Tiller Pilot for '82 C30TBS

[Aaron Lasnetske]

Does anyone have any experience with the Raymarine and/or Simrad tillerpilots?I'd like to add one to my 1982 C30 Tall Rig, but don't know where to start.The Raymarine ST2000+ ($600) is recommended for a 34' boat with 10,000lbsdisplacement, but the Cat30 is 10,500! Is this too weak? Do I have to stepup to the ST4000+ ($840) with a 38' 13,000lb rating?And how do these compare to the Simrad TP20CX ($430) rated for 34' and11,000lbs (but a lower thrust rating than the RM ST2000+), or the TP30CX($540) for a 38' 14,000lb boat?I don't know how much this matters, but my boat has been re-powered with a20hp BetaMarine BD722 (Kubota D722) and at full RPMs the tiller gets prettyheavy when held over.I've searched the forum archives, and have found very little about these models, though there's lots of autohelm (now raymarine) info, but model #s don't match up and I don't know if they've been redesigned/upgraded/downgraded or what.I'd like to do this soon, while SailNet is giving away the remotecontrols...Call me confusedAaron LasnetskeS/V "Storm Runner" #2489Port Orchard, WA

 

[Mike Vaccaro]

Simrad tiller pilots

We use a Simrad TP-30 on our Catalina 25. Works great, and is definitely one of the best modifications we've made. Practical Sailor did a good review of all of the available tiller pilots and rated the TP-30 over-all best due to lowest power consumption, rate of drive (recirculating ball vs. jack-screw--the ST2000 uses a similar drive mechanism) and total throw (just a bit more that the Raymarine pilots). Size and displacement were not a consideration, since the primary concern was the ability to steer downwind reliably. One difference between manufacturers is the user interface. The Simrad units are quite simple, and there are two remote controls available. The one that Sailnet is including free is the simpler of the two, and only provides remote inputs to the pilot. The more expensive remote, allows some programming (including the heading change for auto-tack mode) as well as feed back about the current compass course being steered. Raymarine units have an LED display that provides quite a bit of feedback as well as some programming capability. Our choice was based on overall performance as well as simplicity and robustness. We also don't use a remote (forces us to visit the cockpit every once in a while!), although our pilot is tied to the GPS Chartplotter. We would definitely endorse the TP-30, although I'd have a chat with the manufacturer just to ensure it's capable of handling your boat. Simrad has two offices in the US, one in Washington and one in Florida. I believe that you can find the numbers on their website at www.simradusa.com. Realistically, it's six of one, half-dozen of the other--you'll probably receive endorsements for the Raymarine units as well.Cheers,Mike Vaccaro