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We are installing a Raymarine ST1000 tiller pilot on our Monitor windvane and can't find a lot of into on how to mount the unit.
Has anyone done this ?
The most likely scenario is to mount it on the top rail of the pushpit, attached to a stub vane on the Monitor. The alternative is to mount it on the lower rail and attach the pilot to the counter weight but that seems to be a pretty tight fit.
Thanks for your input,
Sam Christo
s/v Grace PSC34 #163
Well the ST1000 is notorious for not being very water tight so you might want to make sure it is someplace relitively protected from waves, spray and rain.
Yes put it in a cover. But more importantly mount it so the ram is pointing slightly downward to prevent it from filling up with water. Wipe some kind of lube on the seals, wire grommet and ram...often. Like Vaseline. Don't trust the supplied Raymarine connector. I splice mine in directly, under the deck.
You might want to check with the Monitor people about this. They told us that they do not recommend this set-up since the wash from the prop puts a great deal of load on the Monitor's bearings and bushings. In our boat the prop is set quite far back and is only a couple of feet from the Monitor rudder. Not sure what your boat is like.
On the rail with a stub where the paddle goes. Yes, monitor doesn't like you to do it....but we saw no appreciable wear difference doing it, many out here have the same set up. A good, reliable, inexpensive companion autopilot for the monitor windvane would be a CPT autopliot.
On the rail with a stub where the paddle goes. Yes, monitor doesn't like you to do it....but we saw no appreciable wear difference doing it, many out here have the same set up. A good, reliable, inexpensive companion autopilot for the monitor windvane would be a CPT autopliot.
Sam,
We have the same setup. I started with a piece of 1/4" starboard. I used the small monitor blue vane and traced the slot pattern onto the starboard. The L bracket was just a piece of flat aluminum bar that I bent and drilled for the bolts. Lastly, I used a small piece of bungee cord to keep the tiller arm from jumping off of the bolt.
The rail mount was a repurposed bracket that I had for another purpose. I was able to drill a hole for the tiller pilot mount that just slides into the slot.
The tiller pilot has worked well under sail or power.
We also have had the ST1000 on our Monitor for years. Never had a water intrusion problem in Mexico but do have a Sunbrella cover for it. I made a plywood stub and cut a hole in the middle then ran a bolt through it (see pic). The biggest improvement was adding an S-100 Raymarine remote control for it. Pushing buttons on the tiller pilot at night underway is dicey.
Because the Monitor folks worried us about the prop wash causing wear, we switched to a 3-blade, fixed prop which did smooth out the water turbulence.
I definately wish I had the remote. Climbing back there at 4 am is kind of scary sometimes. I usually unclip to do it, which does not help.
That aside have had no problem with ours. Have read (in monitor manual?) about people installing the tiller pilot below deck and attaching to the wind vane with a Morse cable. Seems like a good idea.
Another idea you might want to explore is how we set up ours for a short time. Mount the autopilot in a board with a few fittings and a Teleflex engine cable that can snap on the stub vane.
Then the board with the AP & cable end can be put in the aft cabin, or a cockpit locker protected from all the elements.
Thanks to all for your suggestions - they are appreciated !
Sam
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