We are approaching our 1 year anniversary with our 35-3. We have finally got her back in the water after a new bottom job with soda blasting and base coat etc, and then replacing essential fluids, fixing running lights and a new head etc. and have been learning her ways and starting to enjoy her company very muchl. Last weekend we sailed from our home port in the Rhode R. to St. Michaels for a two-day trip which was great - with one notable exception and even broke 6 knots under sail a time or two in moderate wind. On the return trip the Raymarine Autohelm 4000 (PO- used this for years) decided to freak out and wanted to turn the boat in hard circles to starboard. We couldn't get it to snap out of it - pushed the Standby and Auto buttons repeatedly, held them in for longer periods, turned the unit off and back on, unplugged it - essentially everything short of "percussive maintenance" - which might actually have been a good idea. I cant find anything in the user manual that covers this issue unless some internal mode got somehow switched.
I'm wondering if this scanario sounds familiar with anyone and hoping there might be a "Doh!" fix. We know the unit is old and pretty basic by current standards. There was an upgrade kit by Raymarine that used the same drive hardware with a next generation control head (at4000 model I think it was) but even that system is now older and the kit has been discontinued by Raymarine. Is there some kind of work-around if it comes to that where a new controller can interface with the existing drive motor? Is there any inexpensive way out of this? If the system really should just be completely replaced we'll do that but hopefully we can avoid that. Thanks for any help with this. -- Ron & Lisa To be Renamed 1986
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