Auto Pilot: What has worked for you?

[j&lgray]

Hey Tugnutters!

The Laurie Ann is going to get an auto pilot in the near future and we would like to know what has worked for you. We have all Raymarine products and therefore will limit our model selection to that manufacturer so the interfaces work well.

We know that our boating buddy is very, very happy with the S1000 model. This is a bare bones auto pilot for 25 feet and under boats of the tug's class. When I used the model selection guide on the Raymarine website, it chose this one. It does not have a gyro, a rudder indicator nor a fluxgate compass and gets it bearings from the GPS. It does not have a mounted display unit and relies completely on a handheld, wireless, remote control unit; thus no dash room issues. It is quite affordable and easy to install being marketed to the do-it-yourself-ers market. The one drawback is that we can hear the drive unit, the hydraulic pump, working-its a noise factor.

The S1 model a step up from the S1000 and without the gyro feature is now discontinued and the prices for them are cheap! It has a different and larger hydraulic pump than the S1000. The downside of this model and the S1G and all the others is the requirement of a control module. This the display unit that has the controls on it. If you have one, where is this mounted? If it is on the upper unit above the dash, does this really work for you there? With our vision issues, this may be a real neck bender to see through our glasses!

The S1G and the new models all have a gyro mounted on a bulkhead, a rudder indicator (with wiring running from the stern to the dash and fluxgate compass plus the control head and the computer brains. The advantages of this technology are well established and these units have gone on much larger boats than ours. Though we are accomplished do-it-yourself-ers (who did all the electronics install on the Laurie Ann), we would probably have the factory do the install on this.

So, for those of you who have the Raymarine auto pilot, what model do you have and what are your compliments and what are the minor nuisances that you accept?

 

[captain's cat]

We've got the S1000 on Captain's Cat (TC255) I too, was concerned about the noise. And about the ability to steer twins with two hydraulic cylinders. (not a problem BTW) Actually, you get used to the sounds very quickly (and will be less apparent with the diesel noise) and it let's you know it's working.... Have a lot of fun with folks who don't know the control is in my pocket and telling them the boat has "Voice Controlled Steering". I let them "steer", with commands like "Boat, go Right!". I think my grandkids still believe it...

We too, are all Raymarine. it steers to courses/tracks on the E-80 just fine, and to waypoints and to the cursor. It's great not to "mind the helm" 100% of the time!

Charlie

 

[notaclue]

john and laurie, we have the st6002 smart pilot with a raymarine chart plotter. the ability to make course adjustments in 10 degree increments makes cruising a lot easier the auto pilot does a much better job of steering the boat than we can. the rudder indicator only comes in handy when leaving the slip... don't know if this helps but at least its info,, skipper steve we got no clue

 

[Gregg]

Hi John
Installed on LG is a S1G system. With it is the ST6002 control head and a s100 remote. the pump is installed at the stern beside the fuel tank and is very quiet, (at the helm the pump cannot be hear at all). The system works great. the boat tracks straight under normal cruise settings (2400-2600 rpm) in calm to moderately choppy seas. Above that power setting, the boat tends to oscillate or "swim" a bit, (in fairness though, I have yet to "teach" the system about my boat which may reduce this effect). The remote is very advantageous. I was intially skeptical on this but I found the remote to be very handy when out alone and having to leave the helm to secure lines, etc. It's great being able to go forward and having the means to change course, if needed.


Gregg

 

[rt11002003]

Gregg,

My R-21 EC is manual steering, I think. Looked like a cable running to the bellcrank on the the rudder post.

Are you saying you have a hydraulic pump driving your self steering?

Gene

 

[captain's cat]

Greg, they may have had cable manual steering on early R 21's, I'd be surprised if the 21 ECs did though. take a look behind your helm and see if you see cables wrapped around a drum or a cable going into a sleeve. That's manual. If you see a round black thing with two hoses coming out of it, it's hydraulic, either Baystar or Seastar. What you see on the rudder head may be the end of a hydraulic cylinder.

Charlie

 

[bbrh842]

We have Raymarine on Tug O' War but I don't know what model it is. The hydraulic pump is in the compartment at the stern so noise is not an issue. The controller is up high on the overhead where it is not easy to see but it's good enough. I hightly recommend it. In addition to all the usual stuff, you can set a way point in your chart plotter, and the autopilot will drive the boat there while you take a nap.

 

[captain's cat]

you can set a way point in your chart plotter, and the autopilot will drive the boat there while you take a nap.

I'm sure this is just an offhand comment 😱 but if not, that's how lots of accidents happen. A big boat recently ran aground in the PNY while the owner was snoozing. He blamed it on the autopilot but it took him exactly where he told it to...

Charlie

 

[bbrh842]

Captain Charlie,

You are joking, aren't you?

I HAVE been known to go to sleep while single handing in the middle of the ocean.

Captain Mike.

