[C320-list] Autopilot

[JJ Morrison]

Yup I have a Raymarine 6000 series Smart Pilot mounted on my 1999 boat and it fits between the wheel axle and the engine instrument pod. Oriented with the motor drive to the starboard of the binnacle with the torque pin mounted onto the binnacle. The engagement lever had to be truncated though as it interfered with the instrument pod.CheersJohnM1999#574




> From: iand2002 at hotmail.com
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 14:32:36 -0500
> Subject: [C320-list] Autopilot
> 
> Has anyone mounted a Raymarine (was Autohelm) wheel autopilot onto an early
> 320 (mine is #18).  My experience of doing this comes from my old 32’
> Jeanneau 15 years ago which I no longer have.  But I now want to add one to
> my C320  
> 
>  
> 
> One part requiring mounting is a circular drive unit that must be attached
> to 3 of the steering wheel spokes.  A built-in motor then drives the boat’s
> wheel.  To stop the whole unit revolving when the motor runs, there is a
> separate large ¾ diameter metal pin that must be mounted to the binnacle
> housing with the pin poking into a hole on the circular drive unit at the
> bottom.
> 
>  
> 
> On my Jeanneau affixing the pin to the binnacle seemed relatively easy – a
> couple of screws.  But, on the C320, there is a huge instrument panel for
> the engine controls just behind and below the wheel hub precluding access to
> most of the binnacle housing.  I was in the local West Marine discussing
> this and they called Raymarine but the guy we got effectively refused to
> discuss mounting for a specific boat type (other than to suggest – “mount it
> upside down – with the pin at the top!”).
> 
>  
> 
> So, the question – has anyone mounted (or even just have) a
> Raymarine/Autohelm wheel autopilot on a C320 and how is the circular drive
> unit’s metal pin mounted to the binnacle.
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks,   Ian Davis     Wind Star (#18)
>