I really love how you've embraced digital switching. It cuts the wiring in half and opens up so many possibilities. The built in redundancy is amazing, looking forward to seeing future iterations in off road and RV applications.
Hello, I congratulate you both on not proceeding to France when you were not comfortable with circumstances that represented additional risk. As a retired Bush pilot from Alaska I've seen the "got to get there" syndrome strike all to often, with well over 24 friends and associates lost. Not that my opinion matters, but well done. Cheers
Hmm. So two things - if you are going to rely on an autopilot then Install a COMPLETE second unit. Not just a spare for the drive unit and have it on standby on a second circuit breaker. If you are incapacitated can your crew change the drive unit? If not can they hand steer until you are on your feet again? If your crew is not capable of hand steering for two/three hours or 6/7 then you have questions to ask. I’ve done that trip from Ireland to France many times since the 70s and all with no autopilots (they didn’t exist). Two crew, 3 on, 3 off. Can be easily done with the right crew.
Hello Mads. Install a windvane for the Atlantic crossing. Electric autopilots are cute and funny toys for daysailors. I have four pacific crossings under my belt and on three of them, I had autopilot failures. Two of those boats had windvanes that steered the rest of the way without tiring or using an amp-hour. The boat that didn't have a windvane had us hand steering for two months between Nuku Hiva, Gambier to Puerto Williams (this was on a 90 foot schooner with two BIG hydraulic autopilots. Both failed). Keep the electric autopilot for motoring or coastal use, but if you intend to cross oceans on the long run, get a windvane. Nick.
You're handling of this unexpected failure was phenomenal. You're making so many good, safe, exciting decisions. The change of plans may seem like a downer, but it seems to me that you are moving with the flow of life instead of fighting it. Looking forward to next week!
I'm sure someone else will have probably said this but if time permits maybe the manufacturer would be willing to let you do a tour, and diagnose your old unit and repair it so you can have it as a backup 😉. Good for them and helpful for you.
I would be pretty upset if the original unit failed with no explanation. Send it back so they can diagnose the problem, and fix it. The other trick if cruising is to balance the sails perfectly so that the boat pretty much self corrects, easier with a tiller to set up a cord on either side so you can do very little actual steering
So glad to hear that you had a good experience with Garmin support. I live about 10 miles from their headquarters and a factory in Olathe, KS and I've always found them to be top notch as well. The staff there is good ol' Midwest Nice.
After x years of watching you work I'm 99.99% sure it isn't the install job . I also think by summers end y'all will be dauntless when it comes to sailing.
I've followed lots of people who have sailed around the world and one thing is clear to me. You should never attempt it without a Hydropane Steering Gear as a backup to an autopilot. Love following the two of you and your adventure!!
Thank you so much :) I wanted to reinstall the old Hydrovane, but unfortunately, even with their stubby vane, it wouldn't fit under the arch. I don't think it's the end of the world :) For instance, in the 2012 ARC, only 20 out of 227 boats had a windvane aboard. I'll feel perfectly safe with a backup drive unit :)
There are other good wind vanes. There are always option in sailing and never just one way to do anything. It is also important to note the professionals racers gave up on wind vanes years ago. I like them but they also require maintenance and spare parts.
@@SailLife You could install a Windpilot. uses a servo rudder. It has the possibilty to use a very basic tiller autopilot (raymarine ST 1000 f.i.) to move the servorudder.
Obviously you have never hand steered on a short handed crew for days at a time. This is cruising, not pleasure sailing for a few hours. Maybe you should just use your legs and walk everywhere instead of using cars, busses, trains, or planes. I mean, that's was what humans did before those things came along.
The people who make the monitor wind vane autopilot are developing a "remote" wind vane head that can be mounted up high at the top of the arch to drive the system down below at the waterline. I looked at their prototype at the Annapolis show last summer and it looked pretty modular and should be fairly easy to install. They might be introducing them officially fairly soon. I am not sure but it should be possible to fabricate a similar remote vane head for the hydrovane system as well.
Back in 1998, when recreation grade GPS was a relatively new thing, I purchased a handheld GPS from this new company named Garmin. Right before I was about to go out on a two week expedition in remote Alaska the device failed. Garmin overnighted a replacement unit for me. That was good customer service, and they won me over.
I've had a Garmin Forerunner watch since at least 2017 and it won't die. I'm not known for being gentle with watches - I have a drawer full of broken ones - but this thing still looks and works like it's brand new except for band replacements. I'm annoyed because I want to buy a newer model but can't justify it. Contrast that with Microsoft from whom I've only experienced buggy products that don't last, and I spend more time waiting for Microsoft to "verify" Excel than I do actually using it. (This is not an exaggeration. I only use Excel for a minute or two at a time and it takes far longer than that to load.) I wish every company were like Garmin.
I remember getting my first Garmin GPS in 1999 :) I have always had good luck with Garmin's support. I've only ever contacted them a handful of times but it's always been 10/10 service :)
I genuinely enjoyed the video (again!) You are both so calm when facing normal boating issues, yet Ava was under the gun to get back to MI, USA. Athena has been so beautifully refit, and she is so seaworthy. How uncommon is that? Good on Ya for the excellently presented DIY- I love it.
