Who installs the wiring in new boats.

[Lyra]

My boat was purchased used, ex charter, so I was not involved in outfitting it.

It came with the ST4000+ wheel mounted autopilot.
Who installed the wiring for this - the Bavaria factory or some commissioning company?

I am asking this for two reasons:
1. I see that some of the wires, most probably those that were installed in the factory, run through plastic conduits while the cable that provides power from the distribution panel to the helm (where the autopilot head+ motor are mounted) runs through a flexible shroud. furthermore, this cable seems to be a 220Vac 3 wires cable (blue, brown, yellow/green) with only two of the wires used - seems illogical to me that Bavaria would use such cable
2. I am almost sure that this wire is partially corroded since I received many times a "low voltage" alarm in the autopilot when drawing current from batteries only and the pilot motor working hard (and even some times when the engine was working). I am now replacing my autopilot with a linear drive and thought it was a good time to replace these wires as well - but the access to doing so looks horrible (especially on the distribution panel side). However, if it was done after manufacture then this is probably feasible whereas if it was factory installed I am almost sure that it was done prior to installing all interior furniture and panels.

[tiger79]

Someone once told me that the factory wiring loom for Bavaria boats includes the wiring for all available optional equipment - even if it's not fitted.  If that's true for your boat, you may find that there are already power cables for a linear drive autopilot.

[Symphony]

The ST 4000 would not be factory fit, nor would the wiring. Whoever installed it would either have picked up the power from a source in the binnacle such as the compass light or more likely the instruments. That is how mine was installed on a 2001 B37 which was used for charter.

Suggest you throw that wiring away. When I installed a newer SPX5 autopilot The course computer was in the aft cabin on the inboard bulkhead, directly under access hatch to the binnacle. Power was through a new cable under the bunk and then through the trunking to the chart table area and the back of the distribution panel. From memory I then used a small bus bar from the instrument switch so that the autopilot was live when the instruments were on. It is easy to then take the wires from the course computer up to the control head and back to the drive unit. The installation instructions from Raymarine are self explanatory. Best place for the gyro compass is in the hanging locker in the starboard aft cabin.

[Lyra]

Thanks for the replies.
Did not mention it - the boat is 36/2004
There are two circuits routed from the distribution panel to the helm - compass light and instruments.
Both are in a soft shroud rather than the conduits (maybe because of the long way and bends on the way they are preferred), but while the compass light wires look the same as other circuits the one used for instruments is, as I mentioned, a 3 wires cable used typically for 220Vac circuits.
If these were routed in the factory this would be very poor workmanship.
Anyhow, I guess I will have to cut all plastic fasteners, remove this shroud, insert new wires and re-install.

By the way - my initial attempt is to use the ST4000+ head for the linear drive - I understood that this should be possible. Only of this will fail I will purchase a new core.

[Salty]

My B36 is an ex charter boat, and I installed the wheel pilot. Some additional wiring has been found in the bottom of the under seat space in the starboard aft cabin (three cabin version). To date I have not been able to find where that wiring comes from, as I'm on my own most of the time and can't be in two places at the same time to see what's moving on the other side of the bulkhead. However, it's odds on as mentioned above that this was put there in readiness for an auto pilot system. If you intend changing the existing wires, can I suggest you use tinned copper wire rather than the plain copper used in the Bavaria installation. It's a bit more expensive, but it doesn't corrode like ordinary copper so you shouldn't get those low power alarms.

[jo_que_se]

Have you checked the wires section and the current load ?

When the autopilot moves the motor and it makes some effort, a peak current may cause a voltage drop due the thin wires.

Think in the thin wires like a kind of resistors in serie with the autopilot. As the current (amps) grows, the voltage lost in the wiring increases too.

JIC check: http://www.energymatters.com.au/climate-data/cable-sizing-calculator.php

[Nigel]

I've got two runs of 3-core mains flex in my boat (instrument power and instrument lights to the cockpit), both with 2 cores in use. It doesn't cause any problems, but I hate it. I've got some new wire to replace it when I'm working in the right area.

[Symphony]

The linear drive should work with the 4000 head but you need to check that it outputs enough power. Give Raymarine a call as their technical people are very helpful. The SPX and now Evo software is much more sophisticated and long run you may be better installing a complete new system.

[Lyra]

Regarding wires -  I use  tinned wires only for any new wire installation - strip the insulation from plain copper and you may find that corrosion has progressed as far a 1 meter into the wire . I am an electric engineer so I am aware of voltage drop issues. In my case I am almost sure it is corrosion because this was a "creeping" phenomena - got more often as years progressed.

Regarding St4000 compatibility - from what I read (I think maybe even in this forum somewhere), and from correspondence several years ago with Raymarine it should be able to drive the linear drive type 1. If it will be only a problem of power (and in terms of control software everything will be OK) I will probably try to design an external driver card that will get the drive signal from the 4000 and boost it. As a last resort I will switch to a newer core pack.

[Symphony]

When I investigated fitting a Lewmar chain drive with my 4000 control they suggested a relay to boost the power to the drive.

[MarkTheBike]

I've got two runs of 3-core mains flex in my boat (instrument power and instrument lights to the cockpit), both with 2 cores in use.

I have only one piece of 3-core flex where the blue is neutral (at least that's correct), the earth cable supplies +12v to the ST4000+ and SeaTalk (in contravention of the installation instructions), and the live cable supplies the compass light. Still haven't worked out where the other end of the flex is wired in to the Panel 420 supply - the handbook diagram is unreadable, anybody got a decent copy?

[Lyra]

Still haven't worked out where the other end of the flex is wired in to the Panel 420 supply

Don't know this panel but in the 201 panel, the connection is to a connector (one of two identical connectors) mounted behind the panel to boat hull. In my case it is also the earth wire that feeds the ST4000 and therefore very easy to identify as it is very different from the other cables connected.

[Lyra]

Looked again the the Bavaria electric system schematics and just noticed something that escaped my eye before:
Per the schematics the autopilot should be connected with it own circuit directly to the battery (not via panel 201).
I guess that the installers, knowing that the ST4000 draws lower current that a linear drive, and the fact that both computer/driver + motor are located at the helm, made them use the power supply of the instruments.

Therefore at the moment I will leave the instruments supply untouched (tridata and wind draw very little current) and will just add another circuit for the autopilot as advised by the schematics.

[jo_que_se]

I have a 30c and I got a st6002 Autopilot.

It is connected in the F2 key of the panel. This channel can handle loads up to 60w I think...

[MarkTheBike]

Further to my note #10, I checked today and my instruments & ST4000+ are on the same circuit via a 7A trip. Manual quotes a 12A trip for the ST4000+ alone. Need to get that sorted ASAP.

[Querencia]

Yes, The wiring on my 2004 B36 is a mess also,Mine wasn't a charter boat [ 2 cabin version] But I wouldn't be surprised if the distributor in Annapolis installed the equipment on the boats coming into the states,but 11 year old wiring that was untined  would certainly not be pristine, I'm in the process of installing solar panels on the dinghy davits [ 300 watts ] have ordered new Garmin Chartplotter
and Radar with a boat show discount,My 11 year old Raymarine gear is getting tired, had to change the antenna this year to add some additional reliabilty, it was barely tracking 4 satellites but now more like 12 or 14, I have the Raymarine  ST 4000 wheel pilot  and it works fine 
Ed Pinanski
" Querencia "
2004 Bavaria 36
Beverly,MA [ North of Boston on the coast ]