ST3000 autopilot opinions?
- Thread starter Lost Parent
- Start date
Re: ST3000 autopilot
lp, we have one. The earlier one died and I bought a replacement about ten years ago. I think it should work just fine for your boat as long as you trim your sails properly. No ap likes to fight the wheel.
My next ap will be a cpt.
Single Handing 101 http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5445.0.html
Where you place the control head is very important.
lp, we have one. The earlier one died and I bought a replacement about ten years ago. I think it should work just fine for your boat as long as you trim your sails properly. No ap likes to fight the wheel.
My next ap will be a cpt.
Single Handing 101 http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5445.0.html
Where you place the control head is very important.
Re: ST3000 autopilot
Lost,
Like Stu, I have an ST3000. I installed it in 1992.
The install was a breeze, not the most quiet, but yea, if it doesn't have to fight the wheel, has been my best crewmember over the years.
I refer to him as "Otto". I had to change the clutch cam lever & some worn rollers once. My belt usually lasts 3+ years. I think the secret is not letting the belt shrink/harden from UV I believe this caused the wear. I now make sure I change it out before the shrinkage starts to wear the plastic rollers & clutch. You can tell right away when after releasing the clutch, you hear what sounds like the belt is still making slight contact as you turn the wheel.
The newer ST400 model has a readout controller showing course heading. Unlike the ST3000, the fluxgate compass is mounted inside down low somewhere. I just put one on my friend's boat. He likes it. And, it's quieter than mine.
I looked at the CPT & the reviews. This sounds good, but I didn't like the motor box for me. I thought it alittle bulky for my cockpit setup & I wonder just how waterproof(resistant) the knobs & buttons are.
So, I've had mine for 22+ years. I keep my binnacle covered & take my controller, GPS & fishfinder home with me always. Why keep them onboard & let the weather/UV constantly beat them up.
CR
Lost,
Like Stu, I have an ST3000. I installed it in 1992.
The install was a breeze, not the most quiet, but yea, if it doesn't have to fight the wheel, has been my best crewmember over the years.
I refer to him as "Otto". I had to change the clutch cam lever & some worn rollers once. My belt usually lasts 3+ years. I think the secret is not letting the belt shrink/harden from UV I believe this caused the wear. I now make sure I change it out before the shrinkage starts to wear the plastic rollers & clutch. You can tell right away when after releasing the clutch, you hear what sounds like the belt is still making slight contact as you turn the wheel.
The newer ST400 model has a readout controller showing course heading. Unlike the ST3000, the fluxgate compass is mounted inside down low somewhere. I just put one on my friend's boat. He likes it. And, it's quieter than mine.
I looked at the CPT & the reviews. This sounds good, but I didn't like the motor box for me. I thought it alittle bulky for my cockpit setup & I wonder just how waterproof(resistant) the knobs & buttons are.
So, I've had mine for 22+ years. I keep my binnacle covered & take my controller, GPS & fishfinder home with me always. Why keep them onboard & let the weather/UV constantly beat them up.
CR
Re: ST3000 autopilot
Regarding CPT pilots... I don't understand the attraction. The units are incapable of steering to apparent wind, requiring you to constantly adjust trim.
With a modern AP interfaced to your wind and speed instruments, you can trim sails and turn it on, and leave the boat drive for hours without touching anything.
Regarding CPT pilots... I don't understand the attraction. The units are incapable of steering to apparent wind, requiring you to constantly adjust trim.
With a modern AP interfaced to your wind and speed instruments, you can trim sails and turn it on, and leave the boat drive for hours without touching anything.
Re: ST3000 autopilot
Jack, I think there is a simple philosophical issue that skippers can just agree to disagree about. Many like their instruments are interfaced. Some of us don't. I've been running non-interfaced aps since 1990 (a tiller Navico on our C25 and an ST3000 on our C34) and find no need to do so. Others really like to do it.
Jack, I think there is a simple philosophical issue that skippers can just agree to disagree about. Many like their instruments are interfaced. Some of us don't. I've been running non-interfaced aps since 1990 (a tiller Navico on our C25 and an ST3000 on our C34) and find no need to do so. Others really like to do it.
