TILLER PILOT

[Mark Gutteridge]

Hello all; I am finally going to install my SIMRAD tiller pilot on HUNTING PARTY. Does anybody have any pictures or advice how thet installed a auto helm on their boat.

[Rock & Roll]

I installed a ST1000 last week. I elected to install in cockpit coaming instead of seats. So I needed a 6" extension to reach from coaming to tiller. i then installed plug in in cockpit locker, so autohelm is always plugged in. I hung two light straps, from the seat hinge area of the cockpit locker, and the ST1000 hangs like a hammock.
So all I do is turn on 12v power,then put autohelm in place, and push Auto.
Works like a charm. Sorry no pics.

[Rock & Roll]

Here are some pics.

[Tim Bosma]

Very nice. we did it a little different for Hot Tamale. pics will follow.

[reidmefirst]

I bought a ST1000 this week and am prepping to install it. Would love to see photos of Hot Tamale, Tim, if you have 'em. I have to decide what little brackets and extensions I'm going to need to mount the thing...I'm hoping I can find a way that lets me keep my new spinlock tiller extension thing (which has a little bracket to hold it on the tiller, and extends pretty far back on the tiller!).

[MnM20]

My ST1000 setup:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VALGuJKyC7UJ91268

[reidmefirst]

Long time no install.

Been busy sailing and doing other projects on the boat but I'm finally going to install a pilot.

Curious for those who installed on the : when installing on the combing, how thick is the fiberglass (and is it cored) up there? Wondering if I should glue some wood into the bottom for seating the pin, is all. It'll be my first time drilling into the deck, and after paying a fellow to rip out a lot of rotten balsa last winter I'm a touch nervous about keeping water out and otherwise making sure I have everything to do it right on install day .

[DougH]

Can't answer the question on core. But if you drill your first hole at the "correct" size you can then inspect the hole for presence of balsa core. If none then you are good to go. If cored then maybe drill oversize, fill with thickened epoxy, and finally redrill. Standard procedure.

All of the TP installations look pretty generic and are what I've been using with good success for years. The nice part is that when you want to disengage the autopilot and manually steer just press "standby" and then lift the tip of the TP off of the tiller pin. Just set the TP arm on the transom (it will stay put) for quick/easy access for when you want to return to autopilot. It has all worked splendidly for me.

It is worth experimenting with the rudder gain and damping calibration settings. AutoTack is fixed at 100 degrees and is not user-settable on the Raymarine.

[Rock & Roll]

The female tiller socket, is longer than the deck thickness on my install. see pics from 2018.
There is balsa core in the deck, so I drilled the top glass and balsa core about 3/4".
Not drilling through lower deck.
Then filled with Polyester Resin.
After it cured in 20 minutes, I drilled the tiller socket size, all the way through and insert it in.
Topped off edge with white 5200 for a final seal.
Great so far.

[Mookie]

I have the Simrad TP-10 and it does very well. I’ll take a photo of the install today, but it is very straight forward. Both the Simrad and Raymarine are installed on the starboard side, 18” forward of the rudder hinge line. One end goes on a pin on the tiller, the other is a pin that goes in a bushing you install in the starboard coating. Easy peasey. The bushing is 6 mm further outboard for the Raymarine. Raymarine and Simrad tiller pilots are fairly equivalent for this task. It comes down to networking other instruments and personal preference. I like that I can drop in ever stronger models of the Simrad if I choose to. I do not network any instruments.

[Mookie]

Freaking autocorrect “starboard coaming”

[SailingUphill]

There is this, its the Simrad TP-22 I bought the 22 instead of the 10 because I integrated it into my simrand instruments and could then do steer to wind (a cool feature on such a small boat)
https://youtu.be/u7oEqz1EUyM

Here it is in use
https://youtu.be/LlcvCukMrng

Anyway, I used the Raymarine 1000 on another boat (actually 2 boats) and it worked well, I liked the TP22 better, it was faster, quieter, and frankly was overkill for the S2, but as you can see it handled quick changes fairly well. I dumped the use of the TP because someone crossed my path while I was filming (speedboat)

[AJ Oliver]

How well do those things actually work ??

How much battery do they use up ??

Personally, I have gone to just tying off the tiller with a bungy cord.

(I'll send you a photo if you like)

It will steer itself pretty well if you balance the weight . . .

which for me means using a #3 when single-handing, or even with two on board.

[SailingUphill]

AJ did you watch my youtube links?
It answers how well they work.

I owned the ST1000+ raymarine on my Capri 25, and found it to be less than quick in steering. I think though most of that was where I mounted it (further down the tiller handle you'd necessarily get quicker response times right?). The Capri 25 was a very light tiller boat rudder shaft was inboard, and a fixed keel boat.

The S2 has a large/heavy rudder, and has more beefy feel to it than the Capri. The ST1000+ is still plenty of autopilot for the boat, as is the Simrad TP10. However for the extra $100 for the TP 22, my tiller pilot interfaced with NMEA 2000 and allowed me to integrate with my Simrad instruments directly, and gave me steer to wind.

I hear a lot people talk about "balancing" the sailplan and that is of COURSE true. I have never had the luxury of sailing in a venue where the winds were steady and predictable. I sail mountain lakes, and puffs/gusts and oscillations aren't nearly as predictable as they might be in more open waters. So no matter what you want to do, setting perfect trim is an exception not the rule, so a bungee just doesn't cut it. At best you have about 30 seconds that a bungee works in the venues I sail in. To truly single hand, I need a tiller pilot to buy me time to reef, or change cars, or headsails or frankly run to the head.

The short video I posted was the TP 22 under load, on the S2 7.9 upwind with about 15 degree of heel. The winds were gusting, and it was a high traffic day on the lake (hence why I was saying I had to dump the video and watch where I was going - a power boater cut me off). But for the length of the video you see the tiller pilot actively adjusting to wind changes and water/chop, keeping me on course.

I find the tiller pilots stink in light air and downwind. It takes the units a bit to get used to steering under the sails, especially with spinnaker up, as the steering motion is backwards from sailing upwind when the boat starts to round up/down.

As for power they use. I cannot state exactly how much but, will say this. I had a standard group 24 battery on my boat, with my Simrad instruments for wind/depth/speed, and the TP22, and a radio blaring out music running and could sail all day long, using the tiller pilot at least 50 percent of the time and still have plenty of battery left to turn on running lights and make my way home for the 1 drive back to the dock. 2 days in a row of that, I'd probably lose my radio or TP... so one needs to recharge daily.

The TP 22 uses more power than the TP10 or the ST1000+, the ST2000+ uses about the same as the TP 22.
I just purchased an S2 7.9 again, and it has instruments aboard. Depending on what brand they are, will dictate what brand tiller pilot I get. If the instruments are Nexus, B&G or Simrad, I will get a SIMRAD TP, if they are Raymarine I will get a Raymarine tiller pilot.