Anyone have an opinion on a tiller pilot for my Catalina 27? I’m thinking Raymarine ST2000. It’s only a little more money than the ST1000, and seems more robust. But what do I know ? That’s why I’m asking. Anyone want to share their experience? Thanks
Tiller pilot ? Raymarine
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for a boat your size, definitely go with the 2000. It is a much better design (recirculating ball type) than the 1000. I put the 2000 on m y MacGregor 25 and have been very happy with it.
Definitely the 2000 over the 1000. The 2000 is stronger and I believe faster. You might also consider the Simrad tiller pilots, many people prefer those. The Pelagic tiller pilots are supposed to be really nice, but they are significantly more expensive.
Go with the Pelagic. The Raymarine pilots are toys by comparison. Yes, the Pelagic is more money initially, but you won't have to keep replacing it when it breaks.
Yea, that's a tough one. If you're a full time cruiser, that makes sense. If you only use your tiller pilot 6 months a year and only a couple days a week, a ST2000 will last 5-10 years, by which time the choices will be vastly different or you may have sold the boat.
I had maybe 3 or 4 of these units and I never had one last anything close to 10 years, and I'm not even close to a full-time cruiser. Before the Pelagic was available and the Raymarine was the only game in town, more or less, I bought them but was also careful to get the extended warranty from West Marine. I don't usually buy extended warranties, but with the Raymarine autopilots I got my money's worth on them.
Additionally, the Raymarine simply will not steer the boat under sail in conditions where the Pelagic does a fine job. (And yes, any autopilot requires good sail trim. But the ST2000 doesn't cut it even with a properly balanced boat.)
My philosophy is to pay a bit more, cry once, and have something that will last and actually works for its intended task.
Aw man, that's rough. I guess I'm lucky, my ST2000+ is over 10 years old and still rocking. The ST2000 (not plus) before it lasted a long time too. It does get Oct to May off, is stored in a dry locker when not in use, and protected from rain when in use.
When it does die, I'll definitely consider the Pelagic.
When it does die, I'll definitely consider the Pelagic.
I have had the Simrad TP22 as a replacement for my old Autohelm 1000, which was the Raymarine's "daddy". Mine lasted 20 plus years(it came with the boat when I acquired it in '99.. it actually still works but is not set up for the Nk2 convenience everyone wants these days.. Nevertheless, when I revamped my electronics a few years back I went with the Simrad TP22. It's the middle of the three tiller pilot offerings from Navico-Simrad-B&G. it is comparable to the Ray 2000. The entry level TP12 has enough juice to steer my 27 footer, but it is not N2k compatible. And that is a priority with me. When connected to the network, the tiller pilot can be controlled by the chart plotter/multi-function display. I use the B&G Vulcan to control everything. There is a auto pilot control page in the display, it takes care of everything by integrating all the other instruments.... so it's easy to simply steer by a programed course, compass heading, true wind or apparent wind by simply clicking a button or two. Of course, as with all tiller pilots, the boat's rig needs to be balanced for efficient performance.
Well, I'm glad you had better luck with your Raymarines than I did. We do have a year-round sailing season here, though.
Thank you for all the opinions. Very helpful. Just curious? Should I post here what I actually decide to do and let you all know how it went and how it works out ?