Hahaaa, welcome to Mayflower Marina! It's our berth, so when work permits and I'm next down, look out! I've steered for 10hours without an autopilot (flat batteries) and it's like a chinese torture. It's the one think you can't do without.. you did the right thing. There's always something it seems - I'll be surprised if you've done anything wrong though, in a choppy sea state they work their socks off. I always set to the lowest sensitivity to try and preserve the motor and the brushes in particular. How many spares! You could, of course, opt for a redundant second system with a switchover. Like the bus system, this is the domain of bigger boats, and the benefit is significant.
At some point Mads, short of storms and terrible weather which seemed to be not present, the boat was safe and so deciding to hand steer seemed like a good opportunity to clock some experience for the 2 of you. A Wind Vane would solve a lot of mechanical issues - if you have the space....
Mads, I truly enjoy your videos. It has inspired me to properly refinish my Macgregor 26D. I am fiberglassing the deck hull joint and I now understand "Oh Glorious Sanding" oh to well!
Yet Another Great vidclip ..... So glad that All has worked out ..... It is not so much about things going wrong as it is about just How you deal with it ..... Well done ..... Thanks a Stack for ' Letting us into your Lives' ..... Very best to All from NZ
Bad luck on losing the autopilot, but looking on the bright side, at least it didn't fail in the middle of the Atlantic. There are ways to rig a 'sheet to helm' emergency steering system, but I never got mine to work very well. (It is much easier to rig a sheet to tiller rig, but the round steering helm and under-deck gearing is more difficult to get to work other than 'approximately'.) It is worth experimenting to test an emergency solution anyway. Having a full replacement unit aboard as you plan is, of course, an ideal solution.....
Hi Patrick :) That would be fun to play with :) I'll bring some blocks and bungee cord for our trip across the Biscay. Did I hear in your latest video that you're heading to Spain later in the summer? Maybe our paths will cross :) I think we'll leave here around middle of August. I'm very excited to find out what your next boat will be :)
Love your videos and have been enjoying them for years! I live about 4 miles from the Garmin headquarters and love to hear the great report, I too like their products, and no don’t work for them.
Welcome to the broken autopilot club. They all break and having a spare is a terrific idea. Anxious to see what the problem was but I am very doubtful it was your installation that cause it to fail. Also big fan of digital switching. But not such a big fan on dock lines thru and then around the cleats. That just seems like an unnecessary pain. Hope Eva has a good trip. Best wishes and thank you for posting these videos.
Hi Mads, thanks for the video. I would prefer to have an "in the box" spare CPT autopilot for this type of situation. Alternatively, an inexpensive tiller pilot for the emergency tiller (or even to the wheel) is also a decent backup.
Nerves on any trip are a good thing, keeps me from getting blasé, and the associated mild sea sickness is something I suffer from. I was trying to cross the Atlantic into that sea state and it was horrendous. BTW apologies for disturbing you in Mayflower Marina but this channel is the best of how to do it properly and now you are sailing this hasn't faltered 🙂
Mads could you please show us a detailed view of how you set up your preventer. There seem to be various ways of doing it and no doubt you’ve thought yours thru pretty well. Thanks mate.
Did I see a glimpse of a teaser for Garmin manufacturer doing post-mortem on the failed unit? :D Anyway, that would be a cool video, if you can pull this one off. Very good call on the diversion. It looks like Eva will be there on time and nobody got into this kind of an adventure that it nice to watch only on somebody else's video :D
I used to do a bit of racing, and we always got our crew to start taking the pills twenty four hours before boarding, this worked, otherwise they were either sea sick or drowsy the first day. A lot of it is nerves, and recent sailing experience. Also I used to find helming stopped it as otherwise you are watching boat rising and falling, falling and rising and so on.
I hand steered my ship through the straights of gibraltar when in the US Navy. I was in aft steering and had to keep the Angle Order Indicator exactly on course. Well the wheel back there was about 12" across and made of solid brass. Lord what a pain, I did it for my whole watch (6 hours). I can empathize with you guys.
Hiya Mads, We'll miss Ava too. I was chatting to a mate online who is a liveaboard like you, he said the first thing he put in his ditch bag was several pairs of glasses, both sun and normal, he says as he is as blind as a bat without them and had to have unbreakable ones that float, not metal frames. I can't remember if you put these in so I thought as he was saying about them I'd pass it on. Fair winds and following seas, even in the marina, Steve...
Fate is a funny thing... Plans an boating somehow don't work together well. Taking it in it's stride as you both do is what makes everything work out! Hope the birth of the wee one is a joy Auntie an Uncle.. now!! Glad, Madd's you ended up in the right place to do .. oh glorious boat work...! Thanks for sharing your lives with us ✌🏼💗😊❣️
You made the right choice. I've lost three friends to the 'I've got to get there' mindset. And each time they were tired and made some sort of mistake and ended up dead.
