[Tenoch]

Tiller Pilots

My boat originally had a Simrad TP-30 tiller pilot. Apparently it was stolen before I bought it. I am thinking of replacing it with a TP32. Anyone have an opinion of these either way?

The guy in the video below has an opinion....and I gotta say, I love this video.

 

[oysterman23]

Re: Tiller Pilot Choices - Simrad TP30-32

With that kinda patience do you think he read the instructions and followed through on set up?
(He could have done all that by hand smoothly like most of us solo guys do daily....

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

 

[Puddin'_Tain]

So much for sailing being a nice relaxing pastime.

 

[Daydreamer22]

That is too funny!:laugher

Had a similar problem with an ST2000 once. Got rid of the cockpit speakers and it has been great ever since.

 

[christian.hess]

Re: Tiller Pilot Choices - Simrad TP30-32

My boat originally had a Simrad TP-30 tiller pilot. Apparently it was stolen before I bought it. I am thinking of replacing it with a TP32. Anyone have an opinion of these either way?

The guy in the video below has an opinion....and I gotta say, I love this video.

PUT THIS ON JAMES THREAD

AWESOME BOAT, AWESOME SAILS dumbass tack...and Im sorry...autopilots arent to be used to tack when its so damn easy to do so oneself

honestly I can see why threads like james start

number 1 rule of tacking is to never start hauling in the new jib sheet unless the other one is clear and the sail is clear

what a fool

nice racing outfit too btw...

no tiller pilot is going to save this guy

ps tenoch in regards to the tp32 they are similar to the raymarine I used extensively to cruise on...they are decent last long, just cover up in bad weather but DONT SEAL as humidity will condese inside and damage more

to tack I simply put pilot on standby

I also didnt use the plus or minus 10 degree features a lot only when motoring..that is the best way to overload an otherwise simple tiller pilot

if you are interested Im a great fan of the cylindrical looking older rayhteon pilots...that have the interface separate and not combined

my dad one had one connected to a joystick to sail his columbia challenger on a gimballed paraplegic chair....

it was extremely good at tacking too

 

[ccriders]

That is too funny!:laugher

Had a similar problem with an ST2000 once. Got rid of the cockpit speakers and it has been great ever since.

I also think they are affected by aircraft radar as I seem to have strange occurances when sailing close to the air station or when planes are in final approach. Also, the tack function causes a 110 degree course change which you then have to adjust/fine tune. If you release the jib too soon, it seems to confuse the pilot. I find it best to back wind the jib, let it fly, then slowly bring it in when the pilot centers the tiller.
I think the op needs to adjust the damping to a faster response if he wishes to execute snap bang tacks, which would be appropriate for a boat like his.
I also agree with Christian, put it in stand by and use as a power controlled tiller for tacking. That way you won't over steer and the over correct, causing pilot confusion.
John

 

[Tenoch]

I'm the original poster. NOT the guy in the video. Im just wondering if the TP32 is a good purchase of if I should go with a different tiller pilot. I have a monitor so would probably only be using it while motoring or in very light tail winds.

 

[christian.hess]

tp 32 is just as good or better than other similar ones...they are well liked...but being nice and common sensical one is the best way to love your auto tiller pilot

yes they can be affected by battery placement, electromagnetic waves, radios, speakers, a few other things I cant remember and now they are not to be used for tacking...some do it better than others like I mentioned

st2000 have a great rep too, either version...

 

[ccriders]

Like Christian said either one. How heavy is your boat? At 8000 lbs the TP32 never works hard on my boat. If you wish to integrate the pilot with wind packages and other electronics, look at compatability issues before deciding.
John

 

[Tenoch]

The boat is 10,000 lbs fully loaded. Under full power the tiller can be a hand full....I guess this is my biggest concern.

 

[ccriders]

The TP32 has 85 kgs peak thrust. I'm trying to mentally convert to foot pounds...but that is a lot.
Why not sent an email to each manufacturer and ask their opinion while giving them all the info on your boat? Might be a good insight into their customer service department, which is also a purchasing consideration.
John

 

[christian.hess]

Tillerpilot | SIMRAD TP32 | Marine Autopilots - Simrad Marine Electronics

boats up to 37 ft...generally stay within the minimum range to not push autopilots
max 6.3 tonnes...you are safe at 10k
at 31ft...

now that doesn't mean don't trim your sails, rudder...weight or go out sailing in 20ft trades and such it simply means your ok at that size

 

[MastUndSchotbruch]

Tillerpilot | SIMRAD TP32 | Marine Autopilots - Simrad Marine Electronics

boats up to 37 ft...generally stay within the minimum range to not push autopilots
max 6.3 tonnes...you are safe at 10k
at 31ft...

now that doesn't mean don't trim your sails, rudder...weight or go out sailing in 20ft trades and such it simply means your ok at that size

OK, first hand experience here. I have a TP 32 for my 13,000# boat. It handles it fine. However, two gripes:

First, the unit is supposed to be waterproof. It is not. Years ago I got into a bad rain, actually a tropical storm, which essentially killed it. Simrad repaired it (at my dime). Mind you, it was rain only, it was never submerged. I have since sewed a sunbrella cover for it and that seems to help.

My second issue may be a non-problem. The TP constantly corrects. It is essentially always on, with the rod going in and out several times a second by a small distance (fraction of an inch), even when I am going perfectly straight with very little wave action. There are settings for sensitivity which I played with but it did not hold a course when I set that too low. [honestly, I have forgotten the details, it is years ago that I last played with it].

