Re: M_Boats: Pondering a tiller pilot
I have a ST-1000 that I transferred from my WWP-19 and I could not live with out it. I do not have the GPS tied into it I just use it as my "crew" when I am pulling up fenders, making sail adjustments, or as you suggest letting it steer while I take in the view. The unit does have a tacking function which would also be great for singlehanding, but I have not been able to get that feature to work so far. For just holding a cource the unit works great, and only gets chalanging in a following sea. Not too hard to install, there are various brackets and hardware you can get to set it up just right. Jim Ellsworth M-17 #603 Grace -----Original Message-----
From: Gordon Gilbert <Gordon@FinancialWriting.net> Sent: Nov 17, 2009 10:33 AM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: M_Boats: Pondering a tiller pilot
One of the upgrades I've been considering for my M-17 is a tiller pilot. However, I have mixed feelings about such a device as I enjoy the intimacy with the water environment a small craft allows--and I wonder if too much "automation" will detract from that. Plus, I believe in the KISS approach to boat-keeping. But on a couple of cruises this past summer I had some long stretches of motoring (six hours returning from Isle Royale) or hours-long no-tacking sailing legs where a tiller pilot would have allowed me to brew a cup of joe or make a sandwich or just enjoy the view from the boat's bow.
Having said all of that, I'm curious as to how many Monty owners have installed tiller pilots on their boats. If you have, what brand did you choose, how did the installation go and how has it worked out? Does the pilot work well? Do you use it as much as you anticipated? I would enjoy getting your input, advice or opinions. Thanks!
Gordon '83 M-17 #377 "Sapphire" Milwaukee, WI
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Jim, How much battery power do you have to run the ST1000? I always thought that tiller pilots were resource hogs. How long can you run with one on. When you don't use the ST1000 can you leave it attached and still hand steer or do you have to uncouple it?? I have the Tiller Tamer and I use it all the time. Never know when something unexpected pops up and you have to let go the tiller. I keep mine tensioned just enough to keep a course but still hand steer. Joe ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Ellsworth" <j_ellsworth@earthlink.net> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com>; "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 1:59 PM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Pondering a tiller pilot
I have a ST-1000 that I transferred from my WWP-19 and I could not live with out it.
I do not have the GPS tied into it I just use it as my "crew" when I am pulling up fenders, making sail adjustments, or as you suggest letting it steer while I take in the view.
The unit does have a tacking function which would also be great for singlehanding, but I have not been able to get that feature to work so far.
For just holding a cource the unit works great, and only gets chalanging in a following sea.
Not too hard to install, there are various brackets and hardware you can get to set it up just right.
Jim Ellsworth M-17 #603 Grace
-----Original Message-----
From: Gordon Gilbert <Gordon@FinancialWriting.net> Sent: Nov 17, 2009 10:33 AM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: M_Boats: Pondering a tiller pilot
One of the upgrades I've been considering for my M-17 is a tiller pilot. However, I have mixed feelings about such a device as I enjoy the intimacy with the water environment a small craft allows--and I wonder if too much "automation" will detract from that. Plus, I believe in the KISS approach to boat-keeping. But on a couple of cruises this past summer I had some long stretches of motoring (six hours returning from Isle Royale) or hours-long no-tacking sailing legs where a tiller pilot would have allowed me to brew a cup of joe or make a sandwich or just enjoy the view from the boat's bow.
Having said all of that, I'm curious as to how many Monty owners have installed tiller pilots on their boats. If you have, what brand did you choose, how did the installation go and how has it worked out? Does the pilot work well? Do you use it as much as you anticipated? I would enjoy getting your input, advice or opinions. Thanks!
