When do you use auto Helm?
- Thread starter Joe topor
- Start date
This is where I am getting confused........you said "wind input". How does the AP determine the wind direction? I thought it was mostly a gps driven system? Maybe the more expensive units have wind inputs?
Anytime you CAN'T or DON"T WANT TO drive.
You'll find in a bigger boat with longer passages that happens a lot. Daysailing maybe it's fun to hold the wheel all the time, but 8 hours on the same course and you'll feel like you're chained to it. And as others note, in good conditions it will drive better than you. and allow you to do fun stuff, like trimming sail. Or making a drink.
Unless you will be sailing in lots of challenging conditions, like downwind in waves, a wheel pilot will server fine and cost much less. Below-deck units are faster and much more reliable, but closer to the $5k number you mentioned.
You'll find in a bigger boat with longer passages that happens a lot. Daysailing maybe it's fun to hold the wheel all the time, but 8 hours on the same course and you'll feel like you're chained to it. And as others note, in good conditions it will drive better than you. and allow you to do fun stuff, like trimming sail. Or making a drink.
Unless you will be sailing in lots of challenging conditions, like downwind in waves, a wheel pilot will server fine and cost much less. Below-deck units are faster and much more reliable, but closer to the $5k number you mentioned.
The EV 100 wheel pilot can steer to a GPS course or steer off the wind if you have a wind instrument that feeds wind direction into the system.
Ok, thank you. I wonder how many use a wind instrument that feeds into their Ev100. Can it come with an option wind input instrument? If so, what cost adder are we looking at?
Kito, The "network" can be as diverse or as simple as you want. At the core, an AP. To that you add the speed and depth inputs, and a wind input, and a display instrument, in the Ray world a version of an i70. Now you can see all kinds of data, apparent wind, true wind, a few thousand variants of speed and depth, every version of velocity known, and a whole schwack (a technical term) of things you never knew you needed.
Add a chart plotter, and suddenly you get the ability to know just exactly where your mooring is, an approach route, where the only marker buoy on the lake is so you don't stick the keel in the dirt, tracking, visual contours of the bottom according to the chart, updated in real time with Navionics+ and the ability to program a route, and have the boat follow it.
Do you use it all on a small lake? Yes and no. Knowing what it does, and how to make it do what you want allows you to leverage the extra "hands" that the AP provides. When "just out sailing" the AP drives most of the time. Setting the response level to "5" (the highest) allows the AP to steer the boat upwind and it won't sway more than about 3-4 degrees off true wind. Nobody can steer that well. (Well, maybe Jackdaw, but I'd give him a run for his money.....) You typically don't sail a route, you motor. You don't motor to the wind input. So you use bits and pieces of the available facilities as needed. That much is no different irrespective of the amount of water around you.
And, when you throw the boat in the "big lake", you don't have to contend with unknown hardware and software, it's second nature.
Add a chart plotter, and suddenly you get the ability to know just exactly where your mooring is, an approach route, where the only marker buoy on the lake is so you don't stick the keel in the dirt, tracking, visual contours of the bottom according to the chart, updated in real time with Navionics+ and the ability to program a route, and have the boat follow it.
Do you use it all on a small lake? Yes and no. Knowing what it does, and how to make it do what you want allows you to leverage the extra "hands" that the AP provides. When "just out sailing" the AP drives most of the time. Setting the response level to "5" (the highest) allows the AP to steer the boat upwind and it won't sway more than about 3-4 degrees off true wind. Nobody can steer that well. (Well, maybe Jackdaw, but I'd give him a run for his money.....) You typically don't sail a route, you motor. You don't motor to the wind input. So you use bits and pieces of the available facilities as needed. That much is no different irrespective of the amount of water around you.
And, when you throw the boat in the "big lake", you don't have to contend with unknown hardware and software, it's second nature.
I had the Raymarine S1 which is two generations old. It worked excellent. I am sure the new Raymarine is even better. They are great systems for the boat. The installation isn't that bad either.
So, I found a new Raymarine Ev-100 Wheel Pilot T70152 kit for $1,107 shipped. Best price I have found so far. Should be fine for a 5 ton boat I would think. It will be ready for the Neuse River and Pamlico when I move her that way. She will be on Lake Norman for a few years first though. 
