Any ideas on a good tiller pilot for a 26 foot Catalina Capri. I sail on a lake and about 50% of my sailing is done singelhand. The jibsheet winches are on the cabin top and I have an outboard engine...so the tiller pilot would come in handy. I have also seen the Davis tiller tamer...much less expensive, but not sure this would fit the bill. Also, how difficult is the installation on a tiller pilot?
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had one
Steve, Had a tiller tamer on my old boat, a bristol 24, woorked well for raising sails or going below quickly to the head or to grab this and that, but i couldn't let it "captain" the boat for more than a few minutes. How hard it was blowing also effected time it could helm, bigger wind= less time away. Never had an autopilot so i can't offer advice on that. Pray for Wind, Lugeman
Steve, Had a tiller tamer on my old boat, a bristol 24, woorked well for raising sails or going below quickly to the head or to grab this and that, but i couldn't let it "captain" the boat for more than a few minutes. How hard it was blowing also effected time it could helm, bigger wind= less time away. Never had an autopilot so i can't offer advice on that. Pray for Wind, Lugeman
Simple installation.
Well relatively speaking. My boat originally came with a tiller pilot. A simple pivot mount is bolted to the starboard cockpit side, still there. A rod goes over to the tiller where a similar mount is screwed on. Then a 12 volt source is required. A previous owner had it done professionally with a waterproof plug through the coaming. Mine has a built-in compass with a dial on top. Set the course to match your binnacle, nothing to it. But a tiller pilot has very limited travel. It will slowly make very small course changes. This is probably very acceptable for a minute or two away from the helm. Except in bad weather of course.
Well relatively speaking. My boat originally came with a tiller pilot. A simple pivot mount is bolted to the starboard cockpit side, still there. A rod goes over to the tiller where a similar mount is screwed on. Then a 12 volt source is required. A previous owner had it done professionally with a waterproof plug through the coaming. Mine has a built-in compass with a dial on top. Set the course to match your binnacle, nothing to it. But a tiller pilot has very limited travel. It will slowly make very small course changes. This is probably very acceptable for a minute or two away from the helm. Except in bad weather of course.
best tamer
If you're considering a tiller tamer, take a look at Cansail. They make a very elegant piece of equipment that does the same job. Extremely durable - I've seen a lot of posts saying that Davis breaks. Beats me why we never see them in the US stores. I have one of these and it's one of those items that makes single handing practical for me. Here's a link, in case you're interested. Dick
If you're considering a tiller tamer, take a look at Cansail. They make a very elegant piece of equipment that does the same job. Extremely durable - I've seen a lot of posts saying that Davis breaks. Beats me why we never see them in the US stores. I have one of these and it's one of those items that makes single handing practical for me. Here's a link, in case you're interested. Dick
Stephen, You have a tiller (not a wheel) right? If that is the case, then I can give you some information. I have a Simrad Tiller pilot model TP10. I purchased it from Sailnet at the end of last Winter. I installed it in the Summer. I installed the hardware myself, following the well drafted installation instuctions, but had a marine instrument company nearby do the DC wiring. Ouch! a fair amount of money for that bit of work. Anyway, I do 75% solo sailing, and the other 25% with novi (is that the plural of Novice?). It is absolutely great. For sailing in fog or at night, you can pay attention to your surroundings rather to the compass or GPS, It works great for sail handling while alone, and removes the tedium of hand steering while motoring over a long stretch. The down side is that I use feedback from the tiller to balance the rig. I think I will learn over time to trim sail while using the pilot. There are 2 more models of the Simrad Tiller Pilot. The TP22 and the TP32. I think that both have remote control, and an ability to synch with GPS and other instruments. The TP10 though, is very basic having none of those bells and whistles. It uses an internal fluxgate compass, and you set it by steering the desired course and locking that course in with the press of a button. As advertized, it has a capability of "learning" seastate and other conditions so that it uses less power and less course corrections to maintain the course you set. All in all a very neat addition to my boat. Good winds, Eric
Autohelm ST2000
I have an autohelm ST2000. It works great for me. For a long time, I too only used it for quick head breaks, taking care of sails, etc. Little by little, I got more and more confident with it. I wouldn't trust it in a storm, but there have been times when it's piloted my boat (with minor adjustments) from one end of the lake to the other. A few days ago, I was sitting on the bow, and got caught with a sudden gust of wind, and it had me worried. The boat heeled WAY over, headed up, stalled a few seconds, then went back on course. It wasn't a pretty piece of helmsmanship, but it did the job.
