Acorn To Arabella · video

What this video covers

After more than 3,000 miles of hand-steering, Steve fabricates and installs an autopilot tiller actuator bracket aboard Arabella in Key West, using the workshop and tools aboard SV Seeker with help from Doug.10:57 The metalwork — new to Steve — includes cuts with a portable handheld bandsaw and a plasma cutter, plus stainless steel welding, all to produce a flat-stock bracket that mounts to the boomkin and accepts the autopilot actuator at one end and a stern-anchor sheave at the other.16:51 Supports welded to the underside resist the actuator's rated 700-pound force load; Steve intentionally welded them slightly inboard so he could angle-grind them to a driven fit against the oak boomkin.18:29 A rudder feedback sensor mounts under the tiller on the king plank, bedded with washers to allow water drainage.19:56 Neighbor Bob contributed electrical troubleshooting throughout.21:38 Steve also seals the boomkin plate with shellac and 4200 sealant before bolting it down.19:09 After two short test sails under both sail and motor, the autopilot is working.21:50 The passage from Dry Tortugas back to Key West — arriving at 3 a.m. using previously recorded tracks — precedes the project.10:15

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