Autopilot for Bavaria 34

[gtang]

Hi, I am new to Bavaria yacht and this forum.
Got my 2007 Bavaria 34 a short while ago and considering fitting an Autopilot. I am targeting at the Raymarine SPX5 wheel autopilot basically for its budget price as well as my intended type of sailing will not be extreme.
Would appreciate any suggestion on its suitability and how it could be installed.

[Symphony]

Works OK but drive units can be a problem. I have had 2 fail when the gears break - replaced under warranty and then the replacement partially failed so needed to go back to Raymarine along with a re-programming of the computer. Works fine now. Having said that many people get good service from them and your boat is well within its capabilities. Biggest attraction is that it is less than half the price of the alternatives and relatively easy to install. No major surgery required but quite a bit of fiddly routing of cables. The positioning of the drive motor in the binnacle is critical using the Raymarine bulkhead kit. It needs to be in the rough 20 minutes to the hour position to be away from the compass and miss cables, but the binnacles vary in detail and you will have to adjust position to fit yours. The drive wheel must be clamped on square and concentric otherwise it drags, but not too difficult. I put the course computer on the fore and aft bulkhead in the aft cabin close to the access panel to the binnacle and the compass in the clothes locker in the same cabin.

[gtang]

Hi Symphony,

Thanks for the info.
The dealer's engineer has done a pre-installation check on my boat.  They has a SPX5 to do trial positioning for fitting. It seems that the drive motor is quite small.

The dealer do not recommend the SPX5 since modification to the binnacle is required. engine gauges needs to to be repositioned to give way to the drive motor. Panel modification is also needed to house the motor.  They now come back and suggested the SPX10 with Lewmar Drive.  The SPX10 cost 40% more than SPX5 and don't know the cost of Lewmar drive yet. (still trying to figure out the dealer of Lewmar in Hong Kong)

Price aside,  does the performance of SPX10 with Lewmar drive largely better than the SPX5?

[Symphony]

Lewmar drive would be better. However, not sure there will be room to fit it as it hangs underneath the steering. Would have liked it on my boat, but there is a bulkhead in the way. Think the SPX5 will drive the Lewmar with the addition of a relay - so Lewmar advised me when I was thinking of fitting one. Think you will find this is a very expensive option and you are probably better using a standard Raymarine linear drive that comes with the SPX10

Modifying the binnacle to take the wheel drive is no big deal. You can get a kit from Raymarine with a peg t hold the drive. It is called a bulkhead mounting kit. The instrument problem might arise because there is little clearance between the wheel and the binnacle and the clutch lever can foul the instrument if it stands proud.

[gtang]

Hi Symphony,

I am awaiting reply form the local engineer to see if it is feasible and functional to have the SPX5 mounted at an orientation other than slot one or two because if I modify the binnacle, the clutch and motor will be somewhere on the bottom side of the wheel spindle.

Good to learn that SPX5 can drive the Lewmar drive. Unless the dealer come back with a strong negative answer to SPX5, I am not prepared to buy the SPX10 with Lewmar drive at the moment, basically due to the price is some what three times higher then the SPX5.  I would think that the Lewmar drive would be stronger and more reliable then the small motor on the SPX5. 

With my intended type of sailing, i.e. coastal short trips(12 hours legs) in fair to moderate weather,  If I could, I would start off with a SPX5 and unless find it not good enough in the future, It could be upgraded to a Lewmar drive.  I would try to avoid the high cost unless it is absolutely needed.

Cheers

[Symphony]

The motor has to be at the bottom left as this is the only place it is far enough away from the steering compass and avoid the engine controls. Apart from possibly recessing or moving the instruments to clear the clutch lever, the only other thing to consider is the mounting of the locating pin. I had to make a little bracket for the base of the pin.

[Ripster]

My 36 (2011) has a Garmin autopilot and I am fairly sure has a Lewmar drive motor (which was recommended by the dealer) as this was the best and strongest one for the job.  It sits under the helm and connects to the rudder via a 2nd chain and additional sprocket on the steering wheel shaft.  Very simple, bit "Heath Robinson" compared to the hydraulic ones, but simple and effective.  Bit noisy sometimes when the under sail, but a reliable set that is easy to service and not much to go wrong (famous last words!!).

[Symphony]

Yes, that is what they fit now, and it is a good setup. However on older boats there is not enough room as there is a central fore and aft pair of bulkheads that run under the binnacle. Your boat has the binnacle relatively further aft and there is free space to fit the drive.

[gtang]

Hi guys,

Thanks a lots,  I'll check with the dealer again.  unfortunately, I have to go out of town for two weeks and boating issues would be on stall.  Will update later on the final outcome.
Cheers

[Ivor Marivor]

Hi I fitted a Raymarine SPX5 autopilot to my 2005 B32. Fitting was simple, I moved fuel gauge round to starboard side of binnacle,  drive motor fits about 20 minutes too position as other reply states  and bulk head anchor pin fitted just below.

I have found the system to work very well (24 hour passage to Holland with no problems). However I have a 100% genoa fitted so my yacht does not round up as much as when fitted with 150% genoa in gust's

[battuta]

Just wanted to make one correction to the suggestion that not much can go wrong with below deck Lewmar APs. Last year the integrated electromagnetic clutch on mine died (this on a 2009 Bavaria 31). This apprently is not unheard of, and I do solo sail a lot and use the AP a lot, but it was surprising to me given the light loads on our smallish boat. It was a bit of work in tight confines to get the drive unit out.

the great news is that Lewmar provided me a new unit (which they didn't have to do, as technically the warranty on "associated electrical equipment" is 1 year as opposed to 3 for the integrated motor). Thank goodness as a new unit would have run about $2000!

Anyway I love the speed and power of the Lewmar below deck unit (though it is a bit noisy), and it's way better than a wheel pilot, but this is a potential issue to be aware of.

[gtang]

Hi,
I would imagine the Lewmar AP would be stronger than the SPX5,  however, my worry is I am not an electronic man, and the Lewmar AP is installed below deck in quite a confined position. I am worried what if the electronic clutch fail,  how to disengage it? how to get to it? etc, 

I have ordered the SPX5 and awaiting for shipment. I have forgotten to order the bulkhead fitting.
I'll need to make modification to my pedestal anyway so I may integrate the pin fixture with the modification.  Will update when shipment arrive.

Happy sailing.