Auto Pilots

[Peter Cryans]

Hello All,
20 years ago I installed an AutoHelm 4000 on my CD 36. It has a done an OK job but really the 6000 would have been a better choice. I am considering replacing this with a new model. Can any of you tell me what you have installed and how satisfied you are?

Thanks, Peter

peter@cphmechanical.com

[Russell]

I have a Raymarine X-10 with a type 1 linear drive. Its okay, but the linear drive has failed 3 times and needed to be sent back to Raymarine for repair. I dont really think its up to the task of offshore sailing where it has to work a lot, especially since our Cape Dory rudders are not balanced and have a very heavy helm. In hindsight I wish I had opted for the X30 so I could install the hydraulic drive unit instead. My old Cetrek was hydraulic and never missed a beat, but the course computer died and the company was no longer in business to get replacement parts.

[tartansailor]

since our Cape Dory rudders are not balanced and have a very heavy helm. .

I can't understand why anyone with such a fine boat as is a CD36 would tolerate a heavy weather helm?
There are so many things that can be done: less rake, larger head sail, flatten the main, or get a new main etc.
Sail handling also plays a very important part. Recall the old saw: "twist-trim-helm-draft". repeat. That applies to both sails.
imho
Respectfully,
Dick

[Russell]

since our Cape Dory rudders are not balanced and have a very heavy helm. .

I can't understand why anyone with such a fine boat as is a CD36 would tolerate a heavy weather helm?
There are so many things that can be done: less rake, larger head sail, flatten the main, or get a new main etc.
Sail handling also plays a very important part. Recall the old saw: "twist-trim-helm-draft". repeat. That applies to both sails.
imho
Respectfully,
Dick

I was not referring to weather helm (I know how to tune the rig and trim the sails). I was referring to the unbalanced rudder style used on our boats. A modern production boat with a spade style rudder (balanced) takes a lot less effort to move then a keel hung or skeg hung rudder (unbalanced), and ours in particular being hung at an angle takes even more effort, thus a "heavy helm". Which plays a big part in how much effort the auto pilot needs to steer the boat.

[Kevin Kaldenbach]

I just installed the X-10 with my Cetrek electric/hydraulic actuator. Had problems with the install, burned a connection in the computer and kept getting "current limit" reading. Raymarine fixed the connector and upgraded the software and now it seams to be working fine.

[Russell]

I just installed the X-10 with my Cetrek electric/hydraulic actuator. Had problems with the install, burned a connection in the computer and kept getting "current limit" reading. Raymarine fixed the connector and upgraded the software and now it seams to be working fine.

Thats interesting, Raymarine seems to claim you need the X-30 to use a hydraulic pump. Guess I should have kept the rest of my Cetrek system when the computer died.

[Kevin Kaldenbach]

I thought you would like to read that. I called ray marine before buying the SPX-10 and they said it would work.

[Kevin Kaldenbach]

I have a question. What is the process of ordering a tiller or bell crank that goes on the rudder shaft for the actuator to hook up? I had a machine shop make mine and I question it.

[Russell]

I have a question. What is the process of ordering a tiller or bell crank that goes on the rudder shaft for the actuator to hook up? I had a machine shop make mine and I question it.

The one that was on the boat with when I bought it (with the Cetrek) looked custom fabricated. When I put the new autopilot in I got a bronze one from edson, spendy but very beefy, length wise its probably overkill for a hydraulic system though since they dont require as much leverage. http://www.edsonmarine.com/marinestore/ ... &cPath=105

[Dean Abramson]

This past spring I installed an X-10 corepack (comes with a fluxgate compass) and connected it to the existing Type 1 linear drive unit that was in the boat. (The boat had had an Autohelm 4000.) Installed a new control head. Interfaced the AP with my GPS (we have a Raymarine C80 MFD). We spent the majority of the summer on the boat, and the AP worked flawlessly. We love it!

It was a fair amount of work, and somewhat challenging for a man of my limited skills, but Rich Abato talked me through the tricky bits, and it has been well worth it, money- and effort-wise. While I was at it, I tidied up some of the wiring for the GPS and MFD, which a yard had done and was not as orderly as I like.

The old AP was totally unreliable. This one is awesome. Having a reliable AP is a huge plus. It's fantastic while motoring in fog, frees me to better navigate and keep a lookout. And having an extra hand for a few seconds/minutes when needed while sailing is great. We have mainly used it for long stints motoring, but its performance under sail is also very good on all points of sail. (But I never tried trusting it while steering dead downwind with no mainsail preventer engaged.)

Also, by interfacing with the GPS, we now have actual heading data. This is great on the electronic chart in head-up mode, and also with the radar. I am a very satisfied customer so far.

Dean

[Paul D.]

Last year I refurbished the old 1982 Benmar Cetek Course Setter 21 on Femme. I sent the whole thing in and they replaced the course dial face, which had UV'ed away and did a few solder joints on the board. I have not been able to calibrate it yet but he said the whole thing worked fine. This system has the control head with rotary dials for course and sea state, a compass and the chain drive motor mounted in the lazarette. It worked well for the first five years we had the boat then began acting strangely erratic. Of course by then it was 25 years old.

Sometimes, if you have a drive motor the guy at Benmar reckons you can hook up a new control head to the thing. Actually, the current Raymarine rotary drives look almost exactly the same as the old Benmar ones.

These autopilots are a book I have yet to read so I look forward to spending some quality time alone with it next season.