Tiller Pilot

justsomeguy · Oct 17, 2012

Yes. IMO, go big and go new.

soldier1964 · Oct 17, 2012

I havent used one but if I did, I'd go for the bigger of the two and also new.

Wanderer138 · Oct 17, 2012

Squidd said:
Also, I'd like to mount it rearward, toward the transom, so won't have as much "leverage" as it would out near the handhold...

Will that make a difference powerwise or sensitivity wise..?

Mounting the tillerpilot closer to the rudder axis means the jack has to exert more force to produce the required course correction. That means higher current draw (more load and friction on the jack and its bearings) more power lost as heat in the tillerpilot and the wiring leading to it and higher risk of blowing the fuse at the least convenient time. Current draw changes constantly in response to demand on the tillerpilot and it can rise suddenly to very high levels, e.g., as it tries to keep the boat from heading up in response to a strong gust. There is also a chance that the tillerpilot's internal compass can overcorrect and cause it to "hunt" around more before settling down.

My suggestion would be to follow the manufacturer's mounting guidelines as closely as you can. If necessary, buy jack extensions or make a secure mounting bracket for the cockpit. It can be as simple as a wooden bridge spanning between the seats.

One more thought. A tillerpilot works best when the sails are trimmed (reefed if necessary) to balance the boat for the prevailing wind and sea conditions. It should not be engaged until the boat can be steered manually with a thumb and two fingers on the tiller. Otherwise the tillerpilot will either run the batteries down or burn itself up trying to deal simultaneously with poor sail trim and maintaining course.

Erieau · Oct 17, 2012

My 1000 works like a screw-jack. Very simple mechanism. I had a chance to analyze its workings while trying to figure out what the :cussing: was wrong with it.
Even on my little 3500# O'25, it struggled in swell, and complained as it reached the extremes of throw.
It's a goner now (the buttons quit, um, buttoning ?) and I'll be buying me a 2000. I haven't seen any used either.

Chris Patterson · Oct 17, 2012

BY ALL MEANS, go with the 2000! I contemplated the same decision, and thought, "Am I going to be disapointed later, and wish I had sprung the other hundred bucks"? I have never once in my life owned a piece of machinery, and thought, "Wow, you know, I wish I had a little less horsepower". Never. The 2000 is worth its weight in gold, and saved my marriage. Now, while one out of two of those things are a good thing, I can not say enough good about it. I commonly sail this C22 in some extreme conditions, and for the exception of one time, it works flawlessly. The one time that it didn't, hell, I could not steer the boat.

The 1000 has a screw/rod, the 2000 has the recirculating ball.

And the steer point should be 18" from the center of gudgeon pin.

CaptDon01 · Oct 17, 2012

I had the Raymarine ST1000 on our Capri-18. Sure made long distances a lot more fun. But, it wouldn't keep up in a following sea condition. When we bought our C-22 MK-II version, I spent the extra bucks for the ST2000 model. It's an over kill for my boat, but, the ST2000 uses a recirculating ball drive, which uses less power, and is almost twice as fast. I normally leave it in the close-course mode, especially when on a run, or the waves are coming from the rear corners. The unit senses the boat changing direction, and is able to respond quickly, so I hardly ever have to take the helm. I really like standing in the compainionway looking forward and watching the world go by. We'll sail with the autopilot for hours and hours on end, and it sure makes the passage alot more enjoyable! Spend the extra bucks, you'll be disapointed if you don't.

Don

MrBill_FLL · Oct 18, 2012

fwiw, I have a TP10 (simrad) and have a light tiller (balanced rudder).

I mounted my TP much closer than the mfg recommended and have no problems. its plenty strong for my little boat.

that said, I'd get the larger, and get new, then mount where you wanted it. (closer than recommended). assuming that is the best place for it. (that's the only reason I mounted it closer to pindle. its was the logical place it fit)

and fwiw, I have it connected to #14 wire, but with a cigarette plug, that had like #24 wire (very very thin).

the only problem the TP10 had is when the batteries are too low.

-YMMV

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h169/ftldiver2/MACGREGOR/PC160017.jpg

py26129 · Oct 18, 2012

FWIW I had an ST1000+ for 10 years on my PY26 and it did fine. We would use it for days at a time on our annual vacations as well as day sailing around the lake. It did have trouble keeping up with the boat in following seas but did fine in all other conditions. It's still doing its job with the current owners of the boat.

I mounted it as per the instructions which secified the distance from the gudgeons to where the pin attaches to the tiller. I also made a simple shallow Ushaped bracket for the pin which was mounted below the tiller to keep the autopilot level. I can try to dig up a photo if you like.

Cheers

Matt

Stu Jackson · Oct 24, 2012

squidd,

Great choice, highly recommended and good logic. You'll love it. Congratulations & have fun with it.

Stu

Chris Patterson · Oct 24, 2012

Ditto.

Tiller Pilot

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justsomeguy

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soldier1964

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Wanderer138

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Erieau

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Chris Patterson

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CaptDon01

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