Tiller autopilot for 43' steel sailboat, 18tn

[fabilink]

Hi everyone.
I am looking for opinions about any option for a tiller autopilot for my boat. It is a 1990 Holland & Pye 43' in steel.
What brands/model do you consider? I have read of some brands but would like to hear opinions...
I have a below deck AP and also a windvane (on which I will add a Raymarine connected to the vane control).
I want a second reliable tiller AP just in case.
Thanks

PS: https://www.yachtbroker-charters.com...an-pye-43.html

[coopec43]

People would have to know the design of the yacht to express an opinion.

Is it a long keel? Balanced rudder? Skeg? Size of rudder?

[fabilink]

Fair!!!
Perhaps this is helpful!

https://www.yachtbroker-charters.com...an-pye-43.html

I don't have the info you ask with me... perhaps in 15 days... but anyway this can be useful...
Thanks you for your answer!!!

PS: I am not looking for a definitive answer just want to know some guidelines on brands/models to consider for further searching thx...

[Celestialsailor]

Maybe this one... https://pelagicautopilot.com/

[fabilink]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Maybe this one... https://pelagicautopilot.com/

Yes i have heard about them... but I found a lot of different opinions...
I remember a manufacturer in Seattle or Northern California, Whale Autopilot or something... I can not find info about them...

Thanks for your answer!!!

[fabilink]

Finally I remember... W-H Autopilot.
Are they still in business?
Thanks

[double u]

"... Holland & Pye..."
no Benetton?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by fabilink

Finally I remember... W-H Autopilot.
Are they still in business?
Thanks

I checked a few months ago and seems like they are out of business.

[CarinaPDX]

No tillerpilot that I know of is rated for that displacement. However, with the spade rudder the loads might be small enough to use a tillerpilot with a large drive unit. RayMarine and Simrad are not rated for anything like that and I do not think would make a great backup. Pelagic offers a large servo that would be your best option as it has more power and the system is simple and independent of other electronics. and also affordable it that matters to you. Your below decks AP should be very reliable and for an ocean crossing the wind vane is the preferred solution. I would look first at the maintenance of the below decks AP and for any spares, then the cockpit tillerpilot. Any tillerpilot should be able to work with the wind vane for amplifying the power of the AP, but the loss of the windvane function (specifically the pendulum, trim tab, or auxiliary rudder) will also mean the AP won't work this way. (It happened to me in mid-Atlantic with the loss of the trim tab, which meant that the AP had to steer through the main tiller - and repeatedly broke. I was rebuilding drives as we went. Better to have a strong AP on the tiller as backup.) Realistically you should use the windvane for passages and the below-decks AP will be backup. The tillerpilot is unlikely to be used, but if you want one get the Pelagic with the large servo.

Greg

[fabilink]

Excellent!!!
Thanks for your answer!!!

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by fabilink

Excellent!!!
Thanks for your answer!!!

Your boat is fin keel and skeg rudder. While it is on the heavy side a small tiller pilot will steer the boat in light winds or motoring. You will rely on your below deck AP and, more often, the windvane, but for a "get to port" backup the tiller pilot will serve.

We use a Raymarine EV-100 Tiller unit on our 43' boat. It is light duty only but it's the only autopilot we have and it or it's predecessor have been all we've needed for 35 years.

You could add a Raymarine hydraulic pump and drive unit to this package and it would do better in wind or waves.

[Mike OReilly]

I'm not recommending this, but I use the Raymarine SPX-5 GP on my 15 ton boat and it has not failed me yet. I tend to use it for light duty only; we have a windvane which gets use under sail most of the time. But there has been occasions when I've used this RM for extended periods (6+ hrs) under heavy conditions. It has not failed me.

My boat has a barn-door rudder, tiller-driven. It is well balanced.

If I were buying a new TP I'd probably go with a Pelagic, but so far the RM has exceeded my expectations.

[Scorpius]

Scorpius has a barn door, tiller-steered rudder with a 4" wide trim tab hinged down the trailing edge. There's a short (about 14") tiller on the trim tab that goes straight out to the port side. Then an Autohelm 2000 (made for a MUCH smaller boat) forms the hypotenuse of the triangle operating beween the main tiller and the trim tab tiller. It has steered the boat beautifully for the past 30 years. It just rattles around and draws almost no power as it is only steering the trim tab - which steers the big rudder - which steers Scorpius. Works like a charm.

[Scorpius]

More: The Autohelm 2000 has a separate control head which contains the flux-gate compass. This is critical on a steel boat because the flux-gate compass must be located at least three feet away from any significant steel in order to function properly. Mine is mounted up in the Bimini structure which is fabricated in aluminum.