Gear
On Test
Our long term gear and equipment tests editor, Colin Jarman, is joined this month by
Garth Cooper to report on trials of a tiller pilot, a fleece jacket, a ‘quick release’ buoyant
winch handle, a hooded mid-layer top and to provide an update on an anchor rode bag.
SIMRAD TP32 TILLER PILOT £448.99
M
y boat is a long keeler plate and sets the unit in a
weighing nearly seven level position.
tons in cruising trim. The The unit can steer to wind
rudder is not overly big, but is as well as to GPS waypoints
deep set and hung on the after and will also accept wind
end of the full keel. Although I angle data, boat speed data and
try to balance her when sailing, compass heading supplied by
so that she doesn’t carry much NMEA connected instruments.
in the way of weather helm, There are five clustered
she’s still a heavy boat to steer buttons on the keypad: port
for long periods, especially if and starboard directions,
it’s a bit choppy. standby/auto mode, tack and
That’s the background to nav. Probably the most useful
choosing and installing a tiller
er
for when you are on watch
pilot, but the choice is not easy.
P
alone, is the tack button, by
For a start, it would help if
oo
C
which the tiller pilot turns the
manufacturers used a standard
T
h
r
boat while you tend the sheets.
way to express performance. GA Since fitting, the TP32 has
Trying to find out which unit
©
proved extremely useful,
would best fit and be capable
T
os
enabling us to huddle under
of handling the loads proved Pho the sprayhood in foul weather
a nightmare. It wasn’t easy and giving me the freedom to
to ascertain from the various Top: TP32 operating on under- navigate or make tea when on
computations of boat length,
tiller link.
down with two of the three my own.
underwater shape and size just
Above: Deck-mounted base
fixing bolts through a beam. A major consideration in my
which unit would work.
socket for tiller pilot.
To turn the boat through choice of the TP32 was that the
In the end, I went to the boat
Above right: All the bits.
90° you don’t need full rudder electronics are double sealed in
show and talked to the guys – it just acts as an underwater a box within the outer casing.
on the stands of the two most for an under-tiller drop bracket. brake – and with the ram at It has got wet a number of
popular makes, finally deciding Also, because of the need for full extension the drop arm times now, but so far without
on the Simrad TP32. It’s their easy access to lockers and, remained several inches clear problems. It’s also been quieter
biggest unit and they told me it more particularly, the aft bilge of the locker edge. If you than most helmsmen. GC
might be overkill, but I would pump, we reversed the pilot needed to slam the rudder full
be unlikely to wear it out. and mounted it on the port side over then you’d either be in a
As with all tiller pilots, the rather the usual starboard side. situation where you wouldn’t WE LIKE
key is to install it in the right (Reversing the unit’s operation have the tiller pilot connected Waterproofing
position. Wiring meant the is a simple procedure once it’s or you can simply flip it off the Tack facility
usual cable running difficulties, connected to the power supply.) stud and steer by hand. It will, Powerful
but after that the waterproof On trials, this arrangement however, hit your knees if you
multi-pin socket was mounted worked fine. It took a little sit directly opposite the tiller WE DON’T LIKE
low down on the cockpit while to get lined up and to when sailing, so I tend to sit Awkward wiring
coaming and, although the plug settle down, but it worked. slightly forward and reach back
stands about 1in proud, it hasn’t However, in anything other to the tiller. VErDIcT ★★★★★
yet caught anybody in the back than almost flat calm, the action Fitting the base to the It’s a good, strong tiller pilot that gets
when sitting in that area of of the steering ram caused the cockpit bench meant an on with the job in most conditions.
the cockpit. cockpit coaming to flex, which adaptation of the mounting
Initially, we also fitted the frankly alarmed me, so I bought pillar. I cut it down to length,
support base onto the coaming a drop arm, which I bolted drilled a hole in the end and
with the tiller end of the thrust through the tiller, removed the glued the brass recess cup used
ram set on a pin on top of the base unit from the coaming for deck mounting into it. The Contact Navico
tiller itself, because we were and mounted it instead on the shortened pillar simply screws Tel 01794 510010
uncertain of getting clearance cockpit bench. It was bolted as before into the deck base Website
www.simrad-yachting.co.uk
46 Sailing Today September 09
ST149
Gear_RTG.indd 52 15/7/09 17:08:13
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