Raymarine ST2000 Plus Tiller Pilot Autopilot to 10,000 lb

The Raymarine ST2000 Plus is the standard tiller autopilot for serious cruising sailors and shorthanded coastal sailors who need an electric autopilot for their tiller-steered sailboat. The ST2000 (and the smaller ST1000) trace their lineage back to the original Autohelm tiller pilots invented in 1973 - the design that essentially created the recreational marine tiller autopilot category and has remained the dominant design for over five decades. The ST2000 Plus is the larger of the two current Raymarine tiller pilots, sized for boats up to 10,000 lb displacement.

Self-contained autopilot design. Unlike inboard hydraulic autopilots that require separate electronic controllers, drive units, hydraulic pumps, and rudder feedback sensors all installed and wired throughout the boat, the ST2000 Plus puts the entire autopilot in one self-contained housing. The electric linear drive (the actuator that physically pushes / pulls the tiller to steer the boat), the fluxgate compass (the heading sensor), the control electronics (the brain), and the user interface (the LCD and keypad) are all integrated. Install is dramatically simpler than an inboard autopilot: clip the unit between the cockpit-mounted socket and the tiller-mounted pin, plug in 12V power, and you're sailing under autopilot.

Removable mount with quick connect / disconnect. The ST2000 Plus mounts via a socket-and-pin system: a permanent socket bolted to the cockpit coaming (or wherever the autopilot's mounting end terminates), and a permanent pin bolted to the tiller. The autopilot itself slides into the socket on one end and onto the pin on the other end, locks via spring-loaded retention, and is operational. To remove the autopilot for hand-steering or for trips back to the dock, lift the autopilot's spring retention and pull the unit off both attachment points - takes about 5 seconds. To re-engage, reverse the process. The quick connect / disconnect is meaningful for serious sailors who want to hand-steer in tight quarters but don't want to fight the autopilot's drag while doing so.

Electric linear drive. The autopilot's drive mechanism is an electric linear actuator - similar to the actuators used in industrial automation. The actuator has roughly 12 inches of stroke (covers the typical tiller travel for sailboats in the size range the ST2000 Plus targets), pushes with substantial force (handles the steering load on a 10,000-lb boat in moderate wind / current), and operates quietly enough not to be obnoxious in the cockpit. The drive is electric, not hydraulic - simpler maintenance, no fluid to leak, lower power consumption.

Precision fluxgate compass. The internal compass is a fluxgate sensor - the standard marine compass technology for autopilots. The fluxgate measures Earth's magnetic field directly and reports heading with reasonable accuracy (typically 1-2 degrees in good conditions). After install, the compass requires a calibration procedure (typically a slow circular motion of the boat through 360 degrees) to compensate for the boat's local magnetic environment - then it's accurate for typical autopilot use.

Built-in SeaTalk networking. SeaTalk is Raymarine's older proprietary marine network (predating SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000). The ST2000 Plus has SeaTalk networking built in, which lets it communicate with other SeaTalk-network Raymarine instruments: wind instruments (so the autopilot can use true wind data for sail trim modes), chartplotters (so the autopilot can follow chartplotter routes), additional displays (showing autopilot status on networked instrument heads). For boats running modern SeaTalkng or pure NMEA 2000 networks, a SeaTalk-to-SeaTalkng adapter (sold separately) lets the ST2000 Plus integrate. NMEA 0183 input is also supported for connection to GPS sources for GPS-based course-keeping.

AutoTack mode. AutoTack is the feature that distinguishes the ST2000 Plus from cheaper tiller pilots. Press the AutoTack button, and the autopilot performs the tack maneuver automatically: bears off briefly to build speed, swings the bow through the wind at the right angle, settles on the new tack at the appropriate course. The sailor handles the sheets (releasing the old jib sheet, trimming the new jib sheet) while the autopilot handles the steering. For solo / shorthanded sailing, AutoTack is meaningfully more efficient than trying to handle steering and sheets simultaneously.

AutoSeastate intelligent course-keeping. AutoSeastate is the autopilot's adaptive algorithm that adjusts the steering response based on observed conditions. In calm conditions, the autopilot makes small infrequent steering corrections (smooth course-keeping, low power consumption). In rough conditions with wave-induced course excursions, the autopilot makes larger more frequent corrections (more aggressive course-keeping, higher power consumption, but the boat actually stays on course rather than drifting downwind in confused seas). The algorithm tunes itself automatically - meaningful battery savings versus a fixed-response autopilot that always steers aggressively.

Backlit LCD with 6-button keypad. The user interface is a backlit LCD screen showing current heading, target heading, mode, and key data fields, plus a 6-button keypad for command entry: power, mode, +1 / -1 degree heading adjust, +10 / -10 degree heading adjust, AutoTack, and a Standby / Auto toggle. The interface is meaningfully simpler than the multi-screen menu structures of inboard autopilot controllers - everything you need is one or two button presses away.

10,000 lb displacement maximum. The ST2000 Plus is rated for tiller-steered sailing vessels up to 10,000 pounds laden displacement (typically meaning 20% over the boat's design displacement to account for cruising load). For boats up to roughly 30 feet length-overall, the ST2000 Plus is the right size. For smaller boats (under 6,500 lb), the smaller ST1000 is the right call (lower power draw, lower cost). For larger boats (over 10,000 lb), an inboard hydraulic autopilot with a more powerful drive is required.

Power. The ST2000 Plus runs on standard 12V DC marine power. Power draw varies with conditions: idle (autopilot engaged but boat on course in calm) is roughly 0.5A, active steering at moderate seastate is roughly 1-2A, heavy active steering in rough conditions can briefly hit 4-5A. For a typical day's coastal sailing, total energy consumption is meaningful but well within the capacity of a typical 100Ah house battery. Plug the autopilot into the boat's 12V outlet using the supplied 12V plug, or wire to a dedicated cigarette-lighter style socket near the cockpit.

What's in the box. The ST2000 Plus tiller pilot, 12V plug for power input, instruction manual. The tiller pin and the mounting socket are sold in 5-packs (separate purchase) - you only need one of each, but the 5-pack pricing is the way Raymarine sells the install hardware.

Install. Determine the appropriate mounting location for the cockpit socket (typically on the cockpit coaming, positioned so the autopilot's body extends across the cockpit at the right angle to the tiller). Bolt the socket to the coaming using stainless steel hardware. Bolt the tiller pin to the tiller. Plug the autopilot's 12V cable into the boat's 12V system. Calibrate the compass per the install instructions. Total install time is typically 2-4 hours for a competent sailor with reasonable mechanical skills.

Two-year limited warranty. Standard Raymarine warranty terms apply.