I see you have the stugeron now. If these cause drowsiness at all I recommend that Ava brings Dramamine non drowsy back from USA. Very effective and less side effects
Be interesting to see if the original drive unit can be repaired. I’ve done a lot with hydraulic autohelm units, they are very simple, just a hydraulic ram, a pump and an actuator. It is probably just the actuator that needs fixing. The hydraulic ram can be serviced by anyone who does hydraulic rams!
Should also add I'm Plymouth based and installed a twin hydraulic B&G system on a 44ft yacht. One is live and one is a backup. Can put either one live onto the network, a load of changeover switches and good to go!
Or possibly by thr manufaturer, who could well decide that since the folk who made the thing are so close by that they would benefit from working out what (if anything) went wrong in the manufacturing process to cause this issue. I work for someone who makes completely unreleated widgets and we generally appreciate getting the dead one back (unless it's a "house burned down" type failure because no-one wants charred remains back - and no, our stuff does not cause house fires)
Ahhhh! The life of living on a boat. Much like owning a home on the hard, there is always something to liven up your day. Well handled Mads and Ava. Hope Ava has made it home and is a new aunt by now. Looking forward to hearing and seeing how the auto pilot turns out. Mads, as precise as you are about following instructions and being detailed on your installations, I can't imagine you not installing the Garmin drive perfectly. Maybe you should buy a lottery ticket since you managed to find the one in a million Garmin units to fail. Take care and best wishes for a wonderful and productive week.
Kudos to Garmin for the quick service. If it fails again though, you might consider an L&S hydraulic drive unit. I have a Garmin Reactor on my J/42 as well, but the very experienced local yard here in Seattle recommended the L&S drive unit for efficiency and reliability. It seems to work very well with the Garmin autopilot, and has been flawless so far - though I have only owned it for a couple of years.
Fun fact: You can use any driveunit you want, on any autopilot. Just make sure the brain can handle the power consumption and even if it can't, you can install solenoids... I don't know who has manufactured Mads driveunit, but I have had a Jofa in my Garmin working just perfect since 2013 now.
I'm surprised you don't have wind vane steering. That way you always have a back up that is very simple and reliable that you can switch to and one that is not dependent on power too. Another big benefit on long passages.
Having to sail somewhere and arrive by a certain date often means sailing in less than ideal conditions - you may not have the luxury of choosing to lay over for another day or two. With a plane to catch at my destination I had to get there. That was an early sailing lesson for me. Don’t cut it too fine!
Nice video. When I have had crew members that were likely to get a little sea-sick, I usually assign them to hand steer the boat, standing up is best. Keeps their mind busy, makes them more connected with the rocking motion from waves and they will naturally look more at the horizon than fiddle with a phones and gadgets. Still, autopilot is of course comfortable and helpful for a shorthanded crew and if it is broken you want it fixed.
Been following you a long time! Excellent content! I watch you on my Amazon Fire Stick and TV and wonder if you get my likes and watches since I can't see comments or your content. Can't make comments either unless I use my phone, like this. If not, I wonder how many likes you are missing out on. Love you guys.
Each week when your video shows up I check Marine Traffic to see where you are. Saw that you were in Plymouth a couple of weeks ago and wondered what happened. Now we know. Good luck with your repairs. Looking forward to your future adventures.
Hi Mads just be aware that Mayflower can get really lumpy in strong westerlies. I was there a couple of weeks ago and I have never seen pontoons leaping up and down so much and the boat was thrashing about. There is a reason most of the berths seem to have old tyres which they use as snubbers. John
Mads, one word, or two. One word 'Hydrovane', two words 'Cape Horne', both non-electrical, or electronic, also, both out of Canada. Both used by TH-cam Sailors, one Canadian , one UK. Best wishes from Northern Manitoba.
Nothing annoying with beating against the wind. It's an artform, a really good mental excercise most rewarding. It is great for developing sailing skills and last but not least you will spend a whole lot of time beating so It's best to start loving it sooner or later.
with a fully loaded boat, a furling mainsail, a fixed propeller and a high windage solar panel installation probably it CAN become quite annoying to attempt to beat against the wind unless you have a rather silent engine and you can sort of pretend it's not on.
Autohelm, I don't have one of them. A bit of string to tie the wheel works ok if I Ballance the sails. A friend had a Garmin plotter that failed years ago and Garmin sorted it for them, much better than the runaround I had with the other big marine name.🏴☠️
You may want to check on interchangeability on your hydraulic arm because I believe they are. My Hylas has almost all Raymarine electronics that are around 3 years old. The new hydraulic arm we installed at the time, however, is from B&G and it works flawlessly.
I think he should go out and do a lot of daysailing with a good coach just to push his abilities and physicsl knowledge to what he and the boat can do.
I have a suggestion for a future video. A while back you did a good video on your drogue chute. My suggestion is that you do a storm tactics video on how you would use your drogue chute depending on wind and wave severity.
on a king crab boat in Alaska the skipper would always buy two but we had lots of storage space. a spare auto pilot is a good idea unless you have a backup. this time of year should be nice in michigan.
