My first post, so Hi all Catalina owners! 
So - someone must have had this problem before and solved it - I hope!
Our 320 mk1 #303 was originally fitted with a binnacle compass and a Raymarine ST4000 wheel pilot - *no problems
Last year we replaced the pilot with a new Raymarine SPX-5. The design is similar to the ST4000 with a ring and drive motor that attaches to the wheel. The motor is in exactly the same position as the old motor, in relation to the compass.
However it appears that the new motor contains much stronger permanent magnets and this is causing such a great deviation to the compass that it cannot be corrected by a professional compass adjuster.
Raymarine’s suggested solution is to rotate *the drive wheel and motor so that it sits ( as you stand looking forward) in the 5 o'clock position rather than its current 9 o'clock position, thus moving the motor well below the binnacle compass.
However whilst this would work fine for a boat which had it's engine control panel on the cockpit wall, with our Catalina, as you will obviously be aware, the engine control panel is mounted in a pod that sits beneath the wheel. And on the top right of this pod is the pull-stop control for the engine!
Thus the motor cannot be put in the position that Raymarine suggest!
Trying to roatet it the other way, very little benefit can be gained because the clutch engagement lever fould against the top left side of the engine pod when the motor is in about the 8 o'clock position
I assume that current models have the same basic design and thus if you have an SPX-5 wheel pilot then presumably you have had the same problem?
If so - *what do you do to get around it!
many thanks
Graeme Clark
England. Two years a Cat owner!
So - someone must have had this problem before and solved it - I hope!
Our 320 mk1 #303 was originally fitted with a binnacle compass and a Raymarine ST4000 wheel pilot - *no problems
Last year we replaced the pilot with a new Raymarine SPX-5. The design is similar to the ST4000 with a ring and drive motor that attaches to the wheel. The motor is in exactly the same position as the old motor, in relation to the compass.
However it appears that the new motor contains much stronger permanent magnets and this is causing such a great deviation to the compass that it cannot be corrected by a professional compass adjuster.
Raymarine’s suggested solution is to rotate *the drive wheel and motor so that it sits ( as you stand looking forward) in the 5 o'clock position rather than its current 9 o'clock position, thus moving the motor well below the binnacle compass.
However whilst this would work fine for a boat which had it's engine control panel on the cockpit wall, with our Catalina, as you will obviously be aware, the engine control panel is mounted in a pod that sits beneath the wheel. And on the top right of this pod is the pull-stop control for the engine!
Thus the motor cannot be put in the position that Raymarine suggest!
Trying to roatet it the other way, very little benefit can be gained because the clutch engagement lever fould against the top left side of the engine pod when the motor is in about the 8 o'clock position
I assume that current models have the same basic design and thus if you have an SPX-5 wheel pilot then presumably you have had the same problem?
If so - *what do you do to get around it!
many thanks
Graeme Clark
England. Two years a Cat owner!
