year old and 3year old weren't going to sail with me for longer than 30 minutes, I've broken down and bought a ST1000+ autopilot.
The biggest problem I have when singlehanding is getting the sails up and down and still trying to point the boat into the wind.
Now...an suggestions on installation of this? Currently my boat has no power source for the ST1000.
First of all Kevin, I want to congratulate you on buying your first autopilot. So Congrats! You won't be sorry, believe me. I found that the electric hook up is a lot more simple than the actual placement of the autopilot which involves a lot of measuring and planning. The key to where you want to install it is a matter of personal preference with some guys. I placed mine over the fuel compartment on the Starboard side merely because 1. I very seldom sit on that side when I'm steering, and 2. it's out of the way. I usually sit on the Port side, and occasionally I need to get things out of the lazarette while the boat is being steered. Mounting the pilot pedestal on the fuel cover was a plus because the fuel compartment is sealed from the rest of the cabin. So there's no leaks to worry about. The electric receptacle will want to go in a spot where nobody is going to accidentally hit it and break it off. Again,--the receptacle placement is your call too. OK, so now let's pretend that she's all hooked up and ready to go. You leave the dock and motor out with your autopilot steering the boat. Everything and everyone out on the water appears to be clear of you, so you make your way to the mast using "one hand for yourself, and one hand for the ship." You pull your sail cover off and drop it through the forward hatch. Are you heading into the wind? If not, you better set your helm and pilot, and while you're there you need to let off your Main sheet. Now you get to the mast again untie your sail jock and pull the sail up, let off your topping lift, and do up your halyard. When you make your way back to the tiller, you can take up on the Main sheet a little, take the pilot out of Automatic, and shut of the outboard and tilt it up. It's just that easy. Nobody wants to fall off their boat. I believe that if a single hander is careful, he won't even worry about falling off his boat. Always be mindful of the wind direction and the boom, particularly when sailing down wind. This is where a good Windex comes in handy. Don't be afraid to move about on your boat. I'm not going to get into some of the crazy things that I do on my boat while it's being steered by the pilot. Let's just say that your freedoms will be drastically increased to the point where you are no longer a slave to the tiller. Good Luck and have a Merry Christmas!
Joe
