AutoPilot for 40/40

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Riki
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AutoPilot for 40/40

Post by Riki »

Any owners of a 40/40 out there who have a newer AutoPilot? Wondering what you chose and whether you are happy with it? What issues you had installing it, etc?

Our old Robertson no longer works...

Thanks!
1997 Freedom 40/40 Hull #27

TonyB
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Re: AutoPilot for 40/40

Post by TonyB »

Going to follow this. My F40/40 came with an Authelm 6000. The drive works ok but the head/computer aren’t very consistent. I will probably add a newer autopilot and keep this as a back up. I must say on my last boat I installed a Raymarine Evo autopilot and it was quite good. I also sailed a Cal 40 from Hawaii to SF and that had an Alpha autopilot-the Gold standard anongst singlehanded and that thing drove an incredibly straight line.
Tony
SV Circe 1997 Freedom 40/40 - Hull #20 - Richmond Yacht Club, Richmond, CA

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: AutoPilot for 40/40

Post by GeoffSchultz »

I had a lighting strike in 2017 and replaced my RayMarine autopilot chartplotter and course-computer with a B&G system. My RayMarine system worked fine, once I installed a gyro into the course computer, but I have to say that the B&G system does a much better job of anticipating and correcting for things like following seas. That said, the B&G system is very complex and takes a lot of time to get set up and to understand what you're looking at. This is not a weekend sailor system! If you're headed off-shore, it's a great system once you've learned how to use it. I'll be glad to provide details on the system if someone is interested.

-- Geoff
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1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

Laisve
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Re: AutoPilot for 40/40

Post by Laisve »

Hi Geoff,
could you elaborate on the installation of the B&G plotter? We're considering replacing our original (?) Furuno plotter with the B&G Zeus3, which I believe has an autopilot control module as well. We already have newish B&G wind/depth instruments. I would hope they would all play nicely together, but before we take the plunge, it would be good to know what's involved. Are there additional parts to buy, such as the NMEA2000 control module. We'd also like to add AIS eventually. Thanks for any info you, or anyone else, can provide!
Freedom 40/40
Portsmouth, RI

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: AutoPilot for 40/40

Post by GeoffSchultz »

I'm not exactly sure what you want to see, but here's a network schematic of my installation:
N2K_2.jpg
N2K_2.jpg (104.62 KiB) Viewed 4882 times
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

TonyB
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Re: AutoPilot for 40/40

Post by TonyB »

Great schematic. Did you draw that in Visio?
Tony
SV Circe 1997 Freedom 40/40 - Hull #20 - Richmond Yacht Club, Richmond, CA

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: AutoPilot for 40/40

Post by GeoffSchultz »

I used a program called N2K Builder from Maertron, which allows you to design and verify your network design.
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1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

TonyB
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Re: AutoPilot for 40/40

Post by TonyB »

Nice. I will look for it.
Tony
SV Circe 1997 Freedom 40/40 - Hull #20 - Richmond Yacht Club, Richmond, CA

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