I also did not need an autopilot until I got one. Adding an autopilot is probably the best upgrade that you could do for a boat. It is like having a second pair of able hands to do the tedious work while you perform the most important tasks of captaining the boat. We even named ours and I even talk to Hugo when sailing solo. I know my wife appreciates it. No, it really makes it convenient to be able to get up from the helm to fetch a beer or take a nature call without having to inconvenience anybody else. In a more serious note it diminishes fatigue in a long passage which can enhance safety.
Yeah, I saw that price out there, thought it was just Black Friday but if it's still going that is a great deal.So, I found a new Raymarine Ev-100 Wheel Pilot T70152 kit for $1,107 shipped. Best price I have found so far. Should be fine for a 5 ton boat I would think. It will be ready for the Neuse River and Pamlico when I move her that way. She will be on Lake Norman for a few years first though.
How do you use an auto pilot to reef or shake out a reef for the main sail?
I am imagining setting the boat to sail somewhat up wind on just the jib, then lock auto pilot. The main would have no load on it allowing you to reef??
I can also see starting the motor and driving the boat forward directly into the wind then set the autohelm but.. how do you do this without needing the motor?
I am imagining setting the boat to sail somewhat up wind on just the jib, then lock auto pilot. The main would have no load on it allowing you to reef??
I can also see starting the motor and driving the boat forward directly into the wind then set the autohelm but.. how do you do this without needing the motor?
That's the easiest way. Drop the traveler, too, and if necessary, let out a little mainsheet.
if you single hand you want an AP. I used it all the time. life saver.
I got one my 2nd season, and wonder why I waited. best money I ever spent on the boat. -after beer of course.
I got one my 2nd season, and wonder why I waited. best money I ever spent on the boat. -after beer of course.
Hey,
Coming into this late.....
My last two boats came with AP's (both older Raymarine units). My current boat didn't, and that was the first upgrade I made. I sail solo about 50% of the time and with wife, friends, family the rest of the time. My wife and kids don't like to steer but will if asked. None of them like to trim sails either, so when we're together the AP usually steers and I trim sails. I do have a few friends who like to steer so I'm happy to turn the wheel over to them.
The AP is really great when I'm by myself and put the sails up or take them down. Motor on, head into the wind, AP on, and the rest is easy.
Something to be aware of, the ray evo system costs around $1200 but installation can add a significant amount of cost. This is especially true if you have to buy mounting stuff.
My current boat came with Ray instruments for speed, depth, wind, and a Garmin plotter. I was able to network everything together and now the AP an steer to a compass heading, wind angle, or waypoint. It's pretty cool, but not that much different than my old Autohelm 3000 system. Then I would pick a waypoint on the plotter, get the course to it, then set the AP to steer to that heading. Every now and then I would have to make a minor course correct, but no big deal.
Good luck,
Barry
Coming into this late.....
My last two boats came with AP's (both older Raymarine units). My current boat didn't, and that was the first upgrade I made. I sail solo about 50% of the time and with wife, friends, family the rest of the time. My wife and kids don't like to steer but will if asked. None of them like to trim sails either, so when we're together the AP usually steers and I trim sails. I do have a few friends who like to steer so I'm happy to turn the wheel over to them.
The AP is really great when I'm by myself and put the sails up or take them down. Motor on, head into the wind, AP on, and the rest is easy.
Something to be aware of, the ray evo system costs around $1200 but installation can add a significant amount of cost. This is especially true if you have to buy mounting stuff.
My current boat came with Ray instruments for speed, depth, wind, and a Garmin plotter. I was able to network everything together and now the AP an steer to a compass heading, wind angle, or waypoint. It's pretty cool, but not that much different than my old Autohelm 3000 system. Then I would pick a waypoint on the plotter, get the course to it, then set the AP to steer to that heading. Every now and then I would have to make a minor course correct, but no big deal.
Good luck,
Barry
That's what I still have. Simple but functional. Too bad they don't make them anymore, they'd be a great option. Tiny toy motors though, while the CPT is much more robust as a good alternate to any Raym product.
If we are sailing, I love to have the tiller in my hand. But whenever we are motoring (35% to 50% of our cruising time) we are on the auto pilot. Let's me move around, do different tasks, all while maintaining a lookout. When I single hand, it is great for raising the sails, and for head calls.