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Steering Options

Philpott

Philpott

Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
Uh Oh! Somewhere between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay my Simrad TP10 decided to go all liberal on me. I tried to set it but it will only go to port. Synthia said she got a gyro autopilot for Eyrie years ago and her sailing life is better for it. I don't even know what a gyro is. Isn't it a type of Middle Eastern sandwich made with pita bread? What are my options for Dura Mater?
 
Pelagic has great bang for buck, low power consumption, steers good too.
 
pogen said:
Pelagic has great bang for buck, low power consumption, steers good too.
Click to expand...

Excellent, David! Thank you! Where do I buy this product? Does the company take credit cards? Because I don't really want another Simrad - the arm just seems so flimsy. Until I reach this Pelagic company it's surgical tubing for me.
 
pogen said:
Pelagic has great bang for buck, low power consumption, steers good too.
Click to expand...

Is this Bryan's system commercialized? Looks like good gear for the $. FWIW, the Raymarine pilot uses untinned
lamp cord to connect the drive to the controller as I learned to my chagrin when changing the connector.
 
Pelagic Autopilot

http://pelagicautopilot.com/products/gyro-controller/

Looks like not quite released yet. I have a new (never used) Raymarine X-5 controller (2 actually - NOT the new model) and a grand prix and standard ram available if you're interested. Give me a call or send an email (I don't check here often). John A McDonald @ Gmail.com (omit the spaces I added to fool the spam bots).
 
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JAMcDonald said:
Is this Bryan's system commercialized?
Click to expand...

It is commercialized in the sense that if you pay him money he will give you an AP system. I know he takes checks, not sure if he is set up for credit cards yet.

I think he needs to put pricing and order info on his website, I'm sure that will come shortly.
 
By the way, I will not be surprised if half the 2016 SHTP fleet is not equipped with Pelagics, at least as backup.
 
pogen said:
It is commercialized in the sense that if you pay him money he will give you an AP system. I know he takes checks, not sure if he is set up for credit cards yet.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure Pelagic can do business via paypal.
 
Philpott said:
Uh Oh! Somewhere between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay my Simrad TP10 decided to go all liberal on me. I tried to set it but it will only go to port. ..... What are my options for Dura Mater?
Click to expand...

Jackie,
Would you advise against the TP10 for a 2-27? I had one years ago on a Tartan 27 (~7400 lbs) and it worked well for the cruising I was doing, but I do remember it "going all liberal" on me a couple times. It would fix itself at some point, probably after cursing and hitting it in frustration.
Did the TP10 serve well for at least a season or two, and was it reliable enough for trips to the bow to gybe the spin pole (in light air)? That's all I need for now.
-Adam
 
Lanikai said:
Jackie,
Would you advise against the TP10 for a 2-27? I had one years ago on a Tartan 27 (~7400 lbs) and it worked well for the cruising I was doing, but I do remember it "going all liberal" on me a couple times. It would fix itself at some point, probably after cursing and hitting it in frustration.
Did the TP10 serve well for at least a season or two, and was it reliable enough for trips to the bow to gybe the spin pole (in light air)? That's all I need for now.
-Adam
Click to expand...

Hi, Adam, I had to get a 5" extension in order for the TP10 (Mary Madeleine) to have the reach for my tiller. Dura Mater is 9' across. It seemed flimsy from the get-go. Someone told me that a TP22 would have been stronger, but it would have required the same 5" extension, so I am doubtful. I've had it two years and it worked fine upwind in even the strongest wind on the bay, but it didn't work downwind at all. I could use it coming back to Berkeley from the cityfront in 20 knots, but only on a broad reach (hello, Richmond!). And it struggled doing so, shaking and complaining the whole way. Trips to the bow in light air? Sure. It worked fine coming back from Drakes Bay in 6 knots. Even so, I was hyperventilating, waiting for it to change its mind. Like Aunt Madeleine. I will keep it as a backup; and I might even speak sternly to it if I need to use it as a backup. It is named after my maternal aunt, however, so I won't try physical abuse. Why don't you come out with me once my Pelagic has been fine-tuned? We can make a video for Brian's site while we evaluate it.
 
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ronnie simpson said:
Jackie, did you ever get the Navik wind vane going on your 2-27? I thought you bought one
Click to expand...

Hi, Ronnie
My Navik rests in a corner of my dining room. Chris at Svendsens metal works fabricated beautiful, strong stainless brackets for me ($230). I just got some itty bitty blocks for the stern rail, and I have two teeny cam cleats for the tiller. I'm waiting to put those on a new tiller that has yet to be ordered. I've been told that even a small crack in a tiller is not a good thing. And Oh yes, I've waited to order a new tiller until I was confident it would be the right fit for Brian's Pelagic. Video of Dura Mater under Pelagic to follow.
 
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