I'm with Stu on this. I like to sail. Use AP when motoring. Do my own leeway and current adjustments.
Re: ST3000 autopilot
Stu,
Once again, great minds think alike. Years ago I thought about putting together instruments in a "sea-talk" type configuration.
Then, I thought about it some. OK, you're AP is on, it's dialed in with your GPS etc. Then, the wind changes, OK, it's a simple AP adjustment to correct course for the shift.
DUH!, what about the sail change needed to accommodate the wind shift & sail adjustments? Knowing this, what advantage did this have, it's still becomes a manual reset.?
That's why I never saw the improvement in doing this on my 30 footer. I can see how this is an advantage on power boats, but sail(?).......I'm just not sold on the concept unless, everything is automatic & push buttoned powered. And having all this dream-like technology, you now create possible equip. failure that permeates throughout your electronic navigational interface. I just believe one can go o'board on technology, but suffer in simplicity.
Besides, we're only flying sideways...........
CR
Stu,
Once again, great minds think alike. Years ago I thought about putting together instruments in a "sea-talk" type configuration.
Then, I thought about it some. OK, you're AP is on, it's dialed in with your GPS etc. Then, the wind changes, OK, it's a simple AP adjustment to correct course for the shift.
DUH!, what about the sail change needed to accommodate the wind shift & sail adjustments? Knowing this, what advantage did this have, it's still becomes a manual reset.?
That's why I never saw the improvement in doing this on my 30 footer. I can see how this is an advantage on power boats, but sail(?).......I'm just not sold on the concept unless, everything is automatic & push buttoned powered. And having all this dream-like technology, you now create possible equip. failure that permeates throughout your electronic navigational interface. I just believe one can go o'board on technology, but suffer in simplicity.
Besides, we're only flying sideways...........
CR
Re: ST3000 autopilot
Newer AP can sail to the app wind. I use that most of the time as "where to go" is not important to day sailing. Passage making is different.
Newer AP can sail to the app wind. I use that most of the time as "where to go" is not important to day sailing. Passage making is different.
Re: ST3000 autopilot
lp, are they still making them? I didn't think so. As Captn Ron said, they're "older technology" and had been replaced by the ST4000 wheel pilot and then even newer models.
lp, are they still making them? I didn't think so. As Captn Ron said, they're "older technology" and had been replaced by the ST4000 wheel pilot and then even newer models.
Spring for a new x5 system. No set up, always ready, works much better than the old 3000 or 4000 units. Quieter and adjustable.
Not to derail this discussion, but an I really the only person that uses their AP to sail to apparent wind??
Once we trim in and turn it on in AW mode, it can drive for hours no trimming required; upwind or downwind with a kite up. You simply cannot do this with a non-networked AP, or one networked only to gps. I cannot imaging sailing 30 miles without this, let alone 300 or 3000.
I have the ability but I don't think I've used it in 7 years. One time we were sailing along and I was leaning back on the stern rail. A crew said it must be nice to have auto pilot. I said it is nice, but it hasn't been on since we've been out all day. The sails were in fine trim and the boat was tracking perfectly. When I have crew, they usualy would rather steer than have the auto on. It's why we are out there. YB,YC. says Stu.
I have a hydraulic autopilot, networked on my boat, but I use it infrequently. When I have everything trimmed right, the boat sails itself. If I do use the autopilot it "hunts" very little if at all. I am always concerned about using up battery power anyway. Another issue is the charter boats around here that evidently believe that rules of the road don't apply to them. It gets really crazy sometimes and you have to be aware and able to make a quick course change.
I have used the apparent wind feature at times, occasionally we would get a sudden wind shift that could have potentially caused a crash jibe had we not seen it coming and put the AP on standby. Autopilots are nice to have, but their brainpower is not unlimited even with every instrument interconnected.
I have used the apparent wind feature at times, occasionally we would get a sudden wind shift that could have potentially caused a crash jibe had we not seen it coming and put the AP on standby. Autopilots are nice to have, but their brainpower is not unlimited even with every instrument interconnected.