 

[Gregg]

Gene,
We removed the mechanical steering and replaced it with hydraulic. Sorry, I should have mentioned that in my first post. We had originally planned to put in the new Raymarine sportpilot, but because of the way it extended the helm , it made sitting on the seat (more) challenging. We tried a few ideas to make it work, including tilt steering, but in the end it just didn't work for me.
By changing the helm I actually managed to get more leg room than what I had with the stock system. Certainly it was a more expensive option than what was originally planned, but the new system works great.

Gregg

 

[CaptMac]

We've got the S1G / 6002 on Island Ranger -

I like having the flux gate compass to steer, rather than using the GPS
The hydraulics are in the starboard cockpit floor locker - can't hear them
The display is mounted lower left - agree it is not readily accessable, but it doesn't need to be. Engage/disengage all can be done from the C-120 screen

Performance is very different on Island Ranger (inboard single screw, small rudder) as compared to an outboard. I had an S1G on my C-Dory - it would hold a course within inches it seemed. The R-25 doesn't do that....

Mac

 

[captain's cat]

Captain Charlie,

You are joking, aren't you?

I HAVE been known to go to sleep while single handing in the middle of the ocean.

Captain Mike.

No I wasn't joking, glad to find out you were! The only time I went to sleep underway was very infrequently in the middle of the night as Chief Engineer on a Destroyer (they kept waking me up) or as a Boiler Officer on an Aircraft Carrier. I found cat naps were very efficient, frequently went to sleep in the wardroom waiting for a seat to free up at the next sitting. :lol:

Charlie

 

[tor2ga2]

I'm in the market for an AP. I had a simple system on a 22' C-Dory that worked faultlessly. It was a 30 minute installation and was just a drive unit that fit right over the wheel shaft and a remote compass. Just put her on your selected course, move a lever to tighten the clutch around the shaft and relax. I don't remember the name but I'm still looking. It would work well on the 21 with the push/pull cable system. If anyone knows of the system or one that will work for holding course, without all the bells and whistles please let me know.

terry
TORTUGATOO
'04 21'

 

[Gregg]

Terry
that sounds like the old style Raymarine sportpilot. It's too bad that it's not still around. It seemed to be a really good yet simple autopilot.

 

[Kamalani]

Count me in on the search for a less complex AP system for the R-21. I also had my eye on the Raymarine Sport Pilot, except that I was concerned about the trim collar under the wheel. All the remaining systems seem like overkill for the 21. What would the factory install if a customer were to insist on AP for a R-21?

 

[RICH002]

On RT tug we are using the S1000. It works great! the insallation was a piece of cake. I have owned autopilots with the flux gate and rudder feedback and now this virtual one. This one works just as well and is much easier to install.
One drawback of course is it will not operate without the gps being on and functioning. For us if the gps was down i probably would be hand steering anyway! The pump is loud at first but we quickly got used to it. Our pump is mounted to the bulkhead just forward and lower than the AC Breaker panel. The only thing that did not work out of the kit was the hydraulic hoses they were too short for where i mounted the pump so i made up some new ones about 6 inches longer.
We Believe the Autopilot is the best accesory we have installed to date.

Rich and terry

 

[j&lgray]

Rich and Terry,
Thanks for the info on your S1000. Just so I understand it, your hydraulic pump is not mounted inside the helm station, where all the wire connections are, but perhaps under it and on the side wall? Or, is it inside the wall that contains the AC breaker panel?

As you can see, if I go with the S1000, I am looking for the quietest place for the pump. If you had to do it over again, would you put it in the same place or somewhere else?

 

[RICH002]

Absolutley correct. Under and on the side wall. If i was doing it over i would go to the same place. I added rubber insulation to the hydraulic lines and that did quiet it down a lot. I really don't even hear it any more. There is a posting on this site of the installation of the 6002 ( might be the wrong model) one with the feedback sensor and fluxgate. I put my pump in the same place he did and my remote in the same place. it is an excellent post with GREAT Pictures. I found that post really helpful. Good luck with the auto pilot which ever model you decide on. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Rich & Terry

 

[captain's cat]

If anyone needs extra hose while installing an autopilot or anything, I have a coil of the SeaStar hose left over, about 15-20' long or so that I'll send to anyone that needs it. No cost.

Charlie

 

[j&lgray]

I wanted to close the loop on this topic. We decided upon the Raymarine S1000 wireless autopilot after looking at the options out there. The list price is about $1,200, the internet suppliers had it for about $900 but when we tried to order it, we learned that the model is back ordered from Raymarine with a soft and vague shipping date. I found one on eBay and bought it for $800.

The crew of the Laurie Ann are do it yourself'ers and that was a huge part of the draw for the S1000 because the unit was designed for boats of less than 25 feet and to be installed by the owner. The installation was straight forward and accomplished in about a day. We installed the hydraulic pump in the cabinet with the helm station and mounted the course computer on inside cabinet wall where the VHF radio use to be. We moved the radio to the top of the helm station and love it there.

We put the S1000 through its paces last Sunday in Puget Sound and found it to be everything that we had hoped for. The boat tracks well, the wireless controller is easy to use, and the pump cannot be heard above the Yanmar 110.