@7:43 CUE ROXXXXXXXXXANE! LOL! As for the drive unit...will Garmin honor the warranty on it? They should...Things happen, glad you were able to track down a new unit.
Hi Mads (or should I say Uncle Mads 😂), another great video. If you walk to the end of the pontoons you should be able to locate Becka and Zach from Teulu Tribe (TH-cam) Teulu is the boat name (Colvic pilot house ketch). They might be able to help with local supplies and chandlers etc. If you get stuck let me know by reply and I'll try my best as I'm local. I hope all goes well for Ava and her sister. Catch you next time
Are you going to have the factory diagnose and factory rebuild your failed unit? That might become a really top level spare? The idea of a wind steer vane is excellent as well think about that tool to install.
I really doubt you made a mistake so ride the 40 and get all the parts to build two more you got this I can’t wait to see that thing all apart on the counter days to come see you
Sorry to have to say this but.....we operate a charter company in Scotland and one of our boats has managed to get through three Garmin autopilot drive units in 6 years. Deffo carry a spare if you are dependent on it.
Just to add to the windvane/autopilot debate I believe the Cape Horn windvane can be custom made to sit higher on the boat, its the one Christian Williams fitted with neat internal workings.
Not a seasickness expert, but I think being forced to hand steer while seasick might get your mind off it and help you get better faster. Maybe something to try out. When the autopilot is fixed, just in case :)
I'm disappointed, of all the techies in the world, I would have thought Mads would have a spare everything. Now that I've jinxed him, his autopilot will never fail ever again for the rest of his life, and that's a good thing.
Eurostar under the English channel is a good option for getting to Paris fast. (too late now but one to remember for next time🤦♂) Great update bar the Autopilot.2x👍
I was about to say that. Train from Plymouth to London, Eurostar from London to Paris, whatever transportation is available from Gare du Nord to Charles de Gaulle airport. (Probably metro). Takes probably less than one day. (Depending on when the flight leaves, one night at a hotel might be advisable)
Sorry that your autopilot failed. I noticed that your wheel was turning excessively while you were underway and wonder if that was a precursor to the failure. Have you considered getting your original drive unit rebuilt?
I really love how you've embraced digital switching. It cuts the wiring in half and opens up so many possibilities. The built in redundancy is amazing, looking forward to seeing future iterations in off road and RV applications.
Hello, I congratulate you both on not proceeding to France when you were not comfortable with circumstances that represented additional risk. As a retired Bush pilot from Alaska I've seen the "got to get there" syndrome strike all to often, with well over 24 friends and associates lost. Not that my opinion matters, but well done. Cheers
John well said - Kind Regards
If they're not comfortable on a boat without an autopilot they have no business contemplating open ocean passages.
Core channel fans are like ‘thank god, some DIY!’
Hmm. So two things - if you are going to rely on an autopilot then Install a COMPLETE second unit. Not just a spare for the drive unit and have it on standby on a second circuit breaker. If you are incapacitated can your crew change the drive unit? If not can they hand steer until you are on your feet again? If your crew is not capable of hand steering for two/three hours or 6/7 then you have questions to ask.
I’ve done that trip from Ireland to France many times since the 70s and all with no autopilots (they didn’t exist). Two crew, 3 on, 3 off. Can be easily done with the right crew.
Hello Mads. Install a windvane for the Atlantic crossing. Electric autopilots are cute and funny toys for daysailors. I have four pacific crossings under my belt and on three of them, I had autopilot failures. Two of those boats had windvanes that steered the rest of the way without tiring or using an amp-hour. The boat that didn't have a windvane had us hand steering for two months between Nuku Hiva, Gambier to Puerto Williams (this was on a 90 foot schooner with two BIG hydraulic autopilots. Both failed). Keep the electric autopilot for motoring or coastal use, but if you intend to cross oceans on the long run, get a windvane. Nick.
Erik Aanderaa ask him wind vane- the big but here I don't think Mad's has any room on his aft transom let alone the air flow with the do dads - lol
Yes, I agree. A windvane is a great idea.
Agree
You're handling of this unexpected failure was phenomenal. You're making so many good, safe, exciting decisions. The change of plans may seem like a downer, but it seems to me that you are moving with the flow of life instead of fighting it. Looking forward to next week!
Thank you so much! :)
I'm sure someone else will have probably said this but if time permits maybe the manufacturer would be willing to let you do a tour, and diagnose your old unit and repair it so you can have it as a backup 😉. Good for them and helpful for you.
Good idea!
I’d be interested in watching that video!
I would live this video! I really like your in depth boat videos.
I would be pretty upset if the original unit failed with no explanation. Send it back so they can diagnose the problem, and fix it. The other trick if cruising is to balance the sails perfectly so that the boat pretty much self corrects, easier with a tiller to set up a cord on either side so you can do very little actual steering
So glad to hear that you had a good experience with Garmin support. I live about 10 miles from their headquarters and a factory in Olathe, KS and I've always found them to be top notch as well. The staff there is good ol' Midwest Nice.
