[C320-list] EV-100 install on early 320

[Ian Neale]

Thanks Stephen, again very insightful. 

I am going to call Raymarine in the morning and see what they say about converting to a hydraulic system in due course. Even if I had to swap out the drive unit it may still be an ok way forward. 

My key objectives are to have an Autopilot for sail changes, spinnaker drops etc, motoring and light wind sailing. I think when we are out in 20 plus knots i will want to be on the wheel myself. So given this the wheel system may be all I need. 

Thanks, Ian.  

Sent from. my iPhone

> On Nov 24, 2020, at 6:41 PM, Stephen Cox <scox at timmin.com> wrote:
> 
> 
>> 
>> I have seen the dimple you refer to on the stand and wondered 
>> if that was the Centre for the motor cut out. I also thought 
>> that the cable conduit may still be in the way, how did you 
>> cut that away without removing all the cabling within it?
>> 
> 
> Very carefully!  I can't remember but probably used a Dremel type tool to carefully remove the material.  I do remember inserting a
> strip of metal down the tube to keep the wires to one side and protected.
> 
>> I will be sailing in the Hauraki Gulf and east side of 
>> Northland Coast of New Zealand. While a bit more sheltered 
>> than your trip to Tasmania depending on wind and swell 
>> direction still somewhat open water conditions so I was a 
>> little concerned about the robustness of the system. 
> 
> I was fitting out a new C320 and not unusually the costs mounted pretty quickly so cost was a consideration.  As they seemed to be
> used satisfactorily by almost everyone on the C320 email list, I initially installed the wheelpilot .  However, it turns out a lot
> of presumably mainly US Catalina owners appear to be day sailors who chose their weather carefully or don't sail on the open seas.
> Given the time over I would not install a wheelpilot on a C320.
> 
> 
>> When you upgraded to the hydraulic ram were you able to use 
>> the old control box, head unit and GPS unit or was it a 
>> complete refit?
> 
> I had an S1 control unit with no built in gyro. I purchased an SPX-30 by watching eBay, Defender sales and the like carefully for
> some considerable time and got one at suitable price.  When I went to the hydraulic ram drive I was able to use all the existing
> gear, just connecting the hydraulic pump to the appropriate connections on the control box.  I used a third party hydraulic pump and
> ram by the way which again I was able to pick up at a ridiculously cheap price from a boat shop going out of business.
> 
> Looking up the specs for the EV-1 wheelpilot, the control box is capable of supporting their smallest hydraulic drive but I don't
> think it will offer sufficient drive for a C320 in heavy conditions.  There would be no point of going to the better setup and then
> having it underpowered when you really needed it.
> 
> 
> Stephen Cox
> Tegwen #1141 
> 
>