Hi all!
I've been having a blast sailing Ananda (#140) out on San Francisco bay. I have a Raymarine ST-2000+ tiller pilot currently, which I had planned to use when I start singlehanding more often.
However, SF bay can be intense, and I really doubt the ST-2000 is up to the task of steering in 30 knots (it's seemed kind of iffy even in 15). I'm told local racers here often have autopilots which are rated for 2-3x the boat size.
Based partly on the other tiller pilot threads here, I've been looking at the SPX-5 instead, but I'd like to hear the opinion of someone who's actually used one on a J/30 in heavy air/moderate seas. I'm also considering the GP model which is rated for a slightly larger vessel.
I've even considered the X-10, but I have no idea how one would go about mounting a linear drive on a transom-hung rudder.
Any stories or advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
Alex
