Fix a Autohelm ST2000 autopilot/tillerpilot

On our holiday in 2013, our trusty, much loved and relied upon ST2000 failed turning us around and around in circles. The little electric engine whirred inside, however the boom arm refused to budge to alter our course.

On arrival at Woodbridge I removed the cover and powered it up – it appear the motor was turning correctly, however the cogs were not.

Initial testing of the ST2000

Initial testing of the ST2000

At this point I powered it down, and took it to pieces. I would strongly advise to take lots of photos when you do this, as whilst it is a simple beast, it can get a bit vexing when you are putting it back together again.

I carefully glued (I used all I had, which was some superglue, I would have preferred epoxy) the cog back on and reassembled the autopilot and it has been fine ever since.

Be very careful when reassembling to make sure all the seals are correctly seated – any water into the tillerpilot will kill it flat dead in no time at all.

Find the manual below also:

ST1000 and ST2000 Tillerpilot manual