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+--- Thread: [LW] [LW11] Inboard autopilot for tiller-steered 32 footer? (/showthread.php?tid=9438)
[LW11] Inboard autopilot for tiller-steered 32 footer? - martinem - 09-03-19 02:37 PM
Hi. My Autohelm (ST4000 i think) with a cockpit tiller drive unit is getting old and i need to replace it för reliability. I wonder if an inboard drive unit such as the EV-200 might fit the purpose. I think that the inboard model will leave the cockpit free from the tiller and that the higher than necessary specifications will increase its reliability and ability to steer in rough seas. Or am I wrong? Will the oversized actuator risk instability, battery drain or something?
My next question is how the drive unit works while not activated. Will I sense some force from the drive unit while steeriing manually?
My boat is an Hallber-Rassy 31, 32 feet long, weighing 4,5 tonnes, with a 19 Hp engine, and 56 square meters of sail.
Best regards,
Martin Essen-Möller, Stockholm
RE: [LW11] Inboard autopilot for tiller-steered 32 footer? - Louise - Raymarine - Moderator - 09-12-19 04:20 AM
Dear martinem,
Yes the EV200 Evolution Pilot with a T1 12v Linear drive unit should be fine for your HR 31. This is an inboard pilot system with a drive unit coupled directly to the rudder quadrant and as you say will free up the cockpit and make operating the pilot very simple. Just a matter of pressing the Auto key and the Pilot will engage the drive and steer to a course, wind angle or waypoint.
This is very different to the cockpit tiller pilot as it is a autopilot and drive unit designed for blue water and long distance sailing. The drive unit will certainly draw a bit more current from the batter but general running would be about 2 to 3 Amps over a duty cycle of about a quarter drive within an hour.
The evolution pilot is designed around the EV1 heading sensor and course computer and uses an AHRS device incorporating a solid state magnetometer which replaces the fluxgate compass and gives an accurate fast and stable heading. The EV1 also incorporates a Gyro which sense pitch and roll and an accelerometer which is use to sense yaw. This information we use to stabilise the heading and sense and instantly react to the boats motion due to weather and sea conditions. We integrate this data to produce a pilot model that will accurately steer your boat in most sea and helm conditions.
The part number for the complete EV200 system is T70158 and details can be found here.
Many Thanks
Louise