I have an autohelm ST2000. It works great for me. For a long time, I too only used it for quick head breaks, taking care of sails, etc. Little by little, I got more and more confident with it. I wouldn't trust it in a storm, but there have been times when it's piloted my boat (with minor adjustments) from one end of the lake to the other. A few days ago, I was sitting on the bow, and got caught with a sudden gust of wind, and it had me worried. The boat heeled WAY over, headed up, stalled a few seconds, then went back on course. It wasn't a pretty piece of helmsmanship, but it did the job.
Tillrpilot
Put a Tp10 on my 23' Coronado last year. Bought it at Defender for about $250. Installation is easy, but the unit is deigned for one end to be mounted on the cockpit seat, which doesn't work very well - the seat is usually too low to line up with the tiller. I mounted it on the coaming, but since the unit is not long enough to then reach the tiller, you need to either buy (or make, as I did)an extension. Installation is easy, including the electrical part. My only problem with the unit is that it does not take the boat thru a tack very well, since the Coronado has a full keel and does not come about as quickly as my fin keel boat does. I think the TP10 is OK as a basic unit that will steer the boat all day for you if you want it to.
Put a Tp10 on my 23' Coronado last year. Bought it at Defender for about $250. Installation is easy, but the unit is deigned for one end to be mounted on the cockpit seat, which doesn't work very well - the seat is usually too low to line up with the tiller. I mounted it on the coaming, but since the unit is not long enough to then reach the tiller, you need to either buy (or make, as I did)an extension. Installation is easy, including the electrical part. My only problem with the unit is that it does not take the boat thru a tack very well, since the Coronado has a full keel and does not come about as quickly as my fin keel boat does. I think the TP10 is OK as a basic unit that will steer the boat all day for you if you want it to.
Simrad Tiller Pilot sale
Stephen, I bought mine from BL Yacht on sale in the early spring. It came with a free remote control and all the plugs and wiring stuff. It was easy to install and sail great. It only consume 0.5A, not much more than a light bulb, and can sail all day without draining the battery. If you have an outboard with limited charging capability, DC consumption is a big thing. Once I learned to tack with it, I just won't sail without it.
Stephen, I bought mine from BL Yacht on sale in the early spring. It came with a free remote control and all the plugs and wiring stuff. It was easy to install and sail great. It only consume 0.5A, not much more than a light bulb, and can sail all day without draining the battery. If you have an outboard with limited charging capability, DC consumption is a big thing. Once I learned to tack with it, I just won't sail without it.
Auto Pilot and Tiller Tamer
On my H23, I use both the tiller tamer and an auto pilot. My auto piltot is set up like Ed describes. I store it below when not in use and many days don't attach it if I have crew and don't plan on needing an extended break. My auto pilot is attached to the tiller over a brass post mounted on the underside. This requires a simple lashing arrangement to keep it in place and unlashing to return manual control. I'm sure the original intent was to place the fitting on top of the tiller and simply lift it on and off with no additional lashing to secure it. PO probably installed it this way because of the geometry from the bracket on the coaming to the tiller. Something else to look into modifying over the winter. For short breaks to get hands free, nothing beats the Davis tiller tamer, IMO. Try it and if you don't like it you're out about $10. By the way, my auto pilot is a First Mate, vintage mid 1980's, manufactured by Electro Marine Products in Miami Florida, who I'm not sure exist anymore, at least not under that name. PO said he never used it and it had been installed by the owner before him. I took it into my shop, reattached broken electrical connections and hooked it up to a battery. I practically jumped back when it started hunting for the course when I turned it on! I really enjoy bringing old stuff back to life.
On my H23, I use both the tiller tamer and an auto pilot. My auto piltot is set up like Ed describes. I store it below when not in use and many days don't attach it if I have crew and don't plan on needing an extended break. My auto pilot is attached to the tiller over a brass post mounted on the underside. This requires a simple lashing arrangement to keep it in place and unlashing to return manual control. I'm sure the original intent was to place the fitting on top of the tiller and simply lift it on and off with no additional lashing to secure it. PO probably installed it this way because of the geometry from the bracket on the coaming to the tiller. Something else to look into modifying over the winter. For short breaks to get hands free, nothing beats the Davis tiller tamer, IMO. Try it and if you don't like it you're out about $10. By the way, my auto pilot is a First Mate, vintage mid 1980's, manufactured by Electro Marine Products in Miami Florida, who I'm not sure exist anymore, at least not under that name. PO said he never used it and it had been installed by the owner before him. I took it into my shop, reattached broken electrical connections and hooked it up to a battery. I practically jumped back when it started hunting for the course when I turned it on! I really enjoy bringing old stuff back to life.
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