Autopilot backup options - wheel steering

[terah]

Our cruising plans for this year are Italy to the UK via the Caribbean on our Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45. As we're looking at two ocean crossing I'd like to have a backup option for the autopilot (main is a Raymarine type 2 linear drive).

If we were planning a more offshore sailing I'd seriously look at a wind vane, but there are plenty other things eating into our budget already. The other options seem to be:

1) Take spares for each part of current system - simple, but pretty expensive
2) Sheet to wheel steering - presumably quite cheap, but not sure where to start with this
3) Separate complete wheel pilot kit - simple and fairly easy to install if needed. Still a bit pricey but could be sold when we finish our trip

Anything else to consider?

[KeelMe]

Raymarine EV-100 is sub $1500. But would likely take a full day, if not two, for most people to install and your boat is likely twice the max displacement of this pilot. Probably not the best idea.

If it were me and I were worried about it, I would buy backups for what I already have.

Ultimately, replacing like for like is going to be the most efficient, cost effective, and reliable option.

You could sell an unused type 2 linear drive fairly easily if you ended up not using it.

[SV Siren]

Drake Paragon really seems to love his CPT autopilot(youtube him)...it is easy to install. I am not sure how easy it would be for your helm design, they seem to hold value pretty well, and don't seem to last long on the used market.

Side note: I plan on installing one on my boat as a primary. From what I understand they use a Bosch window wiper motor as the drive unit, so parts might be easily available. They are highly regarded by those that use one.

[Pete7]

We have the EV100 wheel pilot. It's plastic and on a 31ft yacht coastal cruising a very nice piece of kit at a good price. However, 2 ocean crossings on a 45ft yacht? if you had to rely on it for a long down wind passage I think you would break it. In a mono its a F5 rolly downwind passage, that's lots of work for an AP.

So its a choice of something like the Hydrovane or a complete replacement RM system duplicating what you have now. Given the horrors of having to hand steer across an ocean I would make an investment of one of them with a view of selling on return, used or not. Both the Hydrovane or a complete RM system will fetch good money secondhand even if used. So yes expensive but there is a return at the end of the trip and the safety of a redundant system on board which probably equals the original investment.

Pete

[seandepagnier]

I sailed hundreds of miles on my free software autopilot pypilot.

It cost $175, or openplotter kit is about $100. This has gyro and rate sensors, can be controlled from smartphone, or any tv remote, as well as opencpn plugin.

My motor uses 15 watts, but is averaging 1-2 watts on all courses in 15 knots of wind because most of the time it isn't moving.

I used windshield wiper motor from a car, it cost $25. I think you could use 2 motors for more power on displacement up to 15,000lbs. If the motor is not strong it will work in light air, complimenting a wind vane. It can still work in stronger wind up to a point, but will consume more power if it cannot make fast corrections, and the course will also be worse.

The motor should move rudder full range in 8 seconds, but preferably 5 second or less, and brushed dc motor will do. Old autohelm, simrad, raymarine, and even tillermaster drive units all tested with success. Next month I try hydraulic.

[mbartosch]

Finished a one year cruise with two Atlantic crossings last year.

We did in fact encounter a problem with the autopilot: a bolt connecting the actuator of the linear drive to the rudder quadrant broke while on a shorter passage - luckily NOT on the actual ocean crossing but quite close before we wanted to leave. We were extremely lucky that it did not happen a week later.

Manual steering was still well, but the autopilot would not be able to drive the steering any longer due to this problem. So in this particular case only something attached to the steering wheel (or completely independent of the rudder, like a wind vane) would have saved us.

Spare parts for the auto pilot would not have helped us, what we needed was a 10 mm x 100 m stainless steel bolt and some opportunity to install it. I. e. nothing what can be done when actually sailing.

In the attached images you can see
- the place where the (missing) broken bolt was installed
- the bolt, neatly sheared off


We were able to adjust our itinerary to get back to a rigging shop in St Martin where we identified the problem and got it fixed by the mechanics there.

