Raymarine ST2000+ Tiller Pilot Reviews - Product Reviews

Raymarine ST2000+ Tiller Pilot

Raymarine ST2000+ Tiller Pilot
More about Raymarine

Average Rating: 3 out of 5
No. of Reviews: 5
RRP: £395

Description: Tiller steered to 12m/4500kg Outstanding weather resistance Full Sea Talk & NMEA compatibility. Wind instrument/GPS input. LCD display. Built in fluxgate compass. Auto trim, Auto Sea state, Wind trim, Auto tack. Optional hand remote. Thrust 77kg.

REVIEWS

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Frank Whitfield

Posted: 14/07/08

'STOPPED IN HEAVY RAIN ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS OTHERWISE SA'

Strengths:
performed well in dry weather.

Weaknesses:
Doesn't like rain.

Overall:
Needs weatherproofing to a higher standard.

Performance		60%
Reliability		40%
Value		60%

Overall Rating

53%

Paul Baker

Posted: 24/06/08

'HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY SAIL SOLO WITHOUT IT?'

Strengths:
It can keep bang on course far better than myself or any other person I've come across - for hours on end!. It can tack to allow the solo sailor to sheet the foresail across. It can hold a steady course upwind to allow you to hoist, reef or lower the mainsail. Impossible to do without!

It's quite simple inside the case - to allow repairs.

Weaknesses:
Mine is an old unit. It has gone wrong twice but you can open the case and fix it. On the two occasions, the motor came off it's mount and secondly a wire broke within it's insulation, both fixed easily.

Overall:
I think it's great. Power consumption less than 1 amp so only 12 amp hours used on a 12 hour sail!

It's the best thing on board.

Performance		100%
Reliability		60%
Value		80%

Overall Rating

80%

SCOTTY

Posted: 25/09/07
Updated: 10/01/08

'CANNOT BE RELIED UPON IN BAD CONDITIONS IN A 'WET BOAT', BUT RAYMARINES SERVICE WAS IMPECCABLE.'

Strengths:
strong, responsive, easy to use but due to my experience i would not say this product was good value!

Weaknesses:
My 18 month old Raymarine ST2000+ tiller pilot ceased to work on my departure from Cherbourg to Alderney when the readout went blank, it also made a squealing noise and failed to operate. So we hand steered some of the way and let the Monitor Vane do the rest. When opened up the ST2000 was very damp inside with corrosion on all parts including the circuit board. I spent an hour with it open, held under a hand drier in the gents loo and then brushed off the dry corroded powder from the electronics and slide arms and gear; carefully sprayed some moving parts with WD40 and others like the gears and worm drive with light oil being careful not to spray the electronics and rubber drive band; vaselined the case seal and put it back together. I also put a plug of grease up the fixing arm where it pivots and a smear of grease on the arm which goes out to the tiller to try and prevent further ingress. An hour later it 'fired up' as normal but it would have been annoying not to have had it at times for the rest of the trip.

I suppose I have taken to being a bit lazy about doing some things.

Still, now that it's out of warranty I suspect Raymarine will not be much interested in the problem but I will let them know my disappoitment and perhaps their development guys will resolve things for their future customers. I will keep you posted on any outcome.

I used to take my old one home each time and put it in the airing cupboard to air but was told by some ‘expert’ that it could dry out any lubrication inside. There was no evidence of any lubrication at all in my new one.(?)

Scotty

Overall:
Would not entertain buying another.

[Update 10/01/08] UPDATE

RAYMARINE HAVE SUPPLIED A NEW ONE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

DUE TO THIS SORT OF SERVICE I MAY CONSIDER BUYING RAYMARINE IN THE FUTURE.

Performance		60%
Reliability		40%
Value		40%

Overall Rating

47%

John Key

Posted: 09/10/07

'NO PROBLEMS AT ALL'

Strengths:
I have used the ST2000+ on the Uk East Coast and North Sea in all types of weather with no problems. I chose it for its quick lock to lock time. It has been absolutely reliable.

Weaknesses:
This is one common, I think, to all types of tiller pilots....I would like to be able to adjust the tacking angle rather then have it set by the manufacturer.

Overall:
Absolutely great. I have used two different models of the other make of tillerpilot and found them to be unreliable, one even not working properly after expensive repairs.
I have been using autopilots since the first Autohelm mk. 1(later Raymarine) in 1975 and would definitely recommend the ST200

Performance		80%
Reliability		100%
Value		80%

Overall Rating

87%

David Du Boulay

Posted: 27/09/07

'DAMPNESS PROBLEM'

Strengths:
Normallyworks very well indeed.

Weaknesses:
Dont leave it out in the wet when its not in use as the LCD screen goes blank.
Every now and agin it goes berserk.
The calibration between the ship's compass and the tiller pilot must be accurate if it is to find and maintain direction when be controlled by NMEA input

Overall:
I would be interested to try the Simrad option to see any difference

Performance		60%
Reliability		60%
Value		60%

Overall Rating

60%

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