Auto-pilot

[rogerschwake]

  Just received my Simrad auto-pilot in the mail. Has anyone else installed this unit on there Sun Cat. Any sugestions on installation would be apreaceated.

  Thanks ROGER

[Joseph]

My SC had a Raymarine ST-1000 installed before she left the Hutchins' shop. I am not too familiar with the Simrad line of tiller autopilots (is it a TP10?) but its principle and operation should not be too different than those of the ST-1000.

The ST works superbly as long as the boat has steering and she responds by correcting course without the tiller reaching the maximum angle allowed by the bar of the autopilot. It is of great help when singlehanded for leaving the helm for a short while or for keeping the boat head-to-wind under motor (i.e., while hoisting or dousing the sail),  so much, that I have promoted the ST to the rank of First-Mate and even refer to it as Steve-Theodore...    

The unit has to operate parallel to the transom while levelled with the boat.  In my boat the ST-100 pivots at the aft end of the starboard coaming and reaches horizontally, perpendicular to the centred tiller. Levelling was achieved with the aid of a special bracket made by Gerry to be bolted on top of the tiller. This bracket is not without its own troubles... Small felt-pads had to be used to prevent it from hitting against the transom, and if not careful, it will try to catch the sagging mainsheet when tacking of gybing. It also tends to rub against the bimini when this one is folded aft, something easily solved by folding the bimini forward.

Hope this helps.

J.

[frank]

Any pictures of the install??

[Joseph]

Ok, here are some pictures...  Sassy is hibernating inside a sealed barn and I wouldn't dare disturbing her sleep... but here are some images taken during one of her last adventures.

On the first picture, on the inside of the starboard coaming you can see the electric plug for the power cord of the ST-1000. On the first two pics the bimini was folded forward and was resting on top of the roof of the cabin. (The loose bitter end of the Sportyak painter should not have been resting on top of the autopilot... but those things happen).

The bracket is best seen on the last picture. It is shaped like a "Z" with the middle part in the opposite ("\") inclination. The top portion has the pin to which the arm of the autopilot connects, and the bottom part is bolted to the tiller via two long screws.  In that last picture the bimini is folded aft and, had it not been held up with the black line hanging from the gallows, it would have interfered with the movement of the tiller.

Hope this helps. Let me know if there is still need for further details.

J.







J.

[Joseph]

Hitchhiker's "Mermaid" also had an autopilot installed (I believe an ST). (Google "Hitchhiker" and "SunCat" and you'd be able to find some his superb videos in Youtube...).

His was connected at a slant directly from the top of the coaming to the top of tiller (i.e., no bracket), and it seemed to work well. However extreme inclined positions may affect the accuracy of the autopilot fluxgate compass.

J.

[rogerschwake]

It's good to hear that I'm not the only one out hear that tough of putting a auto-pilot on a SunCat. The pictures were a big help, thanks. I'm not sure what size wiring to run back to the plug. The wire coming out of the auto-pilot is very small. Well thanks again and I'll keep you informed on how things work out.

ROGER