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  • in reply to: Raymarine Wheel Pilot #9351
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    Hi Graham

    I’ve installed a Raymarine Evolution on my Wight a few years ago after ripping out the remains of what must have been the original C1970’s system (called a “Space Age Automatic Pilot”!). I’ve therefore not had direct experience of the Mk1 but I understand that the Evolution system uses the Mk2 wheel. Checking I see the differences between Mk1 Wheel (black) and the Mk2 (grey ) are:

    • The Mk1 has a black wheel drive ring and is compatible with the 4000+ control head1. Also, the older ST4000 control head can work with the Mk1 wheel unit. Users have reported that the Mk1 system works well, but any slight connection fault in any part of the system (including the motor) can disrupt its performance.
    • Mk2 is grey and can also function with the 4000+ control head. If you have an older ST4000 control head, it should work fine with the Mk2 wheel unit as well. The Mk2 Wheel Drive unit clamps directly to your boat’s steering wheel, making installation straightforward. It features an adjustable clutch lever for switching between autopilot control and hand-steering2

    In summary, I guess it comes down to your control head – both wheel units are interchangeable and can work with the 4000+ control head and if you have the older ST4000 control head, it should also be compatible.

    The references I used to get this info were :

    1. https://forums.ybw.com/threads/raymarine-wheel-pilot-mk1-vs-mk2.586536/
    2. https://forums.ybw.com/threads/autohelm-raymarine-autopilot-belts-ah4000-st4000mk1-and-st4000mk2.410407/
    3. https://www.raymarine.co.uk/en-gb/our-products/boat-autopilots/autopilot-drive-units/cockpit-mk-ii-wheel-drive
    4. https://www.raymarine.com/en-us/learning/online-guides/what-are-the-different-types-of-boat-autopilot

    You mentioned compatibility with the compass. That’ll be a Raymarine Flux Compass presumably which connects the the control head (via one of the SeaTalk network options). The compass operates independently of the wheel unit. It continuously provides heading information (magnetic or gyroscopic) to the autopilot system. The autopilot uses this data to maintain the desired course.Both the Mk1 and Mk2 wheel units are designed to work with the Raymarine autopilot systems. They connect to the control head and drive the steering mechanism. As long as the wheel unit is properly installed and compatible with your autopilot system, it should not affect the compass.

    But don’t expect complete compatibility. When you change the wheel unit, ensure that the compass calibration remains accurate. Follow Raymarine’s guidelines for compass calibration and alignment to ensure that the autopilot responds correctly to the compass data. So after changing the wheel unit, perform the usual “sea trial” to verify that the autopilot maintains the correct course, i.e.: monitor the compass readings during 360degree turns, changes in speed, etc. to ensure consistency. Note the manual says all such turns should be done at a min boat speed of 3kts.

    I keep by Raymarine manual handy, but I must say they’re not overly detailed. I use the Evolution manual but it sounds like you’d need the Raymarine 4000 Mk2 Service Manual (which covers the Raymarine 4000 Mk2 wheel drive unit) (see here: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/3358595/Raymarine-4000-Mk2.html) or the ST4000 Operating and Installation Manual (which specifically covers the ST4000 wheel drive autopilot and contains information for both Mk1 and Mk2 wheel units) (see here: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/313996/Raymarine-St4000.html)

    Last thing to note. My Raymarine Evolution system behaved like a drunken cow when I first installed it – reeling from port to starboard, being late to turn and then overcorrecting. Despite fiddling with the settings I couldn’t get the thing to work properly – that is until I fitted a rudder sensor. That changed everything – it now works very acceptably and I can make a cuppa whilst travelling down the river singlehanded. If you’ve already got a rudder sensor then this doesn’t apply, but if not, then I thoroughly recommend it.

    All the best and hope this helps

    Rob Wombwell

    in reply to: Mac26 Exchange window rubber seals #3638
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    This is a test response

    in reply to: Now possible to upload Forum images and videos #3511
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    This is a test of an embedded image Macwester flag and below is a long video of 11MB

    You must be logged in to view attachments.

    in reply to: Now possible to upload Forum images and videos #3245
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    And these examples were shot directly from an iPad  So we’re getting there…

    in reply to: Size of the Keels MC 27 #3218
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    Hi Pierre
    Bob Tuffnell has kindly passed me this drawing which lays out the dimensions for the keels on a Macwester 27 . Hope this helps.
    Best regards
    Rob Wombwell, MOA club
    Keelplan for Macwester 27

    in reply to: I’m back! #3156
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    Hi Leonard
    Good to hear that. I’m not a member of that group (indeed I deliberately don’t have a FB account!) but I do keep an eye on it as a visitor and I saw your recent postings of the work done on your Wight. I was particularly interested because I also have a Wight which I’m also renovating. The job I’m considering for the winter is making the cabin interior a tad more practical and so I’m gathering ideas for different layout options. What you’d done looked very innovative, so well done and many thanks for taking time to send up the pics. I’ll be posting some of my own on the this MOA site when I get a chance – note there are some software enhancements coming to this site soon which will give us the option to post FB style pics, videos and narrative as on the FB page. You’re obviously a keen FB user and hopefully you’ll have time to check out these new facility and give me your feedback. That’d be really helpful.
    All the best
    Rob Wombwell
    MOA site webmaster

    in reply to: New Web Site Now !!! ALIVE !!!! #2920
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    Hiya again Bob

    We missed you at the AGM in Hull, but it’s great to see you on the web site, which of course we hope you’ll like and find useful. Having got the thing finally into play, the intention is to keep adding facilities which we think Mac folk will find useful. Our first examples of this are the on-line Navionics Marine Charts and the links to weather services. Over the weekend I intend to put up some new facilities that will allow any club member to quickly (and easily) add Events (like a BBQ, or a local sailing meet up), Posts (so allowing those inclined to post up their adventures and the like), Galleries (like a Post, but primarily a photo based story, which we’ll then layout like a Facebook upload page [washing my mouth out!]), and Classified Ads (when they need to sell or request Mac orientated stuff).

