The 18m proa was fitted with hydraulic steering two years ago. That enables fitting an autopilot with hydraulic pump to the system. The system operates one rudder and that works fine for steering in either direction. We have only played around with the autopilot twice. The incorporated GPS and radar have been more useful to date than the autopilot. We are yet to resolve how the autopilot can be set to work in reverse without recalibrating each shunt or have a reversing switch on the pump motor. There may be a simple software switch for the reversing function but that has not yet been found if it exists. Generally manufacturers of autopilots have not contemplated their use on a proa.
Setting the pump up was a simple exercise with the existing hydraulic steering. The pump has in-built check valves so it does not need to be isolated to steer by hand but the helm needs to be isolated so the rudder turns in preference to the helm spinning. The helm could be locked in place but it is simpler to use an isolating valve.
The hydraulic steering was quite simple to set up and not particularly expensive using the same orbital pump/motor for the rudder and helm. The steering design would be a bit different if done again but the system has proven reliable.
Rick
On 4 Dec 2018, at 4:18 pm, ryanonthebeach@gmail.com [harryproa] <harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au> wrote:Has anyone solved the autopilot problem with an HP?
As much as I'm a fan of tiller steering, handling two tillers far apart adds a challenge. Some purists may disagree, but I believe an autopilot is as mandatory as GPS on a bluewater sail, especially if single handed.
Curious if anyone has managed to get a reversible autopilot working well with the daggerboard rudders on an HP?
Thinking two hydraulic arms for steering both ridders simultaneously connected to something like a seastar helm and autopilot pump... flip the heading sensor 180 after a shunt? And the pump wires? Or use an open center hydraulic valve to reverse the hydraulics (advantage of valve is having a neural gear to free the tilers for hand use)
Have had hydraulic steering and autopilot pump before and it worked flawlessly.. so pretty confident in the reliability and maintenance of it.
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Posted by: Rick Willoughby <rickwill@bigpond.net.au>
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