IMHO the belt drive wheel pilots are good only for motoring in calm conditions.
I've seen dozens of them that can't hold a course on a nice sailing day, much
less
rough conditions.

We've had no problems with ours, a model 3000 with belt. Coming back from the
Thimble Islands we were close reaching in 15-20 knots through some good chop
and it held course without a problem for as long as we liked. Adjusting the
rudder offset a single notch when off the wind is sometimes needed, but it's
been reliable and useful. My friend's Vindo has the same unit and they are
quite common around here. Never heard a complaint.

RB

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
IMHO the belt drive wheel pilots are good only for motoring in calm
conditions.
I've seen dozens of them that can't hold a course on a nice sailing day,
much
less
rough conditions.

We've had no problems with ours, a model 3000 with belt. Coming back from
the
Thimble Islands

Damn! My Bullsh*t detector just went off.



Regards


Donal
--

IMHO the belt drive wheel pilots are good only for motoring in calm conditions.
I've seen dozens of them that can't hold a course on a nice sailing day, much
less
rough conditions.


Bobsprit wrote:
We've had no problems with ours

I rest my case.

DSK

IMHO the belt drive wheel pilots are good only for motoring in calm
conditions.
I've seen dozens of them that can't hold a course on a nice sailing day, much
less
rough conditions.

Well funny you should say that. Mine gets used mainly if I have to motor a
long way say from Balto ot Rock Hall back to my creek when there's no wind. If
it's a "nice sailing day" why would I want to use the autopilot? Although I
have tried it sailing and it works just fine. As far as rough conditions go I
wouldn't be out in those. :-)
S/V Express 30 "Ringmaster"
Trains are a winter sport

go potty, grab a drink, make a hot dog, check charts, change clothes, grab
another drink, turn the radio up..............................

"SAIL LOCO" wrote ...
If
it's a "nice sailing day" why would I want to use the autopilot?

IMHO the belt drive wheel pilots are good only for motoring in calm
conditions.

BTW the Navico I have is totally self contained therefore does not use one of
those long exposed belts. I can imagine they might have difficulity with belt
stretch etc.
S/V Express 30 "Ringmaster"
Trains are a winter sport

Try a WP30, works well in all conditions. I have many thousands of miles on
my 4 year old unit.The only point of sail it has difficulty is on a run with
large swell and light wind. Otherwise excellent helmsman.
"DSK" wrote in message
...
SAIL LOCO wrote:

I have a new Navico wheelpilot that I bought just before the company got
sold.
Very easy install and have had no problems.

IMHO the belt drive wheel pilots are good only for motoring in calm
conditions.
I've seen dozens of them that can't hold a course on a nice sailing day,
much less
rough conditions. Under deck systems are a whole order of magnitude more
complex
to install and are more expensive, but for cruising, they are worth it.

Our unit was a fancy digital controlled hydraulic pump with all the bells
&
whistles. I suspect it never worked (installed by DPO in early 1990s). The
feedback unit had been hammered and the wiring looked like it had
installed by
raccoons with ADD.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

SAIL LOCO wrote:


Well funny you should say that. Mine gets used mainly if I have to motor a
long way

And that's an excellent time to have an autopilot. My comment was not intended
to be a slam, just what the functionality of these units is. A lot of folks have
added them 2nd hand for ICW cruising and they are great.


...... If
it's a "nice sailing day" why would I want to use the autopilot? Although I
have tried it sailing and it works just fine. As far as rough conditions go I

wouldn't be out in those. :-)

From what I've seen, lots of these type units have a hard time with wakes,
gusts, unbalanced rigs (for example, the winds shifts and you pull in or ease in
the genoa first instead of main & genoa at same time). Nothings perfect.


The Carrolls wrote:

Try a WP30, works well in all conditions. I have many thousands of miles on
my 4 year old unit.The only point of sail it has difficulty is on a run with
large swell and light wind.

I have difficulty with that myself.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

"DSK" wrote

IMHO the belt drive wheel pilots are good only for motoring in calm
conditions.

in other words ''bobspit sailing''.

I have a WP30. Very robust unit, works as advertised, and more. I am very
happy with and have used my experience as an excuse to purchase more Simrad
equipment. Simple operation, simple installation and unlike the earlier
Raymarine(the mechanism that locks the internal belt breaks, I don't know
about the new design) I have found no weak points.
"Schoonertrash" wrote in message
...
Does anyone have experience with thieir wheelpilot auto steering? Or in
the
old Navico version? I think I have a buyer for the wheel steering
conversion on Se Lange but they want to add in the above system so I said
I'd ask. I'm going back to tiller.

MST