Bayliner 4788

Spent the night in Ingrams Bayou, nice quiet spot and now start the 100 mile trek across Biloxi bay and if all goes well, the Gulfport small craft harbor tonight. That would leave a short trip to the blind Rigolets before tackling New Orleans.


I checked my manual for the steering system and 20 -25 psi is recommended. I left mine at 22. I also read the manual on "tuning" the auto pilot. I did not understand half of it! I will have to read it several more times....

dimer2 said:

Spent the night in Ingrams Bayou, nice quiet spot and now start the 100 mile trek across Biloxi bay and if all goes well, the Gulfport small craft harbor tonight. That would leave a short trip to the blind Rigolets before tackling New Orleans.


I checked my manual for the steering system and 20 -25 psi is recommended. I left mine at 22. I also read the manual on "tuning" the auto pilot. I did not understand half of it! I will have to read it several more times....

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Tuning the autopilot takes some practice in different conditions but is definitely a task worth practicing and a skill worth mastering.

dimer2 said:

I also read the manual on "tuning" the auto pilot. I did not understand half of it! I will have to read it several more times....

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By "tuning", what exactly does that mean? I can "Auto, Track and calibrate" my AP but the word "Tune" is giving me pause. Does "tune" mean "calibrate?"

Codger2 said:

By "tuning", what exactly does that mean? I can "Auto, Track and calibrate" my AP but the word "Tune" is giving me pause. Does "tune" mean "calibrate?"

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By "Tuning" I'm meaning primarily adjust the sensitivity.

With some you can even set up multiple profiles for different conditions. With others you can choose to incorporate thrusters or not.

Things like mode of follow up with rudder. Interface with Compass and use of waypoints, and some have no drift features. Some even allow pre-programming certain types of turns.

Alarm settings. Speed adjustments. Setting the increments for changing of headings.

Each autopilot has it's on little tweaks and uniqueness but we've found that many have never read the entire manual or played with all the possible options.

i know Raymarine has different tracking modes and some even have patterns you can program, generally used by fishermen.

BandB said:

By "Tuning" I'm meaning primarily adjust the sensitivity.

some have no drift features. Some even allow pre-programming certain types of turns.

Alarm settings. Speed adjustments. Setting the increments for changing of headings. .

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BB

Isn't some of what you've stated a function of the plotter and not the AP?

sunchaser said:

BB

Isn't some of what you've stated a function of the plotter and not the AP?

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Well, some is and integration is different as well. But some of the settings are autopilot and others are at least controlled by your autopilot controller.

Often you'll have different settings for the direction of the seas and to deal with issues like the OP describes. There are even some with advanced features like weather adaptability.

I had an acquaintance whose autopilot was driving him crazy in slow conditions with following seas as it was trying to adjust basically with each wave. One change of setting and problem gone.

On my autopilot tuning is adjusting the parameters to suit your boat.

I'm taking this from memory but I thought I adjusted parameters like rudder response time and I think rate of travel.

Those things directly affect the autopilots ability to maintain directional control, which I think the OP is having trouble with.

Thinking about this directional control issue there are other parameters to think of as well, and other things to check.

If, for example there was an issue with the heading sensor then the autopilot would exhibit a lack of directional control as well. On my boat for example I do not like the Simrad heading sensor. I find that it is not as good as the Furuno heading sensor that my Nav suite uses. So, I programmed the autopilot to prefer the Furuno heading sensor.

dimer2 great adventure. Good info Kevin. I will just keep following and learning.

You can adjust rudder gain and rudder response to help with comfort and usability

If flat sea conditions you want lower settings to keep the boat from over wandering or inducing a roll from too much rudder and too fast....

If a bad following sea, you want higher settings to keep the boat on course without losing auto control.... "off course" and sounding the alarm.

Well made the Gulfport Small craft harbor. Coming through Mobil bay was real choppy and again had to hand steer, auto pilot didn't stand a chance. It was like a washing machine. I will read the book again and try to do some of what Keven and BandB suggest as I am sure it is something as simple (or complicated) as setting it up correctly. Once into Mississippi things calmed down even with 16 kt winds. Diesel was $2.68 a gallon!! I even filled my pockets! Decided to have the day off tomorrow and head for New Orleans Sunday.

