Hi there,
I have had to replace my sailboats
steering system from cable to chain/wire. She is a 5,500kg 31ft
Maxi 95
monohull.
With the old cable system it was very direct push pull system with no lag but quite heavy. My
Wheelpilot Mk2 (paired with ACU-100, EV-1,
Rudder transducer and P70S) worked well from UK to
Ecuador but the
gearbox eventually went, no doubt due to the heavy
helm and the number of miles. I replaced the entire
Wheelpilot and have done less than 100 miles on it before I had my
steering failure.
The new steering system is chain and SS wire (old
cables no longer available; new types not appropriate or obtainable in Ecuador). It is lighter on the
helm than the previous system and is just under 2 turns lock to lock. However being a wire set up, it is not quite as direct as the previous cabling, as it only pulls. There is a barely discernible lag in the system and the pull is not completely linear, which I understand is a normal thing with wire/Chain set-ups.
Problem: When calibrating the AP using dockside wizard all works fine. During the end of the process when the AP drives the
wheel lock to lock, it does so smoothly and without problem.
However after set up, when I put the pilot in Auto and demand turns, the Wheelpilot struggles to turn the
wheel. It does so slowly and in fits and starts, as if it was struggling against a very heavy and uneven load.
Attempted rectification:
- Immediately after every time I try the steering by hand and it is light and free.
- The
clutch is correctly tensioned. It is not a slipping
clutch problem (I have experienced this many times)
- The Wheelpilot is effectively brand new
- If I undo the calibration lock and set the hard over time very low and put the setting to ‘Performance’, this improves but does not eradicate the issue.
- I am out of the
water currently so cannot run a sea trial, but on my old steering system, when I have demanded turns whilst static the wheel turns fluidly and smoothly.
Any assistance about why I am having these problems would be very welcome. I can’t
work out why the AP suddenly struggles with a steering system that is lighter than its predecessor. I am halfway through a long voyage to NZ, stuck in
Ecuador and as a solo sailor I need my
electric AP to be functional. (BTW I only use the AP to get into
ports and motoring; I have a
Hydrovane to do the
offshore sailing).
Many thanks,
Henry
P.s. To forestall a number of inevitable well-meaning observations:
- I know the Wheelpilot is only designed for coastal sailing and I do not use it
offshore unless motoring in calms.
- The stern is too shallow to fit a ram mounted to the quadrant and I can't afford one (plus the new ACU it would require) - I understand this would be the gold-plated solution!