Tiller Pilot for E29

[CapnRob85]

Hi all,

I have a 1971 E29 with tiller and have done some coastal sailing with 6-8 hours on the tiller, wanting to do longer multi day voyages and now realizing a tiller pilot is in order.

Has anyone installed a Raymarine ST1000+ or ST2000+ on an E29 and if so do you have any mounting recommendations?

Also generally would like to know if anyone has notes on experiences using these tiller pilots without any connection to wind, speed, or nav devices, since I’m planning to use this to set a heading manually based on my handheld gps. Does the internal compass on these really keep the heading?

Finally, my tiller has always felt a little loose on the rudder, where there is a 1” back and forth on the tip of the tiller where it doesn’t feel like the rudder is tracking… there is some vertical play on the tiller lower bracket by the mount and when pulled up and out away from the hull about 1cm, the play in the tiller goes away. I’ve tried installing rubber gaskets to keep the bracket higher and it makes everything solid, but they keep wearing out and falling off. At first I thought this was a loose rudder but I’ve inspected it and seems firm, plus I’ve sailed it for 3 years in strong winds and nothing has broken yet. All in all, I mention this because I’m wondering if a tiller pilot is going to be putting more force on the tiller and if this is going to potentially cause problems with a tiller that has some play in it, or potentially wear out and break faster.

Any and all insights would be much appreciated!

- Rob

 

[Marlin Prowell]

I installed a ST2000+ on a San Juan 28. I picked the ST2000+ for its faster response time. I used a Cantilever Mounting Socket for mounting the tiller pilot to the cockpit wall. This worked well, but the rod extended over the lazarette lid, so I couldn’t open the lazarette when the tiller pilot was mounted.

Using the compass on the tiller pilot worked fine. The ST1000+ or ST2000+ support NMEA 0183 inputs, and I used my ST2000+ with a handheld GPS, a (now ancient but still working) Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx. I used a Ram mount and mounted the GPS right inside the companionway. The 76CSx had marine charts and I could set up routes on the device. It required a two wire connection to the tiller pilot socket. The GPS would then steer the tiller pilot to follow the route in the GPS. If your handheld GPS has NMEA 0183 outputs and routing capability, you could do the same.

The advantage of using the GPS routing capability is that it corrects for current and wind. Here in the San Juan Islands that matters. It keeps you on a straight line from A to B, which can sometimes mean steering 10 or 20 degrees off the compass heading.

The tiller pilot won’t know about your loose tiller. It will push or pull the tiller as needed to steer the boat. If the rudder moves while holding the tiller still, then the tiller pilot will try to compensate when you go off course.

 

[gabriel]

I would also look at the unit made by pelagic. From my understanding it is ‘smarter’ at keeping course under sail than raymarine (without data from wind instrument). It also uses an off the shelf actuator which you can purchase separately. User Alan Gomes has experience with tiller pilots and I believe he’s owned the pelagic, maybe reach out to him.

 

[Elgyn]

I have a 2000 on my E29. It came with the boat when i bought it. Not a fan of those all in one units. My experience is they tend to last a year or two and then pack it in. It's fine for motoring but under sail it can't keep up. The plan is to use it for the rest of the summer then pick up a Pelagic and keep it as a backup. Up here the cost for a Pelagic isn't that much more than a 2000 and even less when given the cost of replacing a 2000 every couple years

 

[K2MSmith]

I have a Simrad T32 on my E33. It works pretty well but I don’t like tiller pilots in general because they have no clutch and can’t be engaged/disengaged at the push of a button . A below deck AP with a control panel can be engaged/disengaged electronically and is expensive but w worthwhile investment if you sail mostly single-handed . A pelagic tiller pilot with s remote is probably an upgrade from what I have but is still not as good as a below deck system.

 

[Gaviate]

Finally, my tiller has always felt a little loose on the rudder, where there is a 1” back and forth on the tip of the tiller where it doesn’t feel like the rudder is tracking…

My 27 has similar play which I've diagnosed as worn yoke where tiller attaches to rudder post, combined with worn thru-bolt hole in rudder post top. This relatively small amount translates into inch or more at tip of tiller 3 1/2 ft. away! I've remedied it somewhat with a couple of washers, as spacers, to tighten up yoke on post but haven't solved the worn hole problem just yet.
As you say, rudder here is solid and no worries whatsoever during use. A little disconcerting during docking maneuvers but I've gotten used to it and now compensate automatically.

 

[Christian Williams]

without any connection to wind, speed, or nav devices,

On my boat nothing is connected to anything. With a wheel pilot, if the wind shifts, then the sails and maybe the course need to be adjusted. With a wind vane, the boat automatically changes its course according to wind shifts, like it or not.

In both cases I just make the necessary course or sail plan alterations, and I don't see how that can be avoided.

But I'm probably just missing something, since sensors are popular.