Very cool! I'm taking notes..

Woke up this morning to a beautiful day so decided to go boating. We are now at Seabrook marina, just a few miles from the New Orleans industrial lock. If all goes per plan, should be in the Houma city dock tomorrow night, hopefully having a beer with Steve!

The auto pilot behaved perfectly today in nice calm waters, so it appears my settings are for "nice calm waters"....So as we are ICW bound for the rest of the trip, I shall play with it when I get home.

Another uneventful day (just how I like it). Left Seabrook marina around 7:30 and was in Houma by 6:00. The benefits of no bridge curfews on a Sunday were offset by the amount of PWC and fishing boats zooming around. The Houma municipal marina is a great little refuge and any boat size, with electricity and water is $25.00 a night!!

dimer2 said:

Another uneventful day (just how I like it). Left Seabrook marina around 7:30 and was in Houma by 6:00. The benefits of no bridge curfews on a Sunday were offset by the amount of PWC and fishing boats zooming around. The Houma municipal marina is a great little refuge and any boat size, with electricity and water is $25.00 a night!!

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Nice facility and incredible price.

If you have the ST7000 that came stock on my 1997 4788, the biggest setting is the speed. If you tell the autopilot you usually cruise at 16 knots it will react in smaller increments than if you tell it you normally run at 7 knots. You should be able to find the owner's manual online.

There may be more in-depth options, but that was the option that did the most for me.

Rob

irt's been ten years at least since I set mine up

Robster_in_edmonds said:

If you have the ST7000 that came stock on my 1997 4788, the biggest setting is the speed. If you tell the autopilot you usually cruise at 16 knots it will react in smaller increments than if you tell it you normally run at 7 knots. You should be able to find the owner's manual online.

There may be more in-depth options, but that was the option that did the most for me.

Rob

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I believe in the basic set up you can select the vessel type. I remember using small planing boat setting. I remember three or four options. I chose this setting as I believed rudder response was quicker. It's been ten years so things aren't fresh in my memory.

Scary said:

I believe in the basic set up you can select the vessel type. I remember using small planing boat setting. I remember three or four options. I chose this setting as I believed rudder response was quicker. It's been ten years so things aren't fresh in my memory.

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The key is learning what settings work best for different conditions, so you can switch quickly if your autopilot doesn't have memory settings.

Thanks guys, all good info which I will try this weekend when we get back to Texas. We are currently in Houma, fully provisioned thanks to Steve, who drove 20 miles to take us for groceries. He also took another trawler forum captain to get replacement fan belts (which ended up needing several trips). Isn't it great to be a Trawler forum member! Tomorrow we are going to try make Intracoastal city, 100 miles away but have a back up plan for around 60 and another at 80 just in case the locks/tows slow us down.

dimer2 said:

Tomorrow we are going to try make Intracoastal city, 100 miles away but have a back up plan for around 60 and another at 80 just in case the locks/tows slow us down.

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Love that strategy. When we cruise we always have contingency plans. We never depart without having alternatives in mind.

Now following and Living vicariously through this thread about your 4788 Blue and Chelle


Sent from my iPhone 5S using Trawler Forum

cardude01 said:

Thanks for the info. I know nothing about the ICW from FL to TX.

How did you decide to make that long run all the way to Pensacola instead of the "usual" run to Carabelle? Is the ICW crappy between Carabelle and Pensacola?

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I can only speak of the stretch of ICW between Port St. Joe and Fort Walton Beach. It is not crappy at all. Very well marked, peaceful, and lightly travelled (by both commercial and pleasure boats). And no drawbridges or locks. If anything, the only complaint is the lack of facilities along that stretch other than in the Panama City and Destin areas. Though I haven't travelled it yet, I expect the rest of that route -- Carabelle-PSJ, FWB-Pensacola -- is more of the same.

