Has anyone successfully installed one of these on a Beneteau First 20. If so. How was the 18" dimension from rudder pintle to pilot attachment point on tiller determined due to the two rudders and an extra pivot point between pintle and attachment point.
ST1000 Tiller Autopilot installation Beneteau First 20
- Thread starter Gerryknight99
- Start date
You have twin rudders, with a connector rod synching the two tillers.... the tiller extension connection is your "extra pivot point".. is that correct? So the 18" you're concerned about does not have to be exact. What you really need to be focused on is the amount of swing distance the pin placement will allow. You can mount the pin to a single tiller, which will turn both... or you can mount the pin to the connector.... it doesn't have to me dead center... it can be anywhere along the connector... .so long as there's enough clearance for the TP to extend and retract the distance needed to function properly. There's a good possibility the tiller mounting to one side or the other may not allow full extension and retraction, because of the TIller Pilot's case length taking up too much space. Or maybe the connection rod is too far forward... well past the recommended 18". In this case you may want to mount a second connecter at a more desirable location on the tiller.
The point is that you may have to experiment a bit... plug in your TP , use wire or tape to connect the arm to various locations., and start playing with it. The problem will soon solve it self. Don't start drilling holes till you've tested a number of locations. Take some pictures of your success and post them for the rest of us to admire. Good Luck.
The point is that you may have to experiment a bit... plug in your TP , use wire or tape to connect the arm to various locations., and start playing with it. The problem will soon solve it self. Don't start drilling holes till you've tested a number of locations. Take some pictures of your success and post them for the rest of us to admire. Good Luck.
I screen grabbed this from the online video
www.beneteau.com
Can you mount the TP on the structure that “bridges” the transom.
Nice boat - I’m thinking about one of these for my next “new to me”
Did you ever find a manual?
Sailboats First 20 - Sailing Yacht Beneteau
One heck of a number that has continuously evolved these last twenty years and more, with a touch of insolence that has kept it young. The First 20 has become more aggressive and stylish. Her look is more modern and in her class she offers the best balance between safety, performance and...
Can you mount the TP on the structure that “bridges” the transom.
Nice boat - I’m thinking about one of these for my next “new to me”
Did you ever find a manual?I don't think that will work
I will take more pics of the mechanism the next time I go to the boat and post them here. I did find the manual at a Beneteau Dealer in Seattle. I thought I had posted it here. I will try and add it to this reply
I will take more pics of the mechanism the next time I go to the boat and post them here. I did find the manual at a Beneteau Dealer in Seattle. I thought I had posted it here. I will try and add it to this reply
It is a really great sailboat. It is my second Beneteau First 20. I had a 1994 model with a wing keel. and now I have the 2013 model which is much better.
After some tech struggle
I managed to upload the manual here. Owner resources, parts, accessories, boats for sale, and more.
Owner resources, parts, accessories, boats for sale, and more.
beneteau.sailboatowners.com
Looking at the pics and manual.... it appears you could mount it on the bench and use an under the tiller bracket for the tiller's control arm.... as long as the bench backrest restriction doesn't place the TP too close to the tiller.
Other wise, you can build a mounting base so the TP clears the lip of the backrest... and place the unit at the right level to put the pin right on top of the tiller.
Other wise, you can build a mounting base so the TP clears the lip of the backrest... and place the unit at the right level to put the pin right on top of the tiller.