On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 01:59:33 GMT, "Glenn \(s/v Seawing\)"
wrote:

I'm helping my dear old Dad with his Gand Banks 42'. When he bought it a
couple seasons back, it came equiped with an autopilot that looks like it
hasn't been used in some time & is probably cira 1979 like the boat. It is
not serviceable.

He is looking to replace it with something else. An autopilot for this type
of vessel can be quite expensive. Any ideas on utilizing the actuators
already in place and simply buying the 'brains' of a new one? Another idea
I heard of was using the much more affordable wheel pilots...though this is
complicated by having two steering stations.

Have any of you encountered this type of situation or have any ideas that
might help?

I assume you have the usual GB cable steering with the upper and lower
helm ganged together.

Does it have a Wood-Freeman AP with the mechanical chain drive
actuator behind the wheel on the flybridge? That's the way my 1981
GB49 was originally equipped. There are several issues with that unit
including the use of vacuum tubes and mercury wetted relays, all of
which are obsolete and difficult/expensive to obtain.

Prior to my purchase someone replaced the Wood-Freeman with a
Robertson/Simrad AP-35 which is a relatively modern (and modular) AP.
There are various actuators available but mine uses the self contained
electro hydraulic ram connected to a rudder quadrant.

The ram has a clutch which decouples when the AP is off, otherwise
both the upper and lower wheels track the movement of the rudder
quadrant. You can also get a remote control which I use at the lower
helm.

Any similar system that uses a quadrant attached ram should get the
job done much more reliably than the original.

http://www.simrad-yachting.com/Produ...P35-Autopilot/

http://www.wmjmarine.com/sap3519.html