Reconditioning the Wheel Pilot/Autopilot aboard Encore

| June 1, 2014

After considering my options after removing the belt and housing off the autopilot during my last trip on Encore, I sent the old wheel pilot to be upgraded/reconditioned to match the “brains” of the Raymarine SPX-5 that I replace when I bought the boat. It will still be an out of date generation and in […]

Archiving: Looking for pieces and parts for the autopilot

| April 4, 2014

Posting a couple reminder photos so that I remember to research replacing “at least” the rubber parts and belt for the wheel steering motor. Hopefully there is a rebuild kit available for the ST4000 that I upgraded the electronics to the Raymarine SPX-5 Wheel Drive or a way to find some salvage parts as Encore’s […]

The local Osprey has targeted Encore today

| March 15, 2014

One would think that with me aboard working on a variety of projects this weekend that the fish eating Osprey would leave me alone? Unfortunately he or she has decided that a clean boat is a target (just finished washing down). Besides the bird bombing mess, my instrument upgrade did not go as planned. Unfortunately […]

Hanging out with Encore and messing with electrical projects

| March 14, 2014

Although I know spring is around the corner, the Florida sunshine is nice, although I can’t say I felt much of it today as the temps were mid-60s and I spend the afternoon with my head buried below decks working on electrical gremlins – with some success I might add. Tomorrow the plan is to […]

More on replacing sailboat electronics and instruments

| March 5, 2014

Another one of my Ebay winnings came in yesterday so I plugged it in on the workbench to make sure it would work. I think both Raymarine ST60+ instruments are in good shape and will be great replacements for the older defective Navman displays. I’m still hoping the depth transducer works with the new display, […]

Jury rigging SeaTalk connectors on marine electronics

| March 4, 2014

Another electrical project for Encore on the top of my list is trying to convert a couple of my defective Navman instruments to older used Raymarine ST60+ series instruments (made an Ebay purchase). After talking with a pretty sharp supplier to the marine industry, he convinced me that if I wire them correctly the ST60 […]

Archiving: Decoding the Raymarine ST4000+ nest of wires

| January 7, 2011

Those who have worked on older boats know that most of the time a new owner finds a rats nest of wiring that was either left after rewiring when new equipment was updated or part of a new installation. In my case I really just wanted to diagnosis problems with a non-functioning autopilot … the […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog