WH Autopilots

[NALASETIA]

I posted a message looking for opions on autopilots and it sounds like most of
the positive response was for the WH autopilot. I am now looking for some real
power expectations from the WH autopilots. My boat weights in around 60K loaded
and she is a Perry 47 sailboat, any help
Thanks Don Brame

[Begoose]

Take a look at the Alpha Auto Pilots - use very little juice and worked well in
our circumnavigation.

Check out the postings in CruisingSailor.com in the equipment survey

Dave

[Jeff Thompson]

We put 50K miles on our WH in 5 years and it never quit - not once. We met
literally dozens of boats with Alphas, Robertsons, Autohelms, etc all waiting for
parts or return of the pilot from the US. Luckily, most were waiting in nice places
like Fiji, Tahiti, NZ, Hong Kong, etc. The problem with determining the power usage
is that, even on the same boat, it varies by point of sail, swell situation, sail
trim, motor sailing, and on and on. Our boat is almost self steering when the wind
is forward of the beam - means that the steering effort is minimal and the watts
the steer are very small. With the boat doing 9 kts in 35-45 knots from the stern
quarter and 20 ft swells trying to push the stern around, the steering effort is
substantial and the power required is much higher. The boat has a full keel,
attached rudder, balanced fore-aft hull shape and track very well - this would have
a big impact on the power usage. Shape here -
http://home.earthlink.net/~jkthompson/cruise/boat.htm Numbers here -
http://home.earthlink.net/~jkthompson/cruise/victoria.htm She is 50 ft, 38,000
lbs designed, 42,000 with full tanks, food, etc in cruising trim.

Our pilot has the single 1/4 hp hydraulic drive (most common but a friend with a 57
ft 88,000 lb concrete decided to go with the double drive option) and we could see
the amp meter dip when the rudder was activated. The WH has what seems to be a
variable speed, 2 range rudder steering motor activation - 99% of the time it acted
in the slower (less hp, lower amps) range, but on rare occasions when the situation
needed it (don't know how or why) it would act in a definitely faster range (high
speed high hp, must be higher amps).

All of this is to say, even after all that usage, I can't give accurate power usage
assessments. In our case, we had 2 x 8d's in parallel as the house bank, and I was
never as concerned with watts as I was with failure and repair. I don't care if X
brand autopilot runs on a AAA cell for 2 years - I do care if it breaks and causes
big problems every 6-12 months.
Some notes here - http://home.earthlink.net/~jkthompson/cruise/equipment.htm

[John Matott]

The power consumption will vary considerably depending upon factors which
are unrelated to the brand of autopilot...sail trim, sea state, course
demands, etc.

I suggest you give Wil Hamm a call...he will give you all the information
you need.

John

[SV Windigo]

>I posted a message looking for opions on autopilots and it sounds like most
>of
>the positive response was for the WH autopilot. I am now looking for some
>real
>power expectations from the WH autopilots

Have used a WH for three years for about 9 to 10 months a year. We're live a
aboard cruisers. Boat is a 41 disp. about 23K. I agree with the comments by
Mr Thompsen except --
mine has failed three times. Will is verygood about sending replacement parts
quickly.

Twice the flux-gate compass failed. A replacement "blue box" failed right out
of the box. Hydraulics and pump work fine.

Happy Trails

Chuck
S/V WINDIGO
Sitka, AK