Autopilot Installation on E37
Date: September 14, 1998
From: James F. Campbell KE4FSN@ix.netcom.comI just bought an Endeavour 37 which I will be sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. I should like to install an Auto pilot on the boat and would like to hear from folks about what kind of installations are appropriate for this vessel.
Date: September 16, 1998
From: Scott Ziegler scott.ziegler@attws.comI have an Endeavour 32 with autopilot and will gladly share what I know if you think it will help.
Date: September 16, 1998
From: Fred VerPlank FASTFREDV@prodigy.netWe have an Alpha 3000 on our E-40.. It's a quiet, dependable, A/P. We like it. It doesn't have the ability to accept external input, e.g. GPS.... but then again, do you want a couple of satellites controlling where your boat goes? ;>)
Date: September 16, 1998
From: Bill Woodroffe Whwboat@aol.comI installed an AutoHelm 4000 on my Endeavour 37 which works fine. I think it may need some adjustments as it does seem to use a lot of "wheel" to maintain course in normal weather.
Date: September 16, 1998
From: Andy Egeressy egeressy@worldnet.att.netHow do I reply to this E-Mail? I don't know who it is from. I have an AutoHelm 4000 installed on my Endeavour 37.
Date: September 22, 1998
From: Les Baston Miladi4us@aol.comOn my 37 I have the old AutoHelm 3000 belt-driven. It's design is for a boat weighing up to 17,000 lbs. and the 37 is 20,000 lbs. However, it has worked extremely well on numerous overnight passages, some with heavy sea and wind conditions. I have considered updating to the 4000. I spoke with the AutoHelm representative at the Newport Boat Show and was advised to talk to their technical people at 1-800-539-5539. The rep at Newport thought that the 3000 (because it is an external belt ) would slip if it is over torqued but is better than the 4000 which could break in the encapsulated case. However, I have had no experience with the 4000 but would be very interested in getting some user's opinion via my e-mail ...Miladi4us@aol.com. Think you have done a great job starting this Endeavour information center. Now that we are almost out of the water, will try to be more helpful with info. Thanks for your organization.
Date: October 27, 1998
From: John Witanowski slipf18@orl.mindspring.comWe use an Autohelm ST 5000 on our boat. It runs off a powerful linear drive unit mounted below the cockpit on its own steering quadrant. The master control unit is located by the nav station with a remote unit located in the cockpit within arms reach of the helm. This arrangement works very well.
Date: October 28, 1998
From: Paul Uhl endvr32@endeavourowners.comWe have an E32 (11,800dspl) and have been considering installing the Autohelm 4000. However, if you read owner comments from PS and other sources, they tend to rate it pretty poorly favoring hydraulic. From what I read here I get a different impression. I would be curious to hear from other 4000 owners as to how long your auto pilot has been installed, how often you use it, under what conditions, and on what size boat.
Date: February 24, 1999
From: Ric Seymour RSeymour@FDIC.govI have a 1981 Endeavour 37 that I keep in Friendship, MD at Herrington Harbour South. I have a 4000 Autopilot w/Edson steering and have not experienced any problems with it. I've never used it in truly heavy seas though and doubt I'd trust any autopilot in heavy seas since the "recovery time" is about 20 times that of a human.
Date: June 29, 1999
From: Mike Miller capnmike_s@yahoo.comI have an Autohelm 3000 on my E-37. It is fine for light-to-medium weather, but the motor isn't really strong enough or fast enough for heavy-weather (8' seas and up) work. The high degree of weather helm makes the belt slip, also. I also have an Aries Vane Gear self-steerer, which works fine at wind velocities of 15-20kts and up, so both bases are covered. If I had the budget, I'd probably opt for a Cetrek hydraulic autopilot or one of the larger Autohelms.
Date: July 12, 1999
From: Robert T. McWhorter RTMLAW@aol.comI have a CPT installed on EDEN and have found it fine to 25 knots, 5 to 7 foot seas. Haven't been so unlucky to be caught in anything more, but it never even struggled in those conditions. Friends with 37s with other brands of wheel pilots report poor performance at about 15 knots. The CPT must be bought direct from Manufacturer in Florida. Good instructions for installation. Check ads in Cruising World.
