• Welcome to this website/forum for people interested in the Morgan 38 Sailboat. Many of our members are 'owners' of Morgan 38s, but you don't need to be an owner to Register/Join.

Autopilot

J

jvierra

Joseph E. Vierra
I need to make a decision on a belowdeck autopilot (Autohelm
6000, Robertson AP11, etc) but need help in determining which
drive to get (linear or rotary). Does anyone have one of these
autopilots installed in their 382's? Recommendations on
installation or sugggestions on which drive system (because of
room constraints)to use would be appreciated.
 
I have an Autohelm 6000 installed on my Morgan 384 by a previous owner. It is a linear drive with the actuator mounted to the cabin sole just starboard of the base of the pedestal. It is an older unit,possibly 12-15 years old and works just fine. Contact me at cyberbud@gate.net if you need additional information.
 
I also have a Autohelm 6000 (below deck liner drive) of the same vintage. My actuator was mounted athwarpship the starboard helmsman seat. I would prefer it to be mounted similar to Bud's. Mine has given me some trouble. I returned it to Raytheon for repairs and was informed it was working just fine. I have not reinstalled it and I'm not sure what I will do if it still does not work this summer.
 
Our 382 has a B & G Network autopilot (linear). Works great. E-mail me if you want details on installation/ location.
 
I have a Navico linear drive with actuator mounted just to starboard of the pedestal. It's six or seven years old and works fine. What I really like is being able to take the remote forward to the mast and steer around crab pots from there.
 
I have an Autohelm 5000, it was installed by me 10-12 years ago. It is a linear drive and it is installed(thru bolted) just to starboard of the pedestal base. It uses an Edson torque arm. It has woked fine over the years under power. Of late it has started to develop amind of it's own. I believe the compass is the weak point in this unit. Happy Sailing.
 
Dick. When I spoke to Raytheon, They informed me that these older units where no longer repairable. There are no spare parts. They did say that if you choose to upgrade to one of their new units they were currently excepting the old units on a trade in. The cost to upgrade for me (i.e. a mid 80's 6000) swould have been $1200 which is considerably less than the cost of a new unit. If you are thinking of upgrading your unit, now is a good time to speak to Raytheon.
 
I have an ST6000 linear mounted to the port bulkhead and attached directly to the quadrant and this unit has work fine for 8 years in all conditions. It is linked to the GPS and I just added the new ST600R full function remote. I would certainly recommend Autohelm.
 
I have an Autohelm ST4000 cockpit mounted autopilot. Even tho the mfg. says its too small for the boat and especially for an ocean passage, its worked just fine for four (count em) round trips from Honolulu to San Francisco. Even so,
if I were doing it again I take the extra trouble and put
in a below deck unit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top