Almost finished installation of the new auto-pilot, the new Raymarine "Evolution 100" wheel steering unit. First, I had to remove the trusty old ST-4000 unit to make room for the new one. The "Evolution" has 4 major parts to it, 1: a control panel instrument that lets you operate the unit, 2: a combination compass and gyro sensor that not only knows the magnetic heading, but also senses all the movement and gyrations caused by sea-state as the boat moves through the water. This feature is probably the biggest difference from the old style ST-4000 auto pilot that was on the boat before. 3: A small computer (ACU-100) that's mounted separately from the controller, and the gyro / compass. The computer takes all the information from the control panel and the gyro compass and sends a 12 volt electrical current to the 4: drive unit, attached to the steering wheel which steers the boat. The control panel fits neatly into the hole the old ST-4000 instrument occupied, and the new wheel drive pretty much fit on the steering wheel as before. I had to find new locations for the computer and the gyro/compass. The wiring was pretty straight forward using the Raymarine "sea talk" cables, I call it plug and play. A quick test was positive, though I will have to calibrate things when the boat goes in the water. I'm including a few pictures above.
Next project, the heating system.
Next project, the heating system.