MrJim said:

I can only speak of the stretch of ICW between Port St. Joe and Fort Walton Beach. It is not crappy at all. Very well marked, peaceful, and lightly travelled (by both commercial and pleasure boats). And no drawbridges or locks. If anything, the only complaint is the lack of facilities along that stretch other than in the Panama City and Destin areas. Though I haven't travelled it yet, I expect the rest of that route -- Carabelle-PSJ, FWB-Pensacola -- is more of the same.

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In general we prefer outside to the ICW wherever we are. That said, we found the GICW to be a very comfortable and nice area of travel. In most areas not a lot around it and somewhat short of facilities, but peaceful and easy to travel. It's more like canal traveling than the Atlantic counterparts, but without the number of inlets and traffic and exposure, less problems with shoaling, fewer bridges, and less congestion.

Well today was a long one, we reached Intracoastal City La after a grueling 102 miles and 11 hours. The wind was from the East 18 gusting 22 kts the whole way, except for when we tried to dock, I swear it was at least 40! Took me two tries and 'Bob' came over and helped Michelle with the lines on the second try. Forecast shows more of the same for tomorrow....I am kinda dreading fueling up as the fuel dock is even more exposed than the slip. This is the ONLY available fuel stop between Morgan city and Lake Charles (unless you leave the ICW and go up to Lake Arthur). There is a total of ONE slip here for transients, the others being used by oilfield personnel boats and Law Enforcement.....phone ahead if you plan on staying overnight here.

Well if it's too windy tomorrow you could stay there, drink beer, eat some Vietnamese food.

I see a restaurant called Phong Phu. Might be good!

?

Cardude, the only restaurant apparently closes at 7:00 but opens again for breakfast at 5:00. Now is this a fishing village or what. Sure glad we got in when we did. Another boat showed up and has tied to the fuel dock so they are fenced in. The next boat looked, saw there was nowhere to stay and has slowly moved on. They have a long night ahead of them unless a shrimp boat allows them alongside. I may need to open a small marina here lol.

Good to see you made it to I.C. Be sure and call if you need a ride or someone to talk to besides Michelle.LOL Just joking--about Michelle that is. It was fun spending a few days "boating" with you.

ddalme said:

Good to see you made it to I.C. Be sure and call if you need a ride or someone to talk to besides Michelle.LOL Just joking--about Michelle that is. It was fun spending a few days "boating" with you.

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Love the way this forum connects people with a combined effort to help

I'm following with interest from way south of you guys, in Brisbane Australia. A 4788 is my retirement dream, especially when I have all of Australia's East coast and barrier reef to visit [/QUOTE]

I travelled this area with my Dad in a 34ft sail boat when I was aged 15 in the 70's and have many places in mind to either see again or are yet to explore.

Safe travels and enjoy the new boat


Kind regards from down under
Mark

"another trawler forum captain to get replacement fan belts (which ended up needing several trips)."

The ID numbers of the belts is now in the log book , and painted on the ER bulkhead?

And the spares are in an air tight bag?

Greetings,
Welcome aboard Mr. markic.

Boy learned a few lessons in the last 24 hours. We spent last night riding out the winds at the Intracoastal dock. I used every dock line I had before I felt comfortable enough to get some sleep. Woke up and all was good. The wind has subsided somewhat.....


Got to the first lock which is a mile from the dock and was told to 'hold' in the middle. Piece of cake, just using gears kept her right in the middle. Nothing to driving twins! Next lock was about 70 miles away and upon arrival was told to have the cable (pontoon) bridge clear me through and then hold short of the lock as there was traffic going to be exiting. I did but the space between the bridge (which closed behind me) and the lock was only a couple boat lengths. I fought valiantly and managed the winds for about 10 minutes when both the lock doors and the bridge opened and out came a six pack barge. I managed to keep from getting run over but his prop wash blew me all over. I was then informed to enter the lock and again 'hold'. We now have our very first "lock rash" despite the fenders. How humbling it all is. Currently anchored in an ox bow in Lake Charles, with the wind blowing us like a pendulum. I am thinking a second anchor is necessary. Only 56 miles to go!!