I always sail my boat single-handed, even when accompanied by my admiral, who only feels confident to help out as ballast. Consequently, the idea of installing an autotiller on Harried Potter appealed to me greatly. I already had a tiller tamer, and used it frequently while setting lines or furling the lapper, but I couldn’t really depend upon it to maintain a consistent tack while I took care of more complicated tasks. The testimonies of other Potter owners in the online forum convinced me: they praised an autotiller as one of the most useful accessories available.
It is also one of the most expensive. The model often found on vessels our size is the Raymarine Autohelm Series ST1000 Plus, available from West Marine for a whopping $479. In my case, however, I ordered one from International Marine, as I like to be supportive of my boat’s manufacturer —even if it means spending a few bucks more. Happily, they let me have the ST1000 Plus for the same price. They also sold me an extension arm, as they said I would need it on a P-19.
Installing the autotiller was one of the most daunting challenges I have faced. Part of the problem, in my opinion, lies with the manufacturer, Raymarine. The unit is apparently built in Britain and consequently the components and specifications are anything but standard. I will undoubtedly return to this complaint as my story unfolds below.
The first question I had to ask myself is where to install the ST1000 Plus. I had read on the web that some Potter owners had installed them using optional cowlings on the vertical side of the cockpit seat backrest. That would be lower than the tiller on my boat and I didn’t want the autotiller to end up at an inclined angle. Nor did I want it to take up any more sitting room in the cockpit than was absolutely necessary. Others had mounted it on the rear of the transom. This also struck me as problematic, not only because there are already plenty of items back there (cleats, lights, mainsheet pulleys, tiller tamer cleats, etc.), but also because the glove box, daggerboard winch, and cables are underneath inside. Moreover, the installation manual states uncategorically that the autotiller should be mounted no less than 18" from the rudder’s pivot point. Yes, shortening that distance probably wouldn’t have an adverse affect on a vessel the size and weight of a P-19, but I tend to get paranoid about not following the manufacturer’s instructions, lest I void the warranty.
| I called International Marine to find out where they install the ST1000 Plus on a P-19. Their reply was that they always mount it in the middle of the gunwale, hence the need for the extension arm to reach the tiller. They also suggested measurements to a spot between the rear of the transom and the cockpit rails. However, to my dismay I found that the eye-hook for our bimini already occupied said location. After a great deal of perseveration and measuring, I decided that the best I could do was install the autotiller a bit further back, between that eye-hook and the rear cleat, just far enough from the latter for a rope to fit through, and just far enough from the former that the autotiller wouldn’t interfer with the bimini strap. You can see the location in the photo on the right. |
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| Let me be quite frank at this point. Surely Raymarine could come up with a better method for mounting an autotiller than this. Their solution is to imbed a small bronze “cup” in the boat’s fiberglass into which the post underneath the autotiller will set and swivel. Does it make sense to use such a cup on a sailboat, where it can easily fill with water, let alone dirt? Good luck trying to insert the autotiller into this mounting socket if it is full of debris! For this reason, I determined that I would simply have to always have a stock of small corks or rubber stoppers on hand to stick in the cup when not using the autotiller, as shown in the photo on the left. |
Moreover, as alluded to above, the installation is based upon British standards, complicating matters even further. For example, to drill the hole for the “cup,” you have to use a 12.5 mm bit! What? You don’t have that size in your toolbox? Well, you’ll have to do what I did: use a 1/2" bit and grind around the edges slightly for the cup to fit. Then, to make matters worse, you are supposed to mount that cup into no less that 1" of fiberglass. Now, I do not know of any sailboat under 30 feet with fiberglass that thick anywhere in the cockpit. Obviously, Raymarine designed this mounting socket for bigger vessels that use its ST2000 Plus model, and figured it would just have to do for the ST1000 Plus as well. Their suggested solution? To quote the manual: “If the structure at the mounting position is less that 25 mm (1 in) thick, reinforce the underside with plywood bonded into position.”
