MacGregorSailors.com

On a sidenote- I would never have purchased that model/brand A/C unit in the first place. I was in Iraq, it was summer in Yuma and my wife was pregnant- she was desperate and she bought the first one they were selling. I don't blame her, but now I feel they really took advantage of that.

I put my pinko liberal side down for this one. ANyone who takes advantage of a Mom-to-be with Dad in Irag (or anywhere else serving the country away from home) gets the full depleted uranium clip, decent burial, exhumation, and another clip, just to make the point.

Im thinking of putting in a Simrad TP22 with the wired remote HR 22...

Ill make a mount on the rear transom, which will have to be connected to the steering linkage pin to enable the autpilot. The remote will let me move around the cockpit or go below decks.

Online for 448 for both TP and remote...!!!!

Hmmm ... $1,000, less $448 leaves $552.
Was my boatBuck exaggerated, or do you still have a fixed-mount GPS to shop for?

(inquiring minds gotta know ~?)

One of the many things I have to check out Frank

I have a Garmin 76CS which talks NEMA, so I think that would talk to the SImrad ok, but I have to confirm all that of course.

I still have to find out how much throw the TP has, and figure out how to mount it on the transom, and design a new pin for the steeering gear that it will connect to in under 30 seconds. I might have a problem with fitting it in as well...

Admiring that perseverance ... I always felt that a tiller pilot was the best option for the Mac's somewhat dubious wheel system. But then I abandoned the idea due to the disconnect-issue. If I'd need to reach back to the swim deck to discnnect the pilot, it would surely have been inappropriate for single-handing.

My view is that single-handing is the prime motivator for an electric pilot. If Simrad's remote control permits an "electronic disconnect" then the only remaining questions occurring to me are:

• 1. how long is that remote cable?
  2. will it need to snake along the cockpit floor?
  3. what's the "failure behavior." say when the batteries are dead?
  . . . (e.g. does the dead cylinder just add a little drag to the wheel-feel?)

Sounds like you're already plotting some quick-disconnect method, but it's still gonna be behind & under the helm seat.

Frank

The TP 32 comes with the remote, which is wired in two pieces - a bulkhead connector and mating connector on the remote

Im thinking route the remote wire back through the transom boot (with all the other wires, bring the bulkhead connector up inside the boat, near the companionway.

Now I can connect the remote and sit under the dodger, bring back to the cockpit (witha wire of course) or even go forward and steer from the Vberth if I wanted to!!

Distances and all have to be confirmed of course.

Bad month at the Boyle Smiths
This weekend the hot water heater went out.

319 at Lowes....355 to install??????

This time, they didnt even get the call from me to install. Including the extra trip to the hardware store, took me two hours to put in, including dollying the new and old one up/down the basement stairs.

pop quiz - whats the difference between the 6 year, 9 year, and 12 year warranteed gas hot water heaters??

Answer (from someone in the business) - the sticker and the price....

My autopilot boat buck is getting whittled down pretty fast though...

Catigale wrote:

My autopilot boat buck is getting whittled down pretty fast though...

I dunno Catigale...seems like you're looking at this the wrong way. If you use the right 'logic', since you installed the water heater yourself, you've now got another $355 to spend on the boat

Admiral logic trumps Captain logic....

Nuff Said.

The Hades month continues at the Boyle Smiths..

BLowout on the VW (130 bucks for a new MXV tire)

Battery on Volvo died

Washing machine died

I think I'll stay off the water the rest of the month.

If anyone has an appliance they would like to replace, I can reach out and kill it this month from the Internet, for free....