Pelagic Auto Pilots?

[Sailshabby]

Anyone have experience with Pelagic? I have a 20,000 pound tiller boat and am looking for a decent auto pilot. Thanks.

[Strait Shooter]

I really wish I could help you, but I'm trying to decide whether to use their equipment or not myself.
I just responded as a way of asking again..........anyone?

[pdxsailordiver]

Thought I was the only one looking for an autopilot. 42' 20k lb tiller.

Tim Hryciw
S/V Maria Victoria

[Nicholson58]

We are 35 Tons. 58 feet. Simrad the Sailor drives our boat a lot. I pretty much gave up on non-electric wind systems. The critical discussion with the admiral compared the cost of an Aux-wind rudder system with diesel or solar to charge the batteries. She is right. We are just too big.

[Strait Shooter]

I'm 18 tons of double ended boat with a tiller.
I've decided I AM going to go with the Pelagic autopilot system.

I'm going to the Seattle Boat Show this weekend to see if I can cut a good deal on a new monitor windvane to go with it.

It's a pretty affordable system, and meets my needs perfectly.




On edit, the Pelagic seems like an affordable system, the monitor not so much.

[Strait Shooter]

www.pelagicautopilots.com

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Strait Shooter

www.pelagicautopilots.com

I cant get that link to work. Is it still valid?

[Simonsays]

PelagicAutopilot | Sailing Autopilot Technologies

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Simonsays

PelagicAutopilot | Sailing Autopilot Technologies

that works. As soon as the Australian dollar rises a bit ill be getting one as a spare for mine.

[Simonsays]

dunno, send him a PM here on the forum and try to work something out?

[Vipe6]

I've been looking at the specs of this Pelagic and it seems it can only talk to a wind instrument, not the GPS. I'm personally very satisfied with the Bcalmxp autopilot ( B-CALMXP intelligent Sailpilot ) connected to a Jefa drive. This Bcalmxp has bluetooth and you can use an android phone as remote control. It also has a MOB function where it puts the tiller hard over when the bluetooth connection is lost. When motoring it cuts the engine. I have tested this and it works great.

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by Vipe6

I've been looking at the specs of this Pelagic and it seems it can only talk to a wind instrument, not the GPS. I'm personally very satisfied with the Bcalmxp autopilot ( B-CALMXP intelligent Sailpilot ) connected to a Jefa drive.

That's not true. The Pelagic steers to a wind course, or a gps course. I don't think an exposed TP22, "stripped of it's electronics" is what I want on a heavy displacement sailboat, and I don't understand why it wouldn't be attached to the windvane, instead of the tiller. The limitation of the actuator in that scenario is something I've been trying to avoid.

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by Simonsays

dunno, send him a PM here on the forum and try to work something out?

I hadn't thought about that, thanks..........

[Vipe6]

Then I misinterpreted the fact that the Pelagic was not to be connected to the navigation network (says so in the faq) The Bcalmxp can be connected to any drive, not only a simrad. I connected mine to a Jefa linear drive which works great. Steering is noiseless and the Bcalmxp commands the drive using between 6% to 100% current.

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by Vipe6

Then I misinterpreted the fact that the Pelagic was not to be connected to the navigation network (says so in the faq) The Bcalmxp can be connected to any drive, not only a simrad. I connected mine to a Jefa linear drive which works great. Steering is noiseless and the Bcalmxp commands the drive using between 6% to 100% current.

Yes, I see that the Jefa actuator is much better than the tp22. Why do they not attach the tiller pilot to the windvane though?
I prefer to not have the AP system connected to my nav network, I like the stand alone aspects of a system like this. Point and click navigation isn't for me. I'm to paranoid.

It seems that both systems are the same in principal. The Pelagic AP is using Bosch AP hardware in their system, which I appreciate.

I'm going to go with the Pelagic due to proximity to the manufacturer as well. I'm also going to guess that I'd almost need an interpreter to talk to the Bcalmxp folks.

To bad the big players haven't done squat for their tiller pilot customers for decades. Shame on their managers.

I also tried to talk Will Hamm of WH Autopilots into building a system like these, he wasn't interested at the time.