Auto pilot

[tcft]

I have a 27' Family Cruiser and would like to install an auto pilot. Has anyone got any ideas of what to buy and installation tips.
thank you.

Tuft

[jleonard]

Last spring I installed Sitex SP70 into my 40 Albin. I know not the same boat, but the Sitex is a very low cost system. The entire package was $1800 from Defender (including the pump) and it was dropped shipped in 2 days from Sitex on Long Island, NY.
I hesitated for a long time before I bought the Sitex because of the low cost. However I am very pleasantly surprised at the performance and simpicity. I got the SP70 because helm space is at a premium on my boat, and this unit uses only a small remote as a controller.
It is tied into my Garmin GPS and it does a great job opf running the boat. We named it "Abe" because Abe freed the slaves ....I am no longer a slave at the helm.

Here's an installation tip...when you T into your hydraulic lines, install some mini shut off valves so you can easily change out the pump in the future without losing fluid. Since I had an old no longer working autopilot in my boat when I bought it, I did this and did not lose more than a tablespoon of fluid. I also ran standard lengths of high pressure hydraulic hose from the valves to the pump. That makes installation of that part a snap.
I bought the valves and hoses thru McMAster Carr online.

[tcft]

Thanks for the tip about Sitex - I hadn't heard of them. My steering is mechanical however I went to Sitex's web site and they have a very interesting system which would work for me.

tcft

[hetek]

Sorry I didn't see your post sooner...

I've investigated the Si-Tex autopilot and have heard nothing but good things about them. They are also rated for the full displacement of an A27 FC, unlike the the Raymarine Sport Pilot.

One of the popular Si-Tex drive units is the Octopus "Dash Drive". This unit replaces your current steering helm and uses your existing Teleflex steering cable. However, I have heard of a potential problem with this for an Albin application.

The dash drive requires a mounting depth of ~10" as measured from the finished surface of the dash. My 1984 A27FC has an available depth of only 8-1/4". Si-Tex sells 3/4" black anodized aluminum spacers for such shallow dash situations. Problem here is they also recommend a maximum of two spacers. If I used two spacers I would still be 1/4" short. I also hear the spacers are $75 each. If you have a later year Albin with the "tilt helm" you may have more (or less) room. It's time to measure...

Possible solutions would be to install an access port, door or hatch in the head compartment behind the helm. This should give the extra room needed for mounting and would also allow access to the dash instrument wiring as a bonus. It may also be possible to just relieve the fiberglass behind the helm to gain the 1/4" needed, while still maintaining the finished bulkhead inside the head compartment.

Si-Tex also offers a remote type drive unit that connects to the rudder arm directly with a short, dedicated Teleflex cable (about 4'), just for the drive. If the dash drive unit proves impractical, this may be the way to go.

Either way, I'm sure the Si-Tex autopilot will be my next upgrade. They also have a very helpful tech support dept. I'm just undecided which version I want to get.

Hope this helps.

- Jon B.
-hetek

[jleonard]

They also have a very helpful tech support dept.

I would have to agree with that also. I had an issue with mine right out of the box (on my initial set up run)and they had no problem repairing it in a day (plus one day each way shipping). They are located on LI so you could just go there.

[stardust-v42]

Back in July, I installed a Sitex SP70M. The M version is for "Mechanical" steering which is what we have in our A27 SC. I also was worried about the 10" depth needed, so I cut an access door in the head. This door is about 10"H X 20"L. It provides great access to the back of the engine instruments as a bonus. One surprise is that the head wall is just the "first" wall you have to breach. Then there is a space of about 1/2" and you get to the second wall (this one fiberglass). And the new helm unit (the Octopus) fits (just barely) without using any spacers!

As to the ability of the unit to steer the A27, it does just great (straight line) as long as the wind is on the beam or ahead of the beam. So far, I haven't been able to get it to steer a very straight line if the wind and waves are behind the boat. Of course this is a really tricky steering situation even for hand steering. I have to work on the "fine tune settings" some more to try and minimize the "S" turns when I have 2-4 foot seas on the aft quarter. Their are 4 fine tune settings each one which can be scaled from 0 to 9, so there is a lot of choices to sort out. So far, I am about 95% happy with this unit. ( we did a 19 day trip to Lake Huron's North Channel and the autopilot was invaluable)

John McCahan
BLUE MOON
Boyne City, Mi