Date: September 19, 1999
From: Fred Altmann fred.altmann@ibm.net
Our story on our E38 concerning the autopilot has been drawn out. In fact I started to ask the architect of this ship, but he could not help us much. We bought a belt driven Navico in the US before the crossing to Spain. This thing did not work at all. It slipped and could not control the yawing of the boat in the sleighrides of the Atlantic. Our stern is very big and flat. In Belgium we bought the biggest autopilot I could lay my hands on, an Autohelm 6000. This robot is connected to the quadrant underdecks, with control panels. One in the cockpit, one at the chart table. A compass and steering sensor are auxiliary units. This was installed improperly and it took us a lot of learning cycles, to be exact 6 years to get it right. Today, wiser and older, I would know exactly how to do it right from day one. The machine works fine in any weather and is dependable. It takes 6 amps when working in peaks, average 3 amps. After 6 hours we have to charge with the engine.
Not to manage that we had to hand steer the whole trip to Spain.
Date: October 9, 1999
From: Bob & Marylou Tressler Bobbolink@aol.comI installed a Navico Powerpilot 8000 hydraulic linear ram system on my E-38 aft cockpit. For a boat displacing more than 15,000 lbs. this is much more reliable than a belt driven system. I had to fabricate a mount for the ram (below deck), and I wouldn't use it in really heavy seas, but for the type of coastal sailing I do it has proven to be reliable and sufficient. The control unit by the wheel is only 3"X3" with on/off, incremental and dodge adjustments. I also bought the H 8000 hand held remote control unit. This is hard wired into the nav station & allows waypoint programming when connected to GPS.(I don't use this feature as I really don't want the GPS controlling where my boat goes) This also allows me to control the autopilot when sitting atop the companionway steps, under the dodger, out of the rain. I find that when dodging lobster pots in L.I.Sound I have better visibility, greater comfort and complete control of the boat from this position. I highly recommend the Navico 8000.
Date: March 20, 2008
From: Bradford Monroe watermusic1@verizon.netI have the E 37 with a Raytheon ST6000. Our Sails were new in 2002 so I can not comment about old sails but I know that for us on Northern Lake Michigan our Auto helm has worked well. I have not been caught in very rough weather yet but the former owner cliams the he had bo trouble in any weather keeping her on course.
Date: March 20, 2008
From: Paul Uhl endvr32@endeavourowners.comI can't comment on which autopilot to choose but I have had a good experience with our Raymarine 6000 series. But you really have two issues to consider: 1) reliability of the unit and 2) your weather helm. You will need to address the weather helm issue first as few autopilots can really overcome that. Minimize heal and play with the sails (trim or size for conditions) to get the boat to balance. The age of the sails may also be a factor as older sails loose their shape and will greatly add to weather helm.
Date: April 28, 2008
From: Bill Martin martinmrbill46@cox.netI have the E 37 with a Raytheon ST6000. Our Sails were new in 2002 so I can not comment about old sails but I know that for us on Northern Lake Michigan our Auto helm has worked well. I have not been caught in very rough weather yet but the former owner cliams the he had bo trouble in any weather keeping her on course.
Date: April 29, 2008
From: Judd Webb webb1812@hotmail.comThis is an update to my previous comments. I just rounded the Florida keys form Fort Pierce to Bradenton. I have a newly installed S1 wheel pilot which consists of a ST6002 control head, an S1 core pack (computer, compass and tiller angle sensor) and a wheel mounted drive unit. The only time I experienced a problem was when the sails weren't balanced. Can't really blame that on the unit. The worst weather we had was 28 knots roughly 30 degrees off the quarter with 6 to 8 foot confused following seas. After we got the sails balanced the only problem was staying awake becaused it was like being gently rocked in a hammock for the remainder of the night. I'll restate my disclaimer, however, that by spec this unit is undersized. (16500# vs 20000 x 1.2 or 24000#. This includes fuel, crew and provisions.) If I intended to sail in those conditions more frequently I would have gone with the S2 core pack and an inboard linear drive unit.
The only modifications I had to make during installation were to add an aluminum angle across the aft access to the engine compartment. I bolted a small piece of plywood to that as a base for the tiller sensor. I also fabricated an auxillary tiller from 3/4" starboard rather than drill and tap the quadrant. I mounted the fluxgate compass below the false floor in the forward hanging locker (A Plan) and the computer in the forward compartment below the quarter berth (starboard)