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Fitting a Raymarine TP1000
Note: Although this page shows the fitting of a Raymarine tiller pilot, the Simrad models are very similar. It is worth checking the dimensions from the manufacturers web sites before buying, but it shouldn't be difficult to fit the smaller models from both manufacturers.
The Raymarine tiller pilot fits on two pins, one on the tiller and the other one on the coaming or in the cockpit. It needs a pin-to-pin measurement of 589mm. On a Corribee, this makes it too short to fit the cockpit pin on top of the coaming, and there is not enough clearance for the back of the unit to fit it on the cockpit seat. Alternative fittings are available from Raymarine, but they are fairly expensive - a pedestal assembly is around £25, tiller brackets around £20 and threaded pins £11. If you have some basic workshop facilities they can easily be made up to suit your installation.
The tiller fitting - very similar to the one available from Raymarine - is made from a strip of 316 stainless. It was curved to fit the underside of the tiller using a press tool, though the shape could also be formed using a vice. The pin is the same shape as the one provided, 1/4" diameter brass, with an M6 thread and held in place with two nuts. Raymarine recommend fitting with through bolts, but the tiller on a Corribee is so light I think 30mm self tappers will be strong enough.
I made the cockpit fitting from 6mm thick Tufnol - 5 layers, glued together with epoxy resin. It was then drilled to take the supplied brass bush and shaped on a disc sander . The bush was a light interference fit in the block, but could also be fitted with a little epoxy. The block is fixed to the side of the cockpit with Sikaflex 291.
The drawings below give an idea of the dimensions of both fittings, few of which are particularly critical. The only points worth noting are:
1.
The thickness of the block - the brass bush must be far enough away from the cockpit side so the tiller pilot doesn't make contact, and
2. The distance between centres should be 589mm (23.2"), as shown in the Raymarine instructions.
You may wish to change the other dimensions shown to suit your tiller and the height you wish to have the tiller pilot.
The power socket needs to be sited where it won't get kicked and is out of the way of the mainsheet. The ledge just in front of the mainsheet track seems a good place on a Corribee.
The tufnol block was sprayed white and stuck to the side of the cockpit with Sikaflex, held in place with masking tape for a few hours until it cured.
The unit was then tested - not much happens when the boat is in the boatyard, but you will be able to check that the tiller moves to the fullest extent allowed by the tiller pilot without fouling anything. In the central position shown here, the unit should be horizontal and at 90o to the fore-and-aft line. Provided you have achieved the 589mm dimension from pin to pin, the tiller pilot will provide equal port and starboard steering movement.
Links:
http://www.raymarine.co.uk/
http://www.simrad-yachting.com/en/
Links to other sites:
Yahoo message forum for
Corribees and Coromandelswww.thesimplesailor.com
Roger Taylor and Mingming -