[C320-list] Raymarine Autopilot failure

[Ben Waltuck]

I live in Newton, but the boat is in Quincy at Marina Bay.
This is my first year with the boat.. purchased it in May from someone 
in New Bedford, where it had been out of the water at Neimic Marine for 
2+ years.
The 320 has far exceeded all of my expectations.  I have not yet seen 
anything under 38ft with a larger cockpit area, and the handling is just 
great under power or sail.




David Cardoza wrote:

>Where are you in the Boston area.  I'm down in Buzzards Bay.  I think I'm
>going for a day sail tomorrow rain or shine.  Just need to get out.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com
>[mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Ben Waltuck
>Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 3:55 PM
>To: C320-List
>Subject: Re: [C320-list] Raymarine Autopilot failure
>
>Aside from the rudder transducer, I can't see any reason to upgrate to 
>the more expensive S1.. so I just wanted to get my old ST4000+ repaired, 
>but since it was only an extra $140 to get a new MKII wheel drive over 
>repairing my older wheel drive, I upgraded to the new MKII.
>Raymarine sold me the new MKII for $439 with my old MKI as a trade-in 
>instead of charging me $299 to repair my old MKI..
>The real problem was that my control unit died.  I sent in both the 
>control unit and the drive unit, and they said that my drive unit was in 
>pretty rough shape and probably the root cause of the control unit 
>failure because it had to work so hard to turn the wheel.
>So in the end it was $199 to repair the control head plus $439 for a new 
>wheel drive = $638 for a new system (half the price of a new S1)
>I just don't see the point in the rudder transducer because I can look 
>at the steering wheel more easily than looking at the autopilot to see 
>how I'm steering.
>
>Thanks for all the input.. if it stops raining up here in Boston 
>sometime soon I might actually get out for a sail!
>
>Ben Waltuck
>Getaway #352
>
>Len wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Or are you looking a a used MKII?
>>
>>Len
>>Aqua5 #1070
>>
>>
>>On 7/21/06, Jeff Church <jjemail at comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Ben,
>>>
>>>I installed the new wheel drive this Spring. Lowering the pod is no
>>>problem.
>>>Remove the front panel, unscrew the 2 screws that attach the pod to the
>>>binnacle, remove the caulk that seals the aft binnacle post to the 
>>>pod so
>>>that the pod will slide down the post, drill 2 holes through the back of
>>>the
>>>pod, bolt and seal the pod back to the binnacle.
>>>
>>>You might want to install the wheel drive so that the clutch and 
>>>motor are
>>>in the 5:00 o'clock position like the original unit was. The 2 
>>>positioning
>>>holes that are provided will only allow the unit to be mounted so 
>>>that the
>>>motor is in the 11:00 o'clock position. If you mount it there you will
>>>have
>>>to deal with moving or extending the wires that connect to the unit, as
>>>well
>>>as the aesthetic differences. Repositioning requires drilling a new
>>>locator
>>>hole in the forward ring of the wheel drive. You will also need to 
>>>drill a
>>>hole in the pod to move the engine-stop handle outboard about an inch so
>>>that it does not hit the motor. Fill the old hole with a white plastic
>>>snap-in button that you can get at Ace.
>>>
>>>Good luck.
>>>
>>>JeffC
>>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Ben Waltuck" <benw at sun.com>
>>>To: "C320-List" <C320-List at catalina320.com>
>>>Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 1:14 PM
>>>Subject: Re: [C320-list] Raymarine Autopilot failure
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Has anyone replaced their raymarine ST4000 with the newer MKII wheel
>>>>drive?
>>>>
>>>>I send my unit in to raymarine for repair, and they said that both the
>>>>control unit and drive unit were broken.. and that it would be $299 to
>>>>replace my old drive unit or $439 to get the newer MKII drive unit (on
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>top
>>>      
>>>
>>>>of $199 to repair the control head). I decided to go ahead for the 
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>newer
>>>      
>>>
>>>>MKII unit, but I seem to recall a post sometime back where someone
>>>>mentioned that they were not able to fit the MKII unit without moving
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>the
>>>      
>>>
>>>>engine control pod down.. So my question is.. has anyone successfully
>>>>replaced the ST4000 with the newer MKII wheel drive?
>>>>AND, did you have to lower your engine control panel?  Is that as
>>>>difficult as it looks?
>>>>
>>>>My fear is that lowering the control panel might be a bit of a project
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>if
>>>      
>>>
>>>>I have to drill a new screw hole because I'd first need to get all of
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>the
>>>      
>>>
>>>>wires out of the pedestal.. and that could be a bit of a pain.
>>>>
>>>>Thanks!
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>
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>  
>