Making those memories. Hate that the autopilot failed but hand steering seems like a good skill to master when living on a sailboat
After x years of watching you work I'm 99.99% sure it isn't the install job . I also think by summers end y'all will be dauntless when it comes to sailing.
Thank you so much :)
Stugeron in the background during one of the shots, love it!
"Stuff" happens, and when it does, a positive attitude such as that you've always showed, Mads, is ideal. Good luck with everything!
I've followed lots of people who have sailed around the world and one thing is clear to me. You should never attempt it without a Hydropane Steering Gear as a backup to an autopilot. Love following the two of you and your adventure!!
Thank you so much :) I wanted to reinstall the old Hydrovane, but unfortunately, even with their stubby vane, it wouldn't fit under the arch. I don't think it's the end of the world :) For instance, in the 2012 ARC, only 20 out of 227 boats had a windvane aboard. I'll feel perfectly safe with a backup drive unit :)
@@SailLife I certainly hope it all works out!! :-)
@@SailLife I saw a video a while ago with a boat that had the vane on top of the arch...
There are other good wind vanes. There are always option in sailing and never just one way to do anything. It is also important to note the professionals racers gave up on wind vanes years ago. I like them but they also require maintenance and spare parts.
@@SailLife You could install a Windpilot.
uses a servo rudder.
It has the possibilty to use a very basic tiller autopilot (raymarine ST 1000 f.i.) to move the servorudder.
If you add a shunt into circuit for the ram drive you can monitor the current/load, which might give you an early warning of mechanical stresses.
"Right Turn Clyde"......funny you know that quote.
It's stuck in my brain ever since I saw Every Which Way But Loose as a teenager :)
I'm maybe old fashioned sailor but steering was always part of sailing as only few boats had autopilot feature.
😁
Obviously you have never hand steered on a short handed crew for days at a time. This is cruising, not pleasure sailing for a few hours. Maybe you should just use your legs and walk everywhere instead of using cars, busses, trains, or planes. I mean, that's was what humans did before those things came along.
Wind vanes are a great backup for your autopilot. Especially if you have a catastrophic loss of power.
Yes, he needs a Hydrovane…oh wait a minute he had one but sold it. I would say an autopilot is a great backup for a windvane…
His arch design is in the way of a wind vane, I believe that was the reasoning.
@@WaterFaucet24 and the dingy right?
The people who make the monitor wind vane autopilot are developing a "remote" wind vane head that can be mounted up high at the top of the arch to drive the system down below at the waterline. I looked at their prototype at the Annapolis show last summer and it looked pretty modular and should be fairly easy to install. They might be introducing them officially fairly soon.
I am not sure but it should be possible to fabricate a similar remote vane head for the hydrovane system as well.
He has said that even the stubby wind vane didn't fit under the solar arch.
Back in 1998, when recreation grade GPS was a relatively new thing, I purchased a handheld GPS from this new company named Garmin. Right before I was about to go out on a two week expedition in remote Alaska the device failed. Garmin overnighted a replacement unit for me. That was good customer service, and they won me over.
I've had a Garmin Forerunner watch since at least 2017 and it won't die. I'm not known for being gentle with watches - I have a drawer full of broken ones - but this thing still looks and works like it's brand new except for band replacements. I'm annoyed because I want to buy a newer model but can't justify it.
Contrast that with Microsoft from whom I've only experienced buggy products that don't last, and I spend more time waiting for Microsoft to "verify" Excel than I do actually using it. (This is not an exaggeration. I only use Excel for a minute or two at a time and it takes far longer than that to load.)
I wish every company were like Garmin.
I remember getting my first Garmin GPS in 1999 :) I have always had good luck with Garmin's support. I've only ever contacted them a handful of times but it's always been 10/10 service :)
My yellow eTrex from 2000 is still going strong... (Ok, a few lines in the display failed, but it's still working)
You need a wind-vane. Safe journey, Ava.
Welcome back to the UK
I genuinely enjoyed the video (again!) You are both so calm when facing normal boating issues, yet Ava was under the gun to get back to MI, USA. Athena has been so beautifully refit, and she is so seaworthy. How uncommon is that? Good on Ya for the excellently presented DIY- I love it.
great video, upbeat and fun as always. Bummer about the autopilot, but you guys took it in your stride. All the best for Ava's sisters new baby
Hahaaa, welcome to Mayflower Marina! It's our berth, so when work permits and I'm next down, look out! I've steered for 10hours without an autopilot (flat batteries) and it's like a chinese torture. It's the one think you can't do without.. you did the right thing. There's always something it seems - I'll be surprised if you've done anything wrong though, in a choppy sea state they work their socks off. I always set to the lowest sensitivity to try and preserve the motor and the brushes in particular. How many spares! You could, of course, opt for a redundant second system with a switchover. Like the bus system, this is the domain of bigger boats, and the benefit is significant.
