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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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advice needed for tillerpilot installation

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Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/08/2003 : 23:57:25

Well the proceeds from the sale of my 22 was burning a hole in my pocket and I ordered a Raymarine ST2000 with remote control for 579 from Sailnet. No tax or shipping. The unit is on backorder but that's OK as I will have to wait a few weeks for my knee surgery to heal.
What I would like to do is mount the bracket on top of the coaming so as not to have anything interfering with the seatback when the unit is removed. I hope this makes sense. I believe I will need an extension if I do this. Does anybody know what length I will need?
I also like the suggestion to mount a plug in the coaming box. anybody know what kind of plug I'llneed.
Anybody have any other suggestions? Anybody have any pics they would like to send me of their installation? I did a search in our archives and no pics would come up.
I'm psyched about this as It should make it easier to single hand my boat.
Thanks
If you want to send me some pics my E-mail address is
fgloss@knology.net
Got stood up for a date tonight so I'm on the computer. WAH! Does she know what she is missing?

Frank Gloss
89WK/TR

Edited by - on

albert
Captain

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USA
262 Posts

Response Posted - 08/09/2003 : 01:21:41

Frank,

Try the following links. The pictures are not working, but I sent them to you via email.

http://www.catalina25-250.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=755

http://www.catalina25-250.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1651

http://www.catalina25-250.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1640

Albert Iturrey
al@comhertz.com

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 08/09/2003 : 11:24:42

Hi Albert,
The E-mail didn't come through.

I do appreciate your trying

Frank Gloss
89WK/TR

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 08/09/2003 : 13:04:36

Frank,

Re: "What I would like to do is mount the bracket on top of the coaming so as not to have anything interfering with the seatback when the unit is removed. I hope this makes sense. I believe I will need an extension if I do this. Does anybody know what length I will need? "

That's how I mounted my ST-2000 Plus. I used the 5" ram extension, and that seems to be just about right. If you have room, you might want to consider mounting the whole thing closer to the pintles than the recommended 15". The ST-2000 has plenty of power, and a shorter tiller radius will give you quicker reaction and a greater hard over angle. At 15" it can't move the tiller near as far or as fast as you can by hand. Even with the faster hard over times compared to the ST-1000, it still seems a bit slow for a hull as responsive as the Catalina 25.

Yeah, yeah, "If the pilot can't keep you on course at a 15 inch radius, you're doing something else wrong." It's only a problem less than 1% of the time, but it does happen, just as you would only occassionaly move the tiller that far by hand in the normal process of maintaining a straight course, such as in gusty winds or steep waves. It also does it sometimes in ghosting conditions.

One unexpected problem I've encountered, is that when the ST-2000 reaches the limits of its travel, there are no internal limit switches to turn off its motor. It just stalls there humming and quivering against its mechanical stops. Mine then trips its circuit breaker within seconds. This leaves me with the helm held hard over and a comatose autopilot just when I'd most like it to get back on course. I then have to go down in the cabin to reset the breaker with the boat attempting to steer in circles in the same wind and sea conditions that caused the hard over condition in the first place. Let's hope it was a lack of wind.

When you see the supplied short glue-in tiller pin, you may decide you'd rather have one of the optional long threaded pins. If so, I could send you one I have extra.

Re: "I also like the suggestion to mount a plug in the coaming box. anybody know what kind of plug I'll need?"

The ST-2000 Plus came with both halves of the electrical connector, and a weather cover to protect the socket when the tiller pilot isn't in use. It did not come with the wiring harness for inside the boat. RayMarine (I think that's who makes the pilot...) sells that wiring by the foot. You could fake it, but their harness has exactly the correct conductors in it for power, data, and electro-magnetic shielding as I recall.

Re: "Anybody have any other suggestions?" Yeah, read the directions. And don't hesitate to call the factory if you have questions. You can ask us here too, but we didn't design and build the thing.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 08/09/2003 : 13:12:05

thanks for the help Leon

Would you believe that I am one of those weird folks who actually reads directions?