    Vis your query about being notified of new posts, that’s called “subscribing”, and you can subscribe (and un-subscribe) to a Forum or a Forum Topic very easily – just open up the Forum, (or Forum Topic if you are focused on one topic) and you’ll see in the top right hand corner “subscribe” link. Clicking on that will ensure you’re emailed whenever new posts come into any Forum (or Topic). Once subscribed the top right hand link changes to “unsubscribe” for the Forum (or Topic) – click on that to cancel you subscription.

    In fact I’ll use this forum to post up new facilities on the new web site as we get them going over the next few weeks.

    ATB
    Rob
    All the best Rob

    in reply to: New Web site – background #2733
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    Thanks Bernie. well its a start anyway. Not sure what you mean about the Forum I’ve just checked that its reachable from the menu bar. Try again and let me know if you still can’t get into it. Meanwhile, I’m preparing set of notes for the Review team so we can work through the site together methodically.
    ATB
    Rob

    in reply to: Macwester 27 mk1 – dimensions #712
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    apologies – another POST to test the interfaces

    in reply to: Macwester 27 mk1 – dimensions #711
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    Just testing the POST response system

    in reply to: Wight Mk2 Steering Pedestal #669
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    Hi Cameron,
    just a test to check for comments.

    in reply to: Wight rig #627
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    Hi there Leonard
    I’m surprised you’re contemplating this. I also have a WIGHT II which I keep on the East Coast (Walton-on-the-Naze) and mainly sail singlehanded. I’ve come from a traditional cutter rig and I have learned to greatly appreciate having a Mizzen. Being singlehanded I sail on Jib and Mizzen and don’t bother with the Main. I find having smaller sails easier to manage, but trimming the Mizzen is vital – if not matched to the wind direction it’ll cause weather helm or lee drift. I now have an autohelm on the boat, but before that I was continually tweaking the Mizzen sheet to keep her on course. When I’ve sailed her on Jib and Main she sails OK but you can feel the centre of balance is too far fwd. However, if it was my boat I’d maybe try it for a season, but keep everything intact so I could re-rig her if unsatisfactory. One suggestion is to beg/borrow a longer boom and Main from someone with a cutter rig to see if by putting a bigger Main on you could bring the centre of balance back. Bets of luck with it.

    in reply to: Shroud tension #550
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    There’s an article on Rig tensioning in this months Pratical Boat Owner may be of some use.

    David

    in reply to: Shroud tension #528
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    Hi Peter

    Not sure about what I’m saying here but it’s sounds logical that if you tighten one side a half turn and then the other half a turn, wouldn’t that be the same as one turn either side and equal tension? I’m getting a headache thinking about it.
    I have to admit that before I slackened off the rigging the last time I lowered the mast, I marked the turnbuckles with tape so I knew roughly how much tension to apply. I do recall using a tape measure, a piece of string and a strip of cardboard in the past to measure the tension but can’t remember the measured distance. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful, I, like yourself will wait for the post of someone more knowledgeable.

    Regards
    David

    in reply to: too much lee helm? #526
    Rob WombwellRob Wombwell
    Keymaster

    Hi John

    Thank you for breaking the ice by being the first poster with a technical problem on this forum.
    We have a ketch rigged wight 32 so not too familiar with the 26 but my simple observation as follows.
    We know that from what you have said, a previous owner was experiencing what they considered to be a serious weather helm problem, hence the reduced mainsail and added bowsprit. There must have been something severely amiss to call for such extreme measures which couldn’t be resolved in a simpler fashion. Assuming that as a first measure they cut down the size of the mainsail which didn’t cure the problem and then as a further measure added a bowsprit which then cured the problem. This being the case, for you to experience Lee helm something must else be coming into play. It could be that they carried extra weight in the bow (loads of anchor chain, extra water tank etc) or perhaps were extra light in the stern.
    Adding a bow sprit has changed the centre of effort CE, in relation to the centre of lateral resistance CLR, this does seem a bit extreme.
    Without completely reverse engineering, maybe reducing the jib or adding a little weight to the bow or reducing the weight in the stern or a combination of all three both might resolve the problem. It would be the simplest and cheapest option to try and experiment with. If successful, chances are that by increasing the size of the main alone you will solve the problem.
    In my imperfect world..!! whatever you do will be a compromise, if she wasn’t designed to carry a bowsprit, she shouldn’t need one.
    (as she’s now halfway there, you could always turn her into a Yawl by fitting a small Mizzen ..!!!!)

    Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful, perhaps a Mac 26 owner could shed some light on the subject, it’s early days on this new forum but I’m sure you will get some responses.

    Regards
    David

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 22 total)