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Kraken

From: Dublin Bay

Registered: 2011-02-24

Posts: 333

F26 - Autohelm installation aboard 'Friska'

[Moved from 'Technical Advice' pages, dated 10/09/09]

Jerry Croft has recently upgraded his autohelm and describes his installation.

"I have had experience of the ST1000 on my previous boat. which did not let me down and I have decided to fit the ST2000+ with Raymarine confirming [after some time] that it will be suitable. I have yet to trial it in heavy seas but initial trials have shown that the unit has a good positive action and copes well. We shall see how it fares in more demanding conditions.

The pictures will show that in essence the installation looks very similar to the one aboard 'Jenter'. I have had the added challenge of making it all fit around the gas bottle installation that I carried out last winter!  I have remodelled the old mounting bracket that I inherited with Friska out of 20mm ply [trebling up at the outer end] made for the Autohelm 800. It does not look very 'pretty' but will serve as a template for a tougher hardwood version [a winter project!]. It sits snugly around the pushpit upstands with a shaped cross piece bolted on below tight against the underside of the capping rail. So it's unlikely to move and is removable for whatever reason.

Two mounting sockets [and two power sockets] enable me to use the 800 as a 'spare' should the worse happen. I too, needed to make up a s/s steel tiller bracket with the pin set farther back to suit 'dimension B'.

So I have it up and running and will ultimately look to connect up to the GPS but I will for the time being, make sure that the unit lives up to expectations and I will after all, need something to do during the winter months!

Regards,

Jerry"