EV100 tiller pilot... dumb question time

[LBD 172]

Does anyone have experience with a Raymarine EV100 tiller pilot set up?

"Does one need to remove the actuator from the tiller to steer the boat when the pilot is turned off ?"

 

 

[Norwegian Blue 11]

No, you can still steer but I don't make any wild movements on the tiller.

[Bradz 19]

7 minutes ago, Norwegian Blue said:

No, you can still steer but I don't make any wild movements on the tiller.

As above, you are limited to the stroke of the unit combined with resistance of drive in standby mode.

[LBD 172]

Okay so pootling around bays and marina I would leave it disconnected and when making a longer passage or when I want to raise sails alone, I hook it up.

Thanks 

[B00B00 320]

If you are talking about the ST4000 tiller drive that goes with the EV100 then no you can't really steer the boat with it attached. 

It will move a small amount but not enough to actually steer a boat properly. 

[LBD 172]

Thanks for the replies guys... I have been pondering this problem and also how to manage the aesthetics on a somewhat classic timber boat.

Thinking I will go with a below deck hydraulic cylinder acting on a bell crank arrangement with a shaft through the deck then an arm and link to the tiller.

The cylinder will have a simple bypass solenoid valve ... putting pilot in standby or turn off, opens the valve and hand steer away.... maybe. 

 

[K4309 371]

37 minutes ago, LBD said:

Thanks for the replies guys... I have been pondering this problem and also how to manage the aesthetics on a somewhat classic timber boat.

Thinking I will go with a below deck hydraulic cylinder acting on a bell crank arrangement with a shaft through the deck then an arm and link to the tiller.

The cylinder will have a simple bypass solenoid valve ... putting pilot in standby or turn off, opens the valve and hand steer away.... maybe. 

 

I've done something similar to this. 40 yr old kauri log, tiller steering.

Have an under deck hydraulic pump (Octopus) running a ram in the lazerette. We have a short steel arm coming off the back of the tiller to rudder stock block (into a slot into the lazerette). The ram is in a sealed box in the lazerette.

When the AP is off steering is basically unimpeded. It is a tad heavier than when the hydraulic ram is not connected to the tiller, but is perfectly manageable, noting it is super light in the first place. 

This gives us the ability to have a powerful and reliable hydraulic autopilot on our tiller steered 37 fter, without the previous arrangement of an electrically actuated tiller ram above deck that needed to be manually connected to the tiller every time we went to use it, and was exposed to the elements, a bit underpowered and overall a fairly hopeless set up (no rudder angle feedback, so very slow and random course response).

Our electronics package is Nexus, but I don't think that influences the hydraulic ram or pump, which were octopus brand. I think they are a generic aftermarket gear that half the other AP packs put their label on anyway. The ram has a rudder angle sensor attached, which is the key info the course computer needs to make the rest of it work properly (along with 9 axis solid state compass and other such heading / wind inputs).