tiller pilot

[Jeremy]

Hello All,

I had an Autohelm 800 last time I went cruising - woefully underpowered for the boat - but we only planned on using it when motoring (Monitor while under sail). I ultimately broke it while breaking that golden rule… so I’m in the market for a replacement. I’m strongly favoring the Ratheon ST2000 - because I presume it will fit my existing mounting hardware in the cockpit/tiller. I won’t be remounting the Monitor for the upcoming cruise - so I’d like to have a fully capable autopilot this time around - something that can handle occasional blue water duty (gulfstream crossings).

Does anyone have any compelling reasons why the TP32 is superior to the ST2000?
Will the TP32 fit the same hardware points? what are the diameters of the deck and tiller pins on the TP32?

thanks,
Jeremy

[benjiwoodboat]

Here we go again! I’m thinking out loud here with questions…

I’m trying mount this TP32. I like Scott’s mounting location pictured here, it’s clean and gets the TP at the right height, without too much extra hardware:
http://www.samlmorse.com/forum/file.php?5,file=276

Scott, I don’t understand how you got that to fit with the cleat there!?! And besides just fitting it there, doesn’t it interfere with the cleating of the main sheet? Too bad I didn’t take any good pics of that last summer at the rendezvouz.

The Simrad TP 32 says it has a throw of 10". My tiller has a throw of 21" @ 18" from pintle/guedgon. Is it necessary to have the full throw with the tiller Pilot, or is it good enough to get 50% throw? While perusing this thread yet again, I see Tom’s setup, which I also like very much, pictured here:
http://www.samlmorse.com/forum/file.php?5,file=280

Tom, it looks like you don’t have an extension installed, which I assume limits the throw to 10" = standard Simrad TP32 specs, thus your tiller pilot can only go 50% to one side. Is that correct, and if so… how has that worked out for you?

Getting back to Scott’s mounting location on the boomkin, to avoid the mainsheet cleat interference I’ve seen some jam cleats on the main sheet, as per Tom’s pic: http://www.samlmorse.com/forum/file.php?5,file=280
I assume that eliminates the need to sheet to the cleat, this freeing up that space for a TP mount. However, that cleat also functions as a dock cleat, does your mount get in the way of that?

I’ve called around a fair bit and am finding the 90mm pedestal base like Tom has to be out of stock everywhere, and Simrad/Navico even said they don’t know when it will be available again. Looks like I’ll have to make my own pedestal mount.

Ramble appologies…

Thanks!

[Itchen]

Hi Ben,
I’ve inserted some comments below.
Scott

benjiwoodboat Wrote:

Here we go again! I’m thinking out loud here with
questions…

I’m trying mount this TP32. I like Scott’s
mounting location pictured here, it’s clean and
gets the TP at the right height, without too much
extra hardware:

Oh my, that was a lovely cold and frosty morning on ther Pungo River with skim ice all around and coffee brewing on ther stove and a hot flowerpot over the other burner to warm the cabin a bit!
From that angle one gets a good view of the tiller pilot mount, and also the mainsheet cleating arrangement. I like both very much and would not change either. Cam cleats are definitely the way to go for the mainsheet and the only downside is the expense of really good swiveling cam cleat hardware. This one is by Harken and very solid.

Scott, I don’t understand how you got that to fit
with the cleat there!?! And besides just fitting
it there, doesn’t it interfere with the cleating
of the main sheet?

I’ll se if I have a good photo from the side, showing the cleat clearance. The cleat is only uses for mooring or stern anchor lines because the mainsheet goes to the cam cleat only.
BUT (!) the pedestal does interfere with the cleat if one leaves the pedestal mounted while ties up to a dock. The factory-mounted position of the cleat is about an inch too close to the pedestal with the pedestal monted as close to the end of the boomkin as possible. There are various obvious work-arounds in dealing with the dockline so lazyness has overruled my inclination to move the cleat aft an inch or two.

Too bad I didn’t take any good

pics of that last summer at the rendezvouz.

The Simrad TP 32 says it has a throw of 10". My
tiller has a throw of 21" @ 18" from
pintle/guedgon. Is it necessary to have the full
throw with the tiller Pilot, or is it good enough
to get 50% throw? While perusing this thread yet
again, I see Tom’s setup, which I also like very
much, pictured here:

Tom, it looks like you don’t have an extension
installed, which I assume limits the throw to 10"
= standard Simrad TP32 specs, thus your tiller
pilot can only go 50% to one side. Is that
correct, and if so… how has that worked out for
you?

Getting back to Scott’s mounting location on the
boomkin, to avoid the mainsheet cleat interference
I’ve seen some jam cleats on the main sheet, as
per Tom’s pic:
I assume that eliminates the need to sheet to the
cleat, this freeing up that space for a TP mount.
However, that cleat also functions as a dock
cleat, does your mount get in the way of that?

I’ve called around a fair bit and am finding the
90mm pedestal base like Tom has to be out of stock
everywhere, and Simrad/Navico even said they don’t
know when it will be available again. Looks like
I’ll have to make my own pedestal mount.

Ramble appologies…

Thanks!