Perhaps this is normal for electric autopilots? This is the first one I have ever had. Or is something wrong with the thing?

Or is something wrong with me?

 

[christian.hess]

nope thats exactly how my st2000 was its constantly on...thats how they are especially tiller pilots

now they dont use a lot of energy though for example I had a wheel st2000 and it seemed to move less than a tiller pilot...in other words the wheel felt like it stayed put more when sails are balanced this simply maybe from more friction in the system.

balance sails well they are good to go

when I mentioned that you should COVER them that does not mean seal them...if you do it will condense inside and fail earlier

we had the best luck on an wooden wet sailboat btw on our cruise by simply covering it with a towel to keep it cool away from sun...if it was really wet we covered it loosely with whatever we had on hand like a cushion or tarp etc

do not wrap them!

ours lasted 10k miles full cruise mode all the time...wet wet tropical conditions.

peace

 

[SHNOOL]

I had the smaller st1000+ on my Capri 25, 3000lbs disp..
it was plenty of tiller pilot, and I agree, using the tack function is really NOT a good idea. Just tack yourself, especially racing like he obviously was.

I will agree with what others said, the device needs a breathable cover. Also it should be slightly padded. I used to frequently pop the TP off the pin on the tiller and rotate it to leeward (literally pivot in place)... I think a couple of those rotations included a pretty good puff.... and banged a bit on the combing... 1 season and the fluxgate compass HOLDER (plastic inside) broke. You cannot buy just the plastic holder, so $98 later, it was fixed, yeah I fixed it myself because the cost of Raymarine service isn't just $$, its also a significant amount of time. It took me 2 days and about 20 minutes of my time to fix it myself (gotta love Ebay).

 

[MastUndSchotbruch]

nope thats exactly how my st2000 was its constantly on...thats how they are especially tiller pilots

now they dont use a lot of energy though for example I had a wheel st2000 and it seemed to move less than a tiller pilot...in other words the wheel felt like it stayed put more when sails are balanced this simply maybe from more friction in the system.

balance sails well they are good to go

when I mentioned that you should COVER them that does not mean seal them...if you do it will condense inside and fail earlier

we had the best luck on an wooden wet sailboat btw on our cruise by simply covering it with a towel to keep it cool away from sun...if it was really wet we covered it loosely with whatever we had on hand like a cushion or tarp etc

do not wrap them!

ours lasted 10k miles full cruise mode all the time...wet wet tropical conditions.

peace

OK, thanks. Good to know that this skittishness is normal for a tiller pilot. Seems like a bad design, these tiny movements cannot possibly have an effect on the boat so why make them? But who am I to argue with the people who build this?

 

[MastUndSchotbruch]

I had the smaller st1000+ on my Capri 25, 3000lbs disp..
it was plenty of tiller pilot, and I agree, using the tack function is really NOT a good idea. Just tack yourself, especially racing like he obviously was.

I will agree with what others said, the device needs a breathable cover. Also it should be slightly padded. I used to frequently pop the TP off the pin on the tiller and rotate it to leeward (literally pivot in place)... I think a couple of those rotations included a pretty good puff.... and banged a bit on the combing... 1 season and the fluxgate compass HOLDER (plastic inside) broke. You cannot buy just the plastic holder, so $98 later, it was fixed, yeah I fixed it myself because the cost of Raymarine service isn't just $$, its also a significant amount of time. It took me 2 days and about 20 minutes of my time to fix it myself (gotta love Ebay).

How complicated is that thing from the inside? It seemed to be making slightly unusual sounds lately, so I am playing with the idea to have a peek in there, to see if something needs attention. Might make a nice winter project but I don't want to open a can of, ehm, tillerpilot parts and then have trouble getting it all back together.

 

[christian.hess]

the older ones were quite simple

we took ours apart once to "dry" it, as it got soaked...ours lived on the poopdeck that was bareley 3 feet or so above the water...when conditions got rough or we were motoring in following seas like say after a storm and the wind died it got really drenched.

anywhoo some use plastic wheels and gears others had metal others are very very simple and are nothing more that a worm gear some have the compass and digital reader on them some are just circuit board and...etc...

this is why I loved my dads older raymarine auotehelm it was basically a ram that had the computer part that you could mount out of the weather say under the dodger or under a hatch or even inisde a lazarette as some racers do...like the wheel pilot st´s

if you can get a a hand on one of the old ones buy them as spares...they are really GOOD

 

[christian.hess]

OK, thanks. Good to know that this skittishness is normal for a tiller pilot. Seems like a bad design, these tiny movements cannot possibly have an effect on the boat so why make them? But who am I to argue with the people who build this?

the skittines and constant movement(small increments) is part of the reason autopilots are considered better helmsmen than humans

they also dont wonder 10-15 degrees like I have seen some humans do, especially when a horizon isnt present or its foggy etc

now I have seen some tiller pilots tack for no reason or go hard left or hard right....

in fact its a sign that the compass or circuit board is acting up...couldbe something as simple as a solder point needed a quick tap or something else like the actual compass like schnool says...

some pilots are better than others at getting fixed

op look up personal reviews on these pilots and see if any mention common fixes

this is more important to me than say model or brand...

cheers

 

[christian.hess]

btw if anyone is interested this is the time tested tiller pilot I would use even today

I loved my dads!
Boaters Resale Shop of TX 1404 1720 01 Autohelm 2000 Tiller Pilot Autopilot | eBay

I had the wheel version on my older islander 34 and it was a dream to use and so simple...