| Great. So now I also had to crawl headfirst into the side berth to try and reinforce the underside of the gunwale. My biggest dilemma was how to keep the wood in place while it bonded: lay there all afternoon until the sealant dried? Wedge it up there with a pole? I came up with a better solution. I decided to take advantage of that bimini eye-hook to do the job for me. First, I bought a piece of wooden molding that was 1" thick and rounded on the edges to better fit into the curved underside of the gunwale. Next, I bought some longer bolts, nylon nuts, and fat washers for the eye-hook. I could then bond the wooden molding to the fiberglass with 3M Marine Adhesive Sealant 5200 by holding it in place with the longer eye-hook bolts and fat washers. Of course, if I didn’t have hatches though the top of my cockpit seats, through which I could reach with the wood, washers, and nuts, I probably never could have pulled this stunt off. At any rate, you can see the result in the photo on the right. |
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| The second installation step was to mount the plug fixture and run its wiring to the boat‘s electricity. This also took a fair amount of contemplation and measuring. The plug for the autotiller sticks out a couple of inches, and you certainly wouldn’t want it intruding into the sitting area. In my case, neither did I want it getting in the way of the cockpit seat hatches mentioned above. I finally determined that the best possible place to mount the plug on our boat would be on the back wall, underneath where the autotiller itself was located, far enough from the side to take advantage of the transom’s curve for the needed distance from the hatch, yet not so far that it would end up intruding into the glove box inside or interfere with the winch handle. The photo on the left shows this location. |
| When the autotiller is plugged in, its wire runs along the edge of the seat, still allowing access to the starboard hatch, as seen in the photo to the right. I wrap up the wire’s extra length with velcro ties, but I also find that the edges of my cockpit seat cushions help keep it out of the way. As for the inside connection, I strung some marine-quality wiring along the top outside edge of the side bunk, the same path used for the transom light’s wires. My fuse panel was already full, so I decided —at least for now— to splice an in-line fuse into the autotiller’s positive wire and simply connect them to the main circuit. This means that, whenever my electricity is on, the autotiller is ready to use. Of course, the circuit is only complete when and if the plug is connected, so there is no drain on the batteries otherwise. |
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| Mounting the plug again invoked my frustration with Raymarine. The manual provides a template for marking where you need to drill holes, but note what it specifies for the fixture itself: “Carefully drill a 21 mm (53/64 in) clearance hole for the cable boss.” Let me tell you, I couldn’t find a 21 mm bit at any hardware store in my area —let alone a 53/64" bit. Do they even make bits these sizes? My only choice was to use a 22 mm bit to drill the hole, which of course ended up just a tad bigger than was really needed. To make matters worse, Raymarine provides screws for the fixtures, probably with the assumption that once again the fiberglass would be 1" thick. The result is that the screws stick through into the dungeon area, creating a sharp hazard for errant hands, as seen in the photo to the left. I also question the holding power of mere screws through such a thin wall of fiberglass. Eventually I will probably have to replace them with tiny bolts and nuts. |
Attaching the wires to the backside of the plug was no easy task either. It has a circle of holes into which you must insert the stripped ends of the wires and then secure them by tightening some minuscule screws around the perimeter. I had to use the screwdriver from an eyeglass repair kit to accomplish this, as nothing else would fit! My frustration was such that I will likely think twice before ever upgrading the autotiller with a GPS that connects to all the other wire holes in that cursed plug.
The final step to complete the installation was to mount the tiller bracket onto which the autotiller connects. This was probably the easiest task of the entire process. The only real problem was to make sure that I mounted it far enough out on the underside of the tiller that it would not strike the cam cleat for the mainsheet, as seen below on the left.
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As you can see in the photo on the right above, because of the unique locations where I had to mount the tiller bracket and the cup on the gunwale, the autotiller and the tiller itself do not form a true 90° angle —which would be optimal. Nonetheless, the folks at International Marine informed me that this is rarely the outcome when they install autotillers and that they still function perfectly well.
And I can report that such is the case. The autotiller works extremely well, better than I would have expected. Once you set your heading, the mechanism constantly pushes and pulls the tiller back and forth to keep you moving in the same direction, no matter the shifts, gusts, or velocity of the wind. It is truly a joy to be able to let the autotiller do the work in those instances when you have to, say, get a fender or rope out of a hatch, retrim the sails, untangle a sheet, duck inside the cabin to grab a drink, a snack, a tool, a jacket, a camera, etc.
Would I change anything about its design? Well... yes. I mistakenly assumed that the autopilot would work like my tiller tamer, i.e., that you could leave it connected to the tiller and it would move freely from side to side until you actually engaged it. Not so. Whether on or off, its internal mechanism holds the rod tightly and only moves it in and out when set for a particular heading. Ergo, when you want to steer the boat yourself, you have to remove it from the bracket and set it aside somehow. I have subsequently stuck some velcro on the back wall of the transom and the rear edge of the autotiller for those instances so that it doesn't pivot around on its pole, intruding into the seating area.
Even then you have to be especially careful. There have been many times when I have jibed and the mainsheet has lassoed the autotiller’s rod, yanking it up and back. One of these days I fear that it will come completely out of its cup and I only hope that the plug is strong enough to keep it from ending up in the drink. Of course, this also happens on occasion with the tiller itself, but I now have to be doubly observant to keep the mainsheet clear when using the autotiller.
In summary, despite the installation hassles and cockpit complications, the autotiller really is one of the best accessories available for a P-19. I would recommend that anyone who is thinking about ordering a new boat from International Marine have them include the ST1000 Plus in the package. It is worth the extra money invested.