[KeelMe]

The CPT autopilot is a great option. I didn't realize anyone was currently making these. They aren't fancy, they won't steer you through the marina but they will most certainly get you across an ocean RELIABLY!

I installed a handful of these in the late 90's and I know for a fact at least three of them are still in service.

CPT Autopilot

[hpeer]

With the wind vane option, if you get the right one and plan up front, you can arrange the vane to be driven by a inexpensive tiller pilot in addition to the wind. In that case you have bought 2 backups.

[KeelMe]

Originally Posted by hpeer

With the wind vane option, if you get the right one and plan up front, you can arrange the vane to be driven by a inexpensive tiller pilot in addition to the wind. In that case you have bought 2 backups.

Very true. With a wind vane you can steer a 40,000 pound boat with a Simrad TP10 using less than an amp. I know this because I do it. Well, actually we could use a TP10 but we use a TP22 for the Simnet integration.

[robert sailor]

We purchased a CPT for backup when we crossed the Atlantic and it was so quiet and used so little power all the while holding an excellent course that it became our primary ocean crossing pilot with our hydraulic RayMarine going backup duty.
It's a good way to go because these units can be installed in less than an hour without drilling any holes and are easily sold on the used market when your ocean crossings days are over.
A good friend used one to sail around the world. The little RayMarine unit has a motor around the same size as a standard flashlight battery..,they work fine for weekend coastal sailing but are not built for ocean crossings.
A windvane is also a good option but at much higher costs and more work on the installation.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Friendly Advice Regarding an Autopilot on Passages

1. Get an autopilot if you don't have one.

2. If you do have one, get a second one (or a windvane)

3. Make sure you have balanced your boat (sails) prior to turning on the autopilot, any autopilot, especially if you are in rough conditions, high seas, or sailing down wind on big seas. Do what you need to do to reduce weather helm, so the autopilot is not overworked.

4. Hand steering is fun for a while, but quickly tiring in rough conditions. With a small crew, it can be stressful and exhausting to hand steer hour after hour in high winds or rough seas or downwind.

5. Anticipate some breakage or failure of the autopilot. Have redundancy or parts.

6. A good, robust and reliable autopilot or windvane can be one of the most valuable pieces of equipment on a boat, if you are going long distances with a small crew.
______________

Since the CPT autopilot has been mentioned up above, here is a link to it and cost (as of 2017, it may have changed).

CPT
CPT Autopilot Inc.
Cost = $1895 for Kit

[Ydunlop]

Hi - I have installed a second pilot on my boat (Jeanneau 47) as we are leaving this month for a trip from the Philippines to Australia. I installed a bracket with two 10mm stainless wings on the rudder stock and connected a ram on each side. We have a B&G ram with a Type 3 B&G hydraulic ram with a NAC3 and a Raymarine Type 2 linear drive with it’s own pilot computer. Both of them are not interconnected and independent of each other. I installed a switch to be able to switch from one system to the other without having to install anything - makes the process of switching over a 2 min job at sea.
I also carry some spare connecting bolts for both - having had a few shear in the past.

[Ydunlop]

Originally Posted by Ydunlop

Hi - I have installed a second pilot on my boat (Jeanneau 47) as we are leaving this month for a trip from the Philippines to Australia. I installed a bracket with two 10mm stainless wings on the rudder stock and connected a ram on each side. We have a B&G ram with a Type 3 B&G hydraulic ram with a NAC3 and a Raymarine Type 2 linear drive with it’s own pilot computer. Both of them are not interconnected and independent of each other. I installed a switch to be able to switch from one system to the other without having to install anything - makes the process of switching over a 2 min job at sea.
I also carry some spare connecting bolts for both - having had a few shear in the past.

[hpeer]

Robert sailor

Agreed about the RM tolerate pilotsEXCEPT when driving a wind vane input they have near zero load and then the small motor is fine. And at the cost you can buy 3 as backups.

[hpeer]

Let’s try that again with speel check OFF:

Agreed about the RM tiller pilots EXCEPT when driving a wind vane input they have near zero load and then the small motor is fine. And at the cost you can buy 3 as backups.