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Hi there Peter
I’m the developer of the MOA website. Thanks for your question, and by “APP”, I assume you’re meaning either an iPhone or Android App, in which case the answer is sadly No, at least not yet, although we have been thinking about this, and we note that the Westerly Owners Association ( at https://westerly-owners.co.uk/) are considering building these.
So the situation at the moment is that the website we have built is fully accessible from any mobile device, through any of the common web browsers typically found on those devices (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Opera etc.). The web pages should render appropriately for the device size, and orientation (landscape or portrait), so provided you’ve got mobile data coverage, you should be able to get at the MOA website for any information you may need.
You’ve also reminded me that I always intended to add a little trick to the website that would prompt anyone accessing the website from a mobile device to be create an icon on their phone so they could get immediate (single click) access to the website.
It’s not difficult to do. I’ll promote that to the top of my “WEBSITE TO DO” list.
Thanks again for your question, and the reminder.
ATB
Rob Wombwell
Hi Graham
I’ve installed a Raymarine Evolution on my Wight a few years ago after ripping out the remains of what must have been the original C1970’s system (called a “Space Age Automatic Pilot”!). I’ve therefore not had direct experience of the Mk1 but I understand that the Evolution system uses the Mk2 wheel. Checking I see the differences between Mk1 Wheel (black) and the Mk2 (grey ) are:
- The Mk1 has a black wheel drive ring and is compatible with the 4000+ control head1. Also, the older ST4000 control head can work with the Mk1 wheel unit. Users have reported that the Mk1 system works well, but any slight connection fault in any part of the system (including the motor) can disrupt its performance.
- Mk2 is grey and can also function with the 4000+ control head. If you have an older ST4000 control head, it should work fine with the Mk2 wheel unit as well. The Mk2 Wheel Drive unit clamps directly to your boat’s steering wheel, making installation straightforward. It features an adjustable clutch lever for switching between autopilot control and hand-steering2
In summary, I guess it comes down to your control head – both wheel units are interchangeable and can work with the 4000+ control head and if you have the older ST4000 control head, it should also be compatible.
The references I used to get this info were :
- https://forums.ybw.com/threads/raymarine-wheel-pilot-mk1-vs-mk2.586536/
- https://forums.ybw.com/threads/autohelm-raymarine-autopilot-belts-ah4000-st4000mk1-and-st4000mk2.410407/
- https://www.raymarine.co.uk/en-gb/our-products/boat-autopilots/autopilot-drive-units/cockpit-mk-ii-wheel-drive
- https://www.raymarine.com/en-us/learning/online-guides/what-are-the-different-types-of-boat-autopilot
You mentioned compatibility with the compass. That’ll be a Raymarine Flux Compass presumably which connects the the control head (via one of the SeaTalk network options). The compass operates independently of the wheel unit. It continuously provides heading information (magnetic or gyroscopic) to the autopilot system. The autopilot uses this data to maintain the desired course.Both the Mk1 and Mk2 wheel units are designed to work with the Raymarine autopilot systems. They connect to the control head and drive the steering mechanism. As long as the wheel unit is properly installed and compatible with your autopilot system, it should not affect the compass.
But don’t expect complete compatibility. When you change the wheel unit, ensure that the compass calibration remains accurate. Follow Raymarine’s guidelines for compass calibration and alignment to ensure that the autopilot responds correctly to the compass data. So after changing the wheel unit, perform the usual “sea trial” to verify that the autopilot maintains the correct course, i.e.: monitor the compass readings during 360degree turns, changes in speed, etc. to ensure consistency. Note the manual says all such turns should be done at a min boat speed of 3kts.
I keep by Raymarine manual handy, but I must say they’re not overly detailed. I use the Evolution manual but it sounds like you’d need the Raymarine 4000 Mk2 Service Manual (which covers the Raymarine 4000 Mk2 wheel drive unit) (see here: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/3358595/Raymarine-4000-Mk2.html) or the ST4000 Operating and Installation Manual (which specifically covers the ST4000 wheel drive autopilot and contains information for both Mk1 and Mk2 wheel units) (see here: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/313996/Raymarine-St4000.html)
Last thing to note. My Raymarine Evolution system behaved like a drunken cow when I first installed it – reeling from port to starboard, being late to turn and then overcorrecting. Despite fiddling with the settings I couldn’t get the thing to work properly – that is until I fitted a rudder sensor. That changed everything – it now works very acceptably and I can make a cuppa whilst travelling down the river singlehanded. If you’ve already got a rudder sensor then this doesn’t apply, but if not, then I thoroughly recommend it.