Gordon '83 M-17 #377 "Sapphire" Milwaukee, WI
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I use the ST-1000 on my M17 and love it. I use it both when motoring and when sailing, though its ability to keep the boat on track downwind with a following sea is pretty poor (lots of oversteering)...that's not surprising though. I have the same problem when I'm steering by hand. I don't have the manual in front of me, but I think max current draw is 1A, and that's when it is working really hard, constantly adjusting. Most of the time, it just clicks a tiny bit in and out, and you can adjust the sensitivity to make sure it doesn't over correct. The installation was pretty easy, like Jim said. When I'm not using it, it just hangs below the tiller and flops around a bit. I suppose I could add another pin on top of the transom and set it on a fixed point when not in use, but that would mean yet another hole in boat. Bad. Matt M17, Lily San Diego
Joe, I have an ST1000 on Miss T, my M17 and wouldn't leave home without it. For singlehanding is is a real asset. When I sailed to the Dry Tortugas I used it extensively; it allowed me to move about the boat and still keep on course. It works best on the wind or on a reach, with a following sea is tends to work a lot. I was also using a GPS, and VHF but no didn't have a depth sounder at the time. There is just the one group 24 battery on the boat but I also have a felxible solar panel that more than kept up with the current drain. That was in very sunny weather, but it also kept up with the drain when sailing down the Chesapeake from Annopolis to Soloman Island on a cloudy day. I bought the solar panel in the late 1990s and I don't remember what the current output is but it is a small panel and still is working. I tried various Tiller Tamer systems and they all worked fairly well in various conditions, but the ST1000 held a better course and was much easier to use: just hook it to the tiller, punch in the course and make SURE there isn't anything in the way along that course for it will take you straight down that line. I did have a problem with it one time when it was 5 years old, the weatherproofing failed and the electronics fried. I sent the unit to Raytheon (before they became Raymarine) and they replaced the electronice and intalled a better wetaherproofing system and charged me only $150. They even paid for the shipping. That was 6 years ago and it is still working well. Another time I thought I had another problem when it stoped working but found out the culprit was in the boat wiring on. All in all I and very happy witht the St1000 and always have it on the boat when I cruise. I like to steer, but I also like to be able to keep sailing along the course while I do other things - like trying to learn how to use a sextant to get a fix while cruising in the keys. That was a steep learning curve, I found I was sailing in the middle of Cuba! John Edwards -----Original Message----- From: Joe Murphy <seagray@embarqmail.com> To: Jim Ellsworth <j_ellsworth@earthlink.net>; For and about Montgomery Sailboats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tue, Nov 17, 2009 4:27 pm Subject: Re: M_Boats: Pondering a tiller pilot Jim, How much battery power do you have to run the ST1000? I always thought that tiller pilots were resource hogs. How long can you run with one on. When you don't use the ST1000 can you leave it attached and still hand steer or do you have to uncouple it?? I have the Tiller Tamer and I use it all the time. Never know when something unexpected pops up and you have to let go the tiller. I keep mine tensioned just enough to keep a course but still hand steer. Joe ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Ellsworth" <j_ellsworth@earthlink.net> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com>; "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 1:59 PM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Pondering a tiller pilot
I have a ST-1000 that I transferred from my WWP-19 and I could not live >with out it.
I do not have the GPS tied into it I just use it as my "crew" when I am > pulling up fenders, making sail adjustments, or as you suggest letting it > steer while I take in the view.
The unit does have a tacking function which would also be great for > singlehanding, but I have not been able to get that feature to work so > far.
For just holding a cource the unit works great, and only gets chalanging > in a following sea.
Not too hard to install, there are various brackets and hardware you can > get to set it up just right.
Jim Ellsworth M-17 #603 Grace
-----Original Message-----
From: Gordon Gilbert <Gordon@FinancialWriting.net> Sent: Nov 17, 2009 10:33 AM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats >><montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: M_Boats: Pondering a tiller pilot
One of the upgrades I've been considering for my M-17 is a tiller pilot. >>However, I have mixed feelings about such a device as I enjoy the intimacy >>with the water environment a small craft allows--and I wonder if too >>much "automation" will detract from that. Plus, I believe in the KISS >>approach to boat-keeping. But on a couple of cruises this past summer I >>had some long stretches of motoring (six hours returning from Isle Royale) >>or hours-long no-tacking sailing legs where a tiller pilot would have >>allowed me to brew a cup of joe or make a sandwich or just enjoy the view >>from the boat's bow.
Having said all of that, I'm curious as to how many Monty owners have >>installed tiller pilots on their boats. If you have, what brand did you >>choose, how did the installation go and how has it worked out? Does the >>pilot work well? Do you use it as much as you anticipated? I would enjoy >>getting your input, advice or opinions. Thanks!
Gordon '83 M-17 #377 "Sapphire" Milwaukee, WI
_______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet!
_______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet!
http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet!
participants (4)
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Jim Ellsworth -
Joe Murphy -
matt.marx＠cox.net -
saltm17＠aol.com