auto pilot

J

John Nousaine

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May 12, 2019
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C Dory Year
2005
C Dory Model
22 Cruiser
Vessel Name
pulled the pin
want an auto pilot for my 02 22'. set up is a 100 yamaha and a 9.9 yamaha kicker I use for trolling.

one issue is I would like to use the auto pilot when trolling BUT the kicker is independent and hooks to the 100 via a rod. so I dont want to have the 100 "on" to steer when trolling the kicker. Might not be solvable by in my mind.

even if I cant fix that i still want an auto pilot and I have lowrance electronics and won't be switching.

cable steering
 
After having a cheap RayMarine unit that didn't work, I went with Garmin's Reactor series with the smart pump. The thing can even drive you backwards smoothly on course. No problem trolling with it. I also have a kicker. You will have to eventually recharge your battery running on autopilot without any battery charging. (My 6hp kicker does not have an alternator or generator). But you can go some time before needing to recharge. C-Otter put the same autopilot on his 25 (before I did) and he has been very happy with it also. BTW, my autopilot is connected to the main steering hydraulics. The kicker works just fine with the tie bar to the main, as the autopilot turns the main. And in calm waters, you can just use the main as a rudder and bypass the tie bar. Colby
 
Oops, just saw you have cable steering. Ignore everything I said, unless you are willing to add hydraulic steering... :roll: Colby
 
I would change to hydraulic steering and add an autopilot with a hydraulic pump. Cable steering autopilots are a bit of a mechanical kludge IMO.

A Baystar hydraulic kit is less than $600.

David
 
There are several ways to go: One would be to buy the TR 1 Garmin which works on the trolling motor only. You would trim the main outboard up out of the water. This will be independent of your Lowrance MDF.

Lowrance makes a cable steering drive pack, for their pilot. (List price $2,000) You would leave main drive outboard down, acting like a rudder, plus the steering link to the trolling outboard in place. However, I am not certain on how well the Lowrance with this drive configuration follows various trolling patterns. Should work OK for the straight line trolling. This would probably be the cheapest way to go. The literature here.

The other option is to change to hydraulic steering, and if you want to stay with the Navico line of products, go with the Lowrance Auto pilot, using the hydraulic drive. I am not sure this would give you any greater ability than just the cable steering drive.--again, there are other brand auto pilots which have more versatility with the trolling patterns.
 
Our kicker is on a rod, hooked up to our main. Autopilot works for both, but is mounted on the main's hydraulics and adjusts for both, it's a Lowrance Autopilot. It works great, but have only used it for fishing when setting up or landing a 30 lber.
 
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