Frank Gloss
89WK/TR

Edited by - on

albert
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
262 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2003 : 02:33:52

Frank,

I just tried to resend the message.

Just in case the email doesn't make it, these are links to the manuals.

http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/SubmittedFiles/Handbooks/Autopilots/ST1000and2000plus.pdf

http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/SubmittedFiles/Handbooks/Autopilots/ST1000and2000plus_quickref.pdf

Albert Iturrey
al@comhertz.com

Edited by - albert on 08/10/2003 02:34:33

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2003 : 10:41:37

I, too, mounted my autopilot connector inside the coaming box to keep it both out of the weather and out of the way. When connecting the autopilot I first take the connector and route it to the outboard side of the last stanchion of the stern pulpit before going into the coaming box. This keeps the cable neat and keeps it off the seat.

Another thing(and I think this is important) is to mount it on the opposite side as the motor so you don't have to leapfrog the autopilot to get to the outboard.

I mounted my remote inside the cabin on the aft bulkhead (starboard side) about six inches outboard from the back of my compass. Here the remote stays in it's holder plugged in, out of the way, and at the ready. I think it only has a 20ft cord so this mounting location will enable it to reach the bow. Having said that, I find the remote makes a nice conversation piece, but it is not very practical(I've only played with it once or twice when I first installed it last year).

Before installing the autopilot plug/outlet, be sure to add the wiring for the GPS interface even if you don't yet have a GPS with NMEA 0183 capabilities.. It will save you time and effort later. I wired mine with a connector from radio shack that plugs into the connector on my GPS's computer hookup cable. This way I can use the same cable that came with my GPS instead of spending extra dollars for another GPS cable.

<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>Don Lucier<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2d904b3127cce9f7cd9ffdf1d0000003010" border=0>
North Star SR/FK

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2003 : 12:01:44

thanks for the tips Don. Mounting the remote to the bulkhead seems very logical. I have a Garmin 176C chartplotting GPS. I'll have to check it out to see if it has this interface. As long as I'm wiring things up I might as well get everything set up right the first time.
The only reason I wanted the remote is so that I could go up to the bow and join a friend when she suns herself.

Albert, I got your E-mailed pics, thanks

Frank Gloss
89WK/TR

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2003 : 21:56:31

Unless your boat/tiller is made differently than mine, mounting the autopilot to the top of the coaming will put the outboard end of the autopilot about 3 1/2" higher than the pin on the tiller. So in addition to the ram extension, you will need a longer tiller pin because the manual states "The autopilot must be mounted horizontally". This will mean that you will need to install a pin in the tiller that will stick up about 4" instead of the less obtrusive standard 3/4".

<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>Don Lucier<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2d904b3127cce9f7cd9ffdf1d0000003010" border=0>
North Star SR/FK

Edited by - on

EricCS
1st Mate

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USA
40 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2003 : 14:37:48

Frank,

I installed an ST1000+ on Charm a couple of years ago and have been more than satisfied since.

I mounted my unit to the fuel storage cover -- the port side aft on the 1984 C-25. My engine is mounted to starboard. I used epoxy to fasten a block of marine plywood to the underside of the cover, then drilled for the receptacle of the unit's mounting pin. This puts the ram just below the tiller. I used the shortest tiller bracket to lower the tiller/ram connection so the ram and unit are level. (The ST1000+ instructions say this point should be eighteen inches from the rudder shaft, which may differ from the ST2000.)

I found it necessary to buy the long threaded tiller pin, as the short un-threaded pin provided would not stay in the bracket. Defender has recently told me they can special-order these, but only in sets of five for about $19. I can't find any direct customer order point on the Raymarine web site.

My ST1000 came with the plug, complete with a weather cover, which I mounted inside the port coaming "glove box." I drilled the hole in the aft wall of the "glove box," with a second hole for the power/data cable of my Garmin GPS48 hand-held.

A thread on this list a couple of years ago nominated any auto-pilot as one of the best things for single-handing, and I strongly second that opinion.

HTH

Eric Spitzner, AP (eric@snet.net)
Catalina 25 #4445 "Charm"
41°16.18'N 72°54.03'W

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