–
Ben Eriksen
BCC #91 Elizabeth

Web Design | BCC Elizabeth

[Itchen]

Hi Ben,some comments inserted below, plus another view of Itchen’s installation.
Scott

benjiwoodboat Wrote:

Here we go again! I’m thinking out loud here with
questions…

I’m trying mount this TP32. I like Scott’s
mounting location pictured here, it’s clean and
gets the TP at the right height, without too much
extra hardware:

Oh yes I remember that cold and frosty January morn at anchor on the Pungo River, with skim ice all around and coffee brewing and a red hot flowerpot over the other stove burner to tame the chill in the cabin. Anyway, re tiller pilot mount …

Scott, I don’t understand how you got that to fit
with the cleat there!?! And besides just fitting
it there, doesn’t it interfere with the cleating
of the main sheet?

There’s no interference with the main sheet because we have big Harken swivel-base cam cleats. Definitely the way to go, much better than regular cleats especially when singlehanding ,or really, anytime. I like the Harkens – solid, robust, trouble free, reassuringly expensive . . . .

Too bad I didn’t take any good

pics of that last summer at the rendezvouz.

See attached photo (which also shows my less-than-ideal Cape Horn vane adjustment setup).

The Simrad TP 32 says it has a throw of 10". My
tiller has a throw of 21" @ 18" from
pintle/guedgon. Is it necessary to have the full
throw with the tiller Pilot, or is it good enough
to get 50% throw? While perusing this thread yet
again, I see Tom’s setup, which I also like very
much, pictured here:

Tom, it looks like you don’t have an extension
installed, which I assume limits the throw to 10"
= standard Simrad TP32 specs, thus your tiller
pilot can only go 50% to one side. Is that
correct, and if so… how has that worked out for
you?

Getting back to Scott’s mounting location on the
boomkin, to avoid the mainsheet cleat interference
I’ve seen some jam cleats on the main sheet, as
per Tom’s pic:
I assume that eliminates the need to sheet to the
cleat, this freeing up that space for a TP mount.
However, that cleat also functions as a dock
cleat, does your mount get in the way of that?

Absolutely. With the TP pedestal at the very end of the boomkin, the factory-mounted position of that big cleat is right up against the pedestal with only a fraction of an inch to spare. For dock or anchor lines there are various work-arounds so I have not gotten around to moving the cleat, but it really should go back aft an inch or two. When at dock I sometimes just unbolt he pedestal.

I’ve called around a fair bit and am finding the
90mm pedestal base like Tom has to be out of stock
everywhere, and Simrad/Navico even said they don’t
know when it will be available again. Looks like
I’ll have to make my own pedestal mount.

Have you tried the Nautical Trader in Nokomis FL? Great source of ever-changing array of useful and useless hardware and odds and ends.(www.nauticaltrader.net)

Ramble appologies…

Thanks!

–
Ben Eriksen
BCC #91 Elizabeth

Web Design | BCC Elizabeth

[clund]

My tiller pilot mount is a little different than the installation photos so far. I enclose two photos to demonstrate.

I use a heavy duty Raymarine unit (SmartPilot Tiller Grand Prix). It uses a computer mounted below decks and a pilot arm. I carry an extra arm but I have never experienced a failure. I swap the arms each season to keep wear even.

The autopilot is connected to the chart plotter. I love being able to move the cursor over a point on the chart and then press “go to cursor”. The pilot does a much better job than I can of adjusting for current drift.

I have used it once in a gale while sailing. It worked.
It does tend to get confused when sailing inside a local bay where the winds shift dramatically over a short stretch. In that case it beeps “off course” and gives up.

The mounting point should really be a few inches further away from the centerline. Unfortunately the cleat is in the way. That means the pilot can turn the boat to porta little more agressively than it can turn the boat to starboard.

[benjiwoodboat]

Great, thanks for all these pics… I’ll get them organized into a folder.

I want to get those Harken cam cleats at some point.

Clund, I like your set up, smooth. I have my monitor control line turning blocks right there, seems both monitor and tiller pilot want to control the tiller at the same place… another issue to deal with.

[benjiwoodboat]

I finally got mine installed and thought I’d post a link to the pics here for reference to others looking for install pics. I couldn’t get the Simrad Pedestal Mount, since they are on backorder indefinitely. So I decided to have one fabricated locally. Tom gave me exact dimensions of his pedestal mount which I worked from. Thanks Tom. I used some pieces of SS tube and threaded rod I had laying around, from my Double Anchor Roller actually… and had a local welder/machinist fabricate the rest. It’s decent, not perfect, but good enough I think. I would have liked a wider base, but at the angle I have it at, I think its OK.

Pix Link:

[Album] Tiller Pilot

[benjiwoodboat]

Simrad TP32 update…

It was great on the way down south, I motored and sailed with it all the time, as the Monitor gears were bent and not meshing properly. It even steared me in some big seas under sail and did well.

The trip north was different. The unit has been unreliable. It struggles to keep a course after a few minutes while motoring in light conditions. I have played with the gain and sea state adjustments, and tried all possible combination. But still TP32 goes off course after a short while, and I mean - all of a sudden it will go 50? off course. The problem has been getting steadily worse the past few weeks. It also grunts like a pig now…a very disconcerting sound.

Now that I’m home, I’m going to put in a warranty claim and see what happens.