I am installing a hydraulic system. I would like some information and help running the numbers from people who are experienced with
hydraulic steering systems. I also have questions about my selection of an
autopilot and the interface into my
current electronics.
Crunching the numbers.
I have a
rudder with an approximate sq ft of 8, it is less but for
safety I am rounding up. It is semi balanced with the
rudder post about 1/3 of the way through the top of the rudder. However because of the swept shape of the rudder I would say that it is less than 10% of the rudder forward of the post. For
safety margin in the calculations I would not mind if you considered it an unbalanced rudder. I would like to be able to keep the full 90deg
arc of the rudder, 45deg to either side. Most manufacturers recommend only 35 deg. I would like the extra deflection for slow speed
docking and the ability to stall the rudder to slow the
boat. I would like to also be able to use a tiller in
emergency situations or if I get into
racing. I have enough room in the
cockpit for a large enough tiller. I plan to also add an auto pilot to the system.
I am currently looking at a capliano 1250 or 1275
helm pump, a teleflex ba150-7tm or ba175-7tm cylinder, a bypass valve to enable use of the tiller, and a
simrad autopilot system with an rpu 160
pump. The other
parts of the auto pilot system are; AP24 Control
Head, AC42 Course Computer, RC42 Rate
Compass, RF300 Rudder Reference.
I currently have a
Garmin 4200 series plotter and
network.
Am I on the right track. What are your recommendations as to brands and sizing of the components. Are there any helpful hints or tricks I should know about the system and installing it
Thank you
Andrew