Autopilot and turning radius

5 posts / 0 new
Last post
raptor
Offline
Joined: 5/6/15
Posts: 16
Autopilot and turning radius

I had a Raymarine EV-200 installed last year on my 1988 Catalina 36 and it feels like I have lost about 20 - 25 degrees of turning radius. The guy who installed it confirmed that the stroke distance limits the rudder, though he was not sure how much. 

The boat starts with such a great turning radius that it is not a show stopper, but I miss the extra radius when I am pulling into my slip.  Has anyone else installed this unit and have you had the same issue? Any way to resolve it?

Thanks!

Aaron
 

Aaron
Guilford, CT
1988 Catalina 36 "Raptor"

GMatthesen
Offline
Joined: 1/21/13
Posts: 67

I installed a Raymarine below deck autohelm which is in the Mainsheet, and may also be on this site. Someone else wrote a similar story after mine, but I dont recall if he addressed the issue of limiting rudder  excursion.
 I have a Mk1 1987 and needed to install blocks to limit rudder movement to prevent over extending the ram in either direction. Since I did the installation before the boat hit the water with me as the owner, I will never know what Im missing, if much at all.
  Look up by my name or the boat name

Gary Matthesen
"Holiday"
1987 #50646
Oyster Bay Long Island NY

Rockman's picture
Rockman
Offline
Joined: 7/12/10
Posts: 237

I had the same on mine. I lost that extreme rudder angle that enabled me to pivot the boat in almost it's own length.

Sent from my Power_2 using Tapatalk

Cat375 - Rock The Boat - Hull 54
Lake Macquarie - NSW - Australia

LeslieTroyer's picture
LeslieTroyer
Offline
Joined: 3/13/16
Posts: 533

I wrote the most recent article in the Mainsheet and yes my EV200 did limit turning by ~ 10 degrees.  It is a balance of torque vs stroke.  I haven't missed the extra steering

Les

Les & Trish Troyer
Mahalo 
Everett, WA
1983 C-36 Hull #0094
C-36 MK 1 Technical Editor. 

Commodore

 

EUREKA's picture
EUREKA
Offline
Joined: 1/20/09
Posts: 121

Hi,
I have ia B&G autopilot with an hidraulic ram below deck, and yes since the installation, the radius is reduced. This happens with all autopilot with Rams.  It is very important to ensure that piston movement is limited by the rudder end-stops and not by the Ram end- stops. 
imhave added additional parts, laminated to the hull in order to limit the rudder before the piston arrived to its end.

Best regards!

 

Eladio Vallina

C-36 TR EUREKA II
Hull 1122 (1991)
Home port Barcelona (Spain).

Log in or register to post comments