All the best and hope this helps
Rob Wombwell
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Hi Pierre
Bob Tuffnell has kindly passed me this drawing which lays out the dimensions for the keels on a Macwester 27 . Hope this helps.
Best regards
Rob Wombwell, MOA club
Hi Leonard
Good to hear that. I’m not a member of that group (indeed I deliberately don’t have a FB account!) but I do keep an eye on it as a visitor and I saw your recent postings of the work done on your Wight. I was particularly interested because I also have a Wight which I’m also renovating. The job I’m considering for the winter is making the cabin interior a tad more practical and so I’m gathering ideas for different layout options. What you’d done looked very innovative, so well done and many thanks for taking time to send up the pics. I’ll be posting some of my own on the this MOA site when I get a chance – note there are some software enhancements coming to this site soon which will give us the option to post FB style pics, videos and narrative as on the FB page. You’re obviously a keen FB user and hopefully you’ll have time to check out these new facility and give me your feedback. That’d be really helpful.
All the best
Rob Wombwell
MOA site webmasterHiya again Bob
We missed you at the AGM in Hull, but it’s great to see you on the web site, which of course we hope you’ll like and find useful. Having got the thing finally into play, the intention is to keep adding facilities which we think Mac folk will find useful. Our first examples of this are the on-line Navionics Marine Charts and the links to weather services. Over the weekend I intend to put up some new facilities that will allow any club member to quickly (and easily) add Events (like a BBQ, or a local sailing meet up), Posts (so allowing those inclined to post up their adventures and the like), Galleries (like a Post, but primarily a photo based story, which we’ll then layout like a Facebook upload page [washing my mouth out!]), and Classified Ads (when they need to sell or request Mac orientated stuff).
Vis your query about being notified of new posts, that’s called “subscribing”, and you can subscribe (and un-subscribe) to a Forum or a Forum Topic very easily – just open up the Forum, (or Forum Topic if you are focused on one topic) and you’ll see in the top right hand corner “subscribe” link. Clicking on that will ensure you’re emailed whenever new posts come into any Forum (or Topic). Once subscribed the top right hand link changes to “unsubscribe” for the Forum (or Topic) – click on that to cancel you subscription.
In fact I’ll use this forum to post up new facilities on the new web site as we get them going over the next few weeks.
ATB
Rob
All the best RobThanks Bernie. well its a start anyway. Not sure what you mean about the Forum I’ve just checked that its reachable from the menu bar. Try again and let me know if you still can’t get into it. Meanwhile, I’m preparing set of notes for the Review team so we can work through the site together methodically.
ATB
RobHi there Leonard
I’m surprised you’re contemplating this. I also have a WIGHT II which I keep on the East Coast (Walton-on-the-Naze) and mainly sail singlehanded. I’ve come from a traditional cutter rig and I have learned to greatly appreciate having a Mizzen. Being singlehanded I sail on Jib and Mizzen and don’t bother with the Main. I find having smaller sails easier to manage, but trimming the Mizzen is vital – if not matched to the wind direction it’ll cause weather helm or lee drift. I now have an autohelm on the boat, but before that I was continually tweaking the Mizzen sheet to keep her on course. When I’ve sailed her on Jib and Main she sails OK but you can feel the centre of balance is too far fwd. However, if it was my boat I’d maybe try it for a season, but keep everything intact so I could re-rig her if unsatisfactory. One suggestion is to beg/borrow a longer boom and Main from someone with a cutter rig to see if by putting a bigger Main on you could bring the centre of balance back. Bets of luck with it.Hi Peter
Not sure about what I’m saying here but it’s sounds logical that if you tighten one side a half turn and then the other half a turn, wouldn’t that be the same as one turn either side and equal tension? I’m getting a headache thinking about it.
I have to admit that before I slackened off the rigging the last time I lowered the mast, I marked the turnbuckles with tape so I knew roughly how much tension to apply. I do recall using a tape measure, a piece of string and a strip of cardboard in the past to measure the tension but can’t remember the measured distance. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful, I, like yourself will wait for the post of someone more knowledgeable.Regards
David