Oh, Glorious Technology! (If it can break, it's just a matter of when... 😉)
At some point Mads, short of storms and terrible weather which seemed to be not present, the boat was safe and so deciding to hand steer seemed like a good opportunity to clock some experience for the 2 of you. A Wind Vane would solve a lot of mechanical issues - if you have the space....
Well done Garmin, Peace and blessings to you and your family.
Amazing how fast Garmin can be when 106 thousand subscribers are looking in.
Lol
and how crap their customer service is when there are no spectators.
Imagine the guy who just got a phone call that his autopilot will be delayed another 8 weeks...
Same thing every time
Hahahahaha right
Mads, I truly enjoy your videos. It has inspired me to properly refinish my Macgregor 26D. I am fiberglassing the deck hull joint and I now understand "Oh Glorious Sanding" oh to well!
Congratulations to Garmin!
Hope that Ava enjoys her time in the US and that you enjoy your DIY time in Plymouth!
So glad you were able to obtain a new drive. And nice to see the Sanding shirt, again! 💕💕💕😎
All in all, Mads is sooo happy to be back to 'More DIY Fun'.
Yet Another Great vidclip ..... So glad that All has worked out ..... It is not so much about things going wrong as it is about just How you deal with it ..... Well done ..... Thanks a Stack for ' Letting us into your Lives' ..... Very best to All from NZ
Hey Mads, in all the years I've been watching your videos, I can't remember seeing you once with such a healthy colour as today.
While you're in a stationary place, you should order a danish yachtflag, instead of the dannebrog you have on the backstay at the moment. :-)
Done :)
Shame it was scuppered by the auto pilot failure, glad you are both safe and thanks for a great watch👍
Well done Sail Life
Sea sickness is definitely stress related.
Cheers
Bad luck on losing the autopilot, but looking on the bright side, at least it didn't fail in the middle of the Atlantic. There are ways to rig a 'sheet to helm' emergency steering system, but I never got mine to work very well. (It is much easier to rig a sheet to tiller rig, but the round steering helm and under-deck gearing is more difficult to get to work other than 'approximately'.) It is worth experimenting to test an emergency solution anyway. Having a full replacement unit aboard as you plan is, of course, an ideal solution.....
Hi Patrick :) That would be fun to play with :) I'll bring some blocks and bungee cord for our trip across the Biscay. Did I hear in your latest video that you're heading to Spain later in the summer? Maybe our paths will cross :) I think we'll leave here around middle of August. I'm very excited to find out what your next boat will be :)
Clint Eastwood “Every which way but loose” reference”!!!!!!!!!!!👍
Love your videos and have been enjoying them for years! I live about 4 miles from the Garmin headquarters and love to hear the great report, I too like their products, and no don’t work for them.
Welcome to the broken autopilot club. They all break and having a spare is a terrific idea. Anxious to see what the problem was but I am very doubtful it was your installation that cause it to fail. Also big fan of digital switching. But not such a big fan on dock lines thru and then around the cleats. That just seems like an unnecessary pain. Hope Eva has a good trip. Best wishes and thank you for posting these videos.
Hi Mads, thanks for the video. I would prefer to have an "in the box" spare CPT autopilot for this type of situation. Alternatively, an inexpensive tiller pilot for the emergency tiller (or even to the wheel) is also a decent backup.
Nerves on any trip are a good thing, keeps me from getting blasé, and the associated mild sea sickness is something I suffer from. I was trying to cross the Atlantic into that sea state and it was horrendous. BTW apologies for disturbing you in Mayflower Marina but this channel is the best of how to do it properly and now you are sailing this hasn't faltered 🙂
Mads could you please show us a detailed view of how you set up your preventer. There seem to be various ways
of doing it and no doubt you’ve thought yours thru pretty well. Thanks mate.
Did I see a glimpse of a teaser for Garmin manufacturer doing post-mortem on the failed unit? :D Anyway, that would be a cool video, if you can pull this one off.
Very good call on the diversion. It looks like Eva will be there on time and nobody got into this kind of an adventure that it nice to watch only on somebody else's video :D
I used to do a bit of racing, and we always got our crew to start taking the pills twenty four hours before boarding, this worked, otherwise they were either sea sick or drowsy the first day. A lot of it is nerves, and recent sailing experience. Also I used to find helming stopped it as otherwise you are watching boat rising and falling, falling and rising and so on.
I hand steered my ship through the straights of gibraltar when in the US Navy. I was in aft steering and had to keep the Angle Order Indicator exactly on course. Well the wheel back there was about 12" across and made of solid brass. Lord what a pain, I did it for my whole watch (6 hours). I can empathize with you guys.
No new country ritual 😓 the cuteness can't be gone already 😂😂
I know you guys had other things on your minds but still, a ritual is a ritual 🙏🏻
Sorry to hear of the "failure" of your auto-steer. Nice to see your reaction and outcome! Its all about the journey
I always find myself smiling at the end of your ventures. Thanks!
