42: Lagoon 42 2nd autopilot

[tamaraboucher]

We have a Lagoon 42 that will be delivered in Les Sables this July. We want to prepare the boat for offshore sailing and are contemplating having a second autopilot installed, an identical unit to the B&G unit installed by Lagoon. Has anyone done this, if so was it factory installed or an add-on - any opinions on the usefulness of having an extra onboard?

[Steve_C]

Here is a Lagoon 400 that did what you suggest. It can't be cheap, but I would certainly like the peace of mind. I might even go a step further and leave it electrically isolated to hopefully protect against lightning. I also thought about leaving the second drive mechanism mounted but not linked to the tiller. I am not sure how much extra drag it introduces but it would not be a major job to attach it in the rare event it was needed.

It will be interesting to hear others thoughts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZGwZo547vg

[rom]

Originally Posted by Steve_C

Here is a Lagoon 400 that did what you suggest.

Very nice setup with complete redundancy, a few thoughts:
I am surprised to see the AP computer(s) located in this rather salty environement. On the L440 the ACU is under the aft port bed, I think it is a better option.
I would install the second AP head (p70s) inside at the chart table where it will be useful. I am controlling the AP 99% from chart table...
I have updated my AP last year to the latest EV400. I kept the old S3 in place, it is just disconnected, it will take me about 15mn to do the switch.
I do not have secondary drive but I have spares, it is less realiable but way cheaper and less complex.

[Steve_C]

I don't hear much about autopilot failure, but it would certainly be a HUGE issue in some cases. I would like to hear from the many lagoon owners about any issues they have had, and what was the actual point of failure was?

Can anyone provide input?

[boom23]

If you plan to do long distance cruising in remote parts, a second autopilot is great insurance. I had the ram fail on my ex-L450, but I was lucky that I was in NZ and had a spare on board. There were none available in NZ, even at the dealer.
I'll have 2 independent autopilots on my next boat.