68 ST5000 Plus SailPilot Owner’s Handbook
1. In clear water and with the autopilot in Auto, alter course to
starboard by 40° by pressing the +10 key four times.
• At cruising speeds, course changes of 40° should result in crisp
turns followed by an overshoot of no more than 5°. If this occurs
the rudder gain is adjusted correctly.
• An excessively high rudder setting results in oversteer. This is
recognised by a distinct overshoot of more than 5° (A). This
condition can be corrected by reducing the rudder gain setting.
• Similarly, an insufficient rudder control setting will result in
understeer which gives sluggish steering performance (B). If the
vessel takes a long time to make the turn and there is no
overshoot then the rudder setting is too low.
These actions are most easily recognised in calm sea conditions
where wave action does not mask basic steering performance.
2. To make a temporary adjustment to the rudder gain, press the
-1 and +1 keys together for 1 second to display the Rudder Gain
screen, then press -1 or +1 to change the level. Wait for 5 seconds,
or press disp, to return to the previous display.
3. Repeat the test until a crisp course change with no more 5° of
overshoot is achieved.
The rudder control setting should be set to the lowest setting
consistent with accurate course keeping. This will minimise helm
movements and hence reduce power consumption and wear and
tear.
136_3c06.p65 14/06/99, 10:1768
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