Glad to hear it! Thank you so much :)
Hiya Mads,
We'll miss Ava too. I was chatting to a mate online who is a liveaboard like you, he said the first thing he put in his ditch bag was several pairs of glasses, both sun and normal, he says as he is as blind as a bat without them and had to have unbreakable ones that float, not metal frames. I can't remember if you put these in so I thought as he was saying about them I'd pass it on.
Fair winds and following seas, even in the marina, Steve...
Fate is a funny thing... Plans an boating somehow don't work together well. Taking it in it's stride as you both do is what makes everything work out! Hope the birth of the wee one is a joy Auntie an Uncle.. now!! Glad, Madd's you ended up in the right place to do .. oh glorious boat work...!
Thanks for sharing your lives with us ✌🏼💗😊❣️
Good luck this week!!
Great episode Mads and Eva! Please continue to use the "slide in" entrance at 0:11!!
You made the right choice. I've lost three friends to the 'I've got to get there' mindset. And each time they were tired and made some sort of mistake and ended up dead.
I got told years ago. everything on a boat is broken you just don't know it yet
I see you have the stugeron now. If these cause drowsiness at all I recommend that Ava brings Dramamine non drowsy back from USA. Very effective and less side effects
Does ginger really help with sea sickness ?
Be interesting to see if the original drive unit can be repaired. I’ve done a lot with hydraulic autohelm units, they are very simple, just a hydraulic ram, a pump and an actuator. It is probably just the actuator that needs fixing. The hydraulic ram can be serviced by anyone who does hydraulic rams!
Should also add I'm Plymouth based and installed a twin hydraulic B&G system on a 44ft yacht. One is live and one is a backup. Can put either one live onto the network, a load of changeover switches and good to go!
Or possibly by thr manufaturer, who could well decide that since the folk who made the thing are so close by that they would benefit from working out what (if anything) went wrong in the manufacturing process to cause this issue. I work for someone who makes completely unreleated widgets and we generally appreciate getting the dead one back (unless it's a "house burned down" type failure because no-one wants charred remains back - and no, our stuff does not cause house fires)
A professional install is very good and may help you with warranty. Having a backup would be better still
Looking forward to more of your DIY 👍🏻👍🏻
Ahhhh! The life of living on a boat. Much like owning a home on the hard, there is always something to liven up your day. Well handled Mads and Ava. Hope Ava has made it home and is a new aunt by now. Looking forward to hearing and seeing how the auto pilot turns out. Mads, as precise as you are about following instructions and being detailed on your installations, I can't imagine you not installing the Garmin drive perfectly. Maybe you should buy a lottery ticket since you managed to find the one in a million Garmin units to fail. Take care and best wishes for a wonderful and productive week.
Kudos to Garmin for the quick service.
If it fails again though, you might consider an L&S hydraulic drive unit. I have a Garmin Reactor on my J/42 as well, but the very experienced local yard here in Seattle recommended the L&S drive unit for efficiency and reliability. It seems to work very well with the Garmin autopilot, and has been flawless so far - though I have only owned it for a couple of years.
Fun fact: You can use any driveunit you want, on any autopilot. Just make sure the brain can handle the power consumption and even if it can't, you can install solenoids...
I don't know who has manufactured Mads driveunit, but I have had a Jofa in my Garmin working just perfect since 2013 now.
Thanks for the Great video , you guys are awesome.
Alot of excitement and suspense in this episode. Looking forward for some more diy projects coming up.
I'm surprised you don't have wind vane steering. That way you always have a back up that is very simple and reliable that you can switch to and one that is not dependent on power too. Another big benefit on long passages.
Having to sail somewhere and arrive by a certain date often means sailing in less than ideal conditions - you may not have the luxury of choosing to lay over for another day or two. With a plane to catch at my destination I had to get there. That was an early sailing lesson for me. Don’t cut it too fine!
Yeah, sailing to a deadline is never fun.
Well, that sucks about the Autopilot, but at least Garmin found you a replacement quickly.
Nice video. When I have had crew members that were likely to get a little sea-sick, I usually assign them to hand steer the boat, standing up is best. Keeps their mind busy, makes them more connected with the rocking motion from waves and they will naturally look more at the horizon than fiddle with a phones and gadgets. Still, autopilot is of course comfortable and helpful for a shorthanded crew and if it is broken you want it fixed.
Been following you a long time! Excellent content! I watch you on my Amazon Fire Stick and TV and wonder if you get my likes and watches since I can't see comments or your content. Can't make comments either unless I use my phone, like this. If not, I wonder how many likes you are missing out on. Love you guys.
Each week when your video shows up I check Marine Traffic to see where you are. Saw that you were in Plymouth a couple of weeks ago and wondered what happened. Now we know. Good luck with your repairs. Looking forward to your future adventures.
Hi Mads just be aware that Mayflower can get really lumpy in strong westerlies. I was there a couple of weeks ago and I have never seen pontoons leaping up and down so much and the boat was thrashing about. There is a reason most of the berths seem to have old tyres which they use as snubbers. John
Mads, one word, or two. One word 'Hydrovane', two words 'Cape Horne', both non-electrical, or electronic, also, both out of Canada. Both used by TH-cam Sailors, one Canadian , one UK.
