Below deck autopilot install

[LogoFreak]

Yes it is now separate. Change my plans as it was easier and cheaper to do it as a standalone piece.

[Noah]

IMO—it is a better solution!

[ChrisOB]

That actually looks pretty similar to my thru-bolted bronze Edson arm (which was about $400).  I ended up installing my shelf/mount aft of the fuel tank and the tiller facing the port quarter/stern.  My RAM arm (Raymarine type 1 linear drive) was too long to fit perfectly athwartships.  The pilot motor doesn't care what orientation it is to the rudder post, so long as you are square 90 degrees at mid throw and +/- a degree or 2 vertically. Noah was a big help, and I still have lots of pics of the install and shelf build, feel free to PM me.

[LogoFreak]

That is likely the way I will mount mine.

[LogoFreak]

Tiller arm is done, now just need to start assembling things. I still need to paint the bottom so it's gonna be a couple of weeks before rudder gets re installed, but here's a pic of the arm on the rudder stock.

Also, for those of you that were concerned about how strong the arm needs to be, think about this... the weakest point in the arm is the mounts at the back of the linear drive, there's maybe 1/8in of aluminum holding the thru pin at the back end of it...

[LogoFreak]

Small update. Test fitting the rudder with the radial drive and tiller for the AP.

[waughoo]

Thanks for the uodate!! I was thinking about the project just the other day wondering how you've been making progress.

[LogoFreak]

It's been a slow go, had a week off at the beginning of the project but that was back in September lol. Since then I've been super busy at work and only able to do things on the weekend, and because I'm doing a lot of glassing/fairing/sanding I can only do it when it's not raining, and that's hard to get when you live in Vancouver lol.

Was ready to do a lot more today but now the temp dropped down to 4ºC and epoxy doesn't like it. Which is why I was able to spend time figuring out the rudder.

It's been depressing not being able to splash the boat, but I'm a lot closer than further as a friend of mine says

[glennd3]

Logo you do nice work. 

[LogoFreak]

Thanks Glenn! I don't like doing something twice so I strive to do it well the first time around.

[LogoFreak]

Does anyone know why the cables for the steering are so crudely terminated? U bolt cable clamps and electrical tape hardly seems like a good solution. I've been contemplating to have a rigging shop swage on threaded fittings at the end of the steering cables. Other than having to measure very exactly the length they need to be am I overseeing a very clear reason why it's not done that way?

[Stu Jackson]

My understanding is so that they can be adjusted relatively easily by loosening the clamps.

[Craig Illman]

I doubt you could pass a swaged eye down the pedestal and around/through the idler pulleys.

Craig

[waughoo]

I doubt you could pass a swaged eye down the pedestal and around/through the idler pulleys.

Craig

Perhaps not an eye, but a threaded end maybe.  It might be a question of how much space is needed for the cable to ride on the radial/quadrant that dictates the cable clamps.  I have wondered the same about how crude that double clamp system looks.  I suppose it works and is VERY field servicable in the event a repair needs to be made.

[LogoFreak]

Spent a few minutes on the computer designing a top bearing for the rudder, this design will get rid of the up/down play and also take the side to side play as well as increasing the sidewall area on which the rudder shaft rides on. Will post pictures of the top bearing when I get it back from machine shop. It will be made out of delrin.