Best wishes from Northern Manitoba.
Nothing annoying with beating against the wind. It's an artform, a really good mental excercise most rewarding. It is great for developing sailing skills and last but not least you will spend a whole lot of time beating so It's best to start loving it sooner or later.
with a fully loaded boat, a furling mainsail, a fixed propeller and a high windage solar panel installation probably it CAN become quite annoying to attempt to beat against the wind unless you have a rather silent engine and you can sort of pretend it's not on.
@@pierrevanhalteren5733 I can appreciate that.
Well that sucks.. glad you were able to roll with the punches and adapt.
Sorry Mes, bad for you .... good for us! 😕
Autohelm, I don't have one of them. A bit of string to tie the wheel works ok if I Ballance the sails. A friend had a Garmin plotter that failed years ago and Garmin sorted it for them, much better than the runaround I had with the other big marine name.🏴☠️
You may want to check on interchangeability on your hydraulic arm because I believe they are. My Hylas has almost all Raymarine electronics that are around 3 years old. The new hydraulic arm we installed at the time, however, is from B&G and it works flawlessly.
Rotten luck but good outcome in the end. Stay safe always. Thank you.
Safe travels
Good choice on the diversion. I would think you're in a better location for getting work done.
Lots of motor sailing on this DYI channel? Maybe a trawler is next on the goodie list.
I think he should go out and do a lot of daysailing with a good coach just to push his abilities and physicsl knowledge to what he and the boat can do.
@@horstlauch453 Agreed
I have a suggestion for a future video. A while back you did a good video on your drogue chute. My suggestion is that you do a storm tactics video on how you would use your drogue chute depending on wind and wave severity.
Also when you would use stern vs bow attachment
I think we have a new saying, "Oh Glories Hand Sailling". 😆 🤣
Oh glorious sanding.
indeed :D
on a king crab boat in Alaska the skipper would always buy two but we had lots of storage space. a spare auto pilot is a good idea unless you have a backup. this time of year should be nice in michigan.
exspecially good video!
Always learning new, colorful words from Mads. The " word of the day " in this vlog " coinkydink" @16:35 😁
@7:43 CUE ROXXXXXXXXXANE! LOL!
As for the drive unit...will Garmin honor the warranty on it? They should...Things happen, glad you were able to track down a new unit.
Hi Mads (or should I say Uncle Mads 😂), another great video. If you walk to the end of the pontoons you should be able to locate Becka and Zach from Teulu Tribe (TH-cam) Teulu is the boat name (Colvic pilot house ketch). They might be able to help with local supplies and chandlers etc. If you get stuck let me know by reply and I'll try my best as I'm local. I hope all goes well for Ava and her sister. Catch you next time
Eva, you should shut off the red light at look at the stars. They would appear so bright without any light polution.
Are you going to have the factory diagnose and factory rebuild your failed unit?
That might become a really top level spare?
The idea of a wind steer vane is excellent as well think about that tool to install.
I don't think they offer that service. They suggested taking it to a hydraulic workshop but it's pretty cool that they sell a seal kit for it :)
Oh! I see, you replaced sanding with hand steering, Good job!
Being safe is the most important thing. Wise choice!
I really doubt you made a mistake so ride the 40 and get all the parts to build two more you got this I can’t wait to see that thing all apart on the counter days to come see you
Sorry to have to say this but.....we operate a charter company in Scotland and one of our boats has managed to get through three Garmin autopilot drive units in 6 years. Deffo carry a spare if you are dependent on it.
Just to add to the windvane/autopilot debate I believe the Cape Horn windvane can be custom made to sit higher on the boat, its the one Christian Williams fitted with neat internal workings.
Not a seasickness expert, but I think being forced to hand steer while seasick might get your mind off it and help you get better faster.
Maybe something to try out. When the autopilot is fixed, just in case :)
I'm disappointed, of all the techies in the world, I would have thought Mads would have a spare everything. Now that I've jinxed him, his autopilot will never fail ever again for the rest of his life, and that's a good thing.
Ah no it’s a pity I was due to take a job down south in Plymouth but I’ve declined it, would have loved to see this magnificent boat.
nice shout out to Clyde! Every which way but Loose
Eurostar under the English channel is a good option for getting to Paris fast. (too late now but one to remember for next time🤦♂) Great update bar the Autopilot.2x👍
I was about to say that. Train from Plymouth to London, Eurostar from London to Paris, whatever transportation is available from Gare du Nord to Charles de Gaulle airport. (Probably metro). Takes probably less than one day. (Depending on when the flight leaves, one night at a hotel might be advisable)
@@realulli Its a great train ride too.speeding through the French coutryside
Sorry that your autopilot failed. I noticed that your wheel was turning excessively while you were underway and wonder if that was a precursor to the failure. Have you considered getting your original drive unit rebuilt?