Intro to me and my new Ranger 23

[northoceanbeach]

Hi there, I have always wanted to cross the ocean, someday I will. I've been reading offshore cruising books in my spare time, and I have a pretty decent idea of what boat I would need.

However at the same time, I like the go small, go now approach. Well, because of the go now really, . The go small part I could go either way on.

So at my current marina, there is a guy on a 20 footer, and he went fom Hawai'i to Tahiti, Tahiti to Hawai'i, and Hawai'i to Seattle. I also have a movie I am about to watch called the Dove about a 16 year old on a Cal 24 that circumnavigated. So it can be done.

Now, this is not my plan for this summer, I have a plan for this summer, but I just want to know HOW to do it on a small, inexpensive boat. I understand that obviously there are going to be more risks, and it is less comfortable, and probably less likely to make it. But I don't understand some of the finer points.

I have a Ranger 23. I just bought it and this summer I am going to thee San Juan Islands and then up into Canada. The boat is in very good shape. I would say for boats this size not specifically designed for bluewater(Flicka, Pacific Seacraft), it's about as good as you would get. It's very beefy, I used to have a Catalina 22 and if you look at them side my side. Things like the spars, the Ranger has big, solid looking spars, it looks like a fat mast, where the Catalina, no offense to Cats, I had a great time on it, the mast looked like, well, much flimsier. The chainplates were connected to the deck with a nice aluminum backing plate. On the Ranger, they got almost 2 feet down into the fibreglass bulkhead with big fat bolts, and the stays wrap over the bow and stern and bolt along there. Everything, the tiller, feels stronger...you get my point.

Of course I have to singlehand, for me that's the dream.

So I can sit around and dream, ands in case maybe next summer I don't get a bigger boat and keep this one, what would I have to:

1. Do to the boat.

2.Learn myself.

3.What supplies are essential for a small ocean crosser.

1. For the boat I need some way to self steer. Those windvane's look like the way to go, but do any work on my boat? Are they too heavy? Can they hook to a small transom? Where does the motor go? I have a 6hp four stroke mounted in the center of the stern. I've got to sleep, is it possible to go without one? Don't kill me for asking, but can you just take the sails down and float while you sleep? Heave to? I've found threads about sleeping and keeping watch singlehanded, but not the steering issue. I was recently told that is a terrible idea, because not only is my boat small and slower, but the motion without sails would be very uncomfortable.  At least my question hasn't been totally answered.  I just watched a couple youtube videos and I am going to build a Sheet to tiller system.  Any experience with those?  How long can a properly set one be left unattended?

I would replace the standing rigging, if so, should it go up a size? I have heard from some that is a good idea, and some say not to, and to go with the size the boat was designed with. The designer knows more than I do, and if I put stronger rigging on there, it may put too much strain on the chainplates and the mast can't bend like it was designed to.

What else would I need to do, what do I nee to learn. It sounds awfully hard to take a small boat alone, 2400 miles from Washington to Hawai'i say, and make it. 

Here is a list of what I have got on it.  I just replaced all the hardware i.e. blocks, mainsheet system, boomvang, cunningham, cleats, spinlock clutches.  Good quality, big blocks.


Sailboat, newer sails, deck hardware and lines, older but good looking standing rigging.
2006 Yamaha 6hp, 6 gallon tank(how many extra tanks should I bring?), seafoam
8 foot dinghy, neatly folded in bag, footpump
Smallish dog with food, water and lifejacket, Corgi
All safety equipment required by law, nothing more
Good selection of charts from Bellingham to Victoria, down to the bottom of Whidbey Island
Washburns Tables, Tide Book, and book with pictures of the currents that complements the tables. Goes from Port Townsend to Powell River.
Butane Stove, backup tiny backpacking stove.
Pot, pan, silverware, dishes.
2 sets of coastal foul weather gear
5 quick dry camping pants, 5 shirts, 4 jackets, 5 wool socks, 5 camping underwear, 2 wool hats, sun hats, 2 pairs sunglasses, sailing gloves, hiking shoes, Sperry deck shoes.
120 amp newish battery(no charger)
150, 130, 90 jibs. Spinnaker. Main with one reef.
Boat hook, spinnaker pole(most likely use as backup boom in case...)
Portable Vhf
one book!
Porta potti
led interior battery powered lights
Tool box, some spare hardware, Epoxy kit, rig tape, electric and plumbing tape.
22 lb. Bruce anchor, chain, 150 feet rode
big and small danforth, chain and rode
iPhone
Handheld GPS

[Captain Smollett]

First of all, welcome to sailfar.  Given your comments, I think you've come to the right place!  ;)

What you will get here is NOT what you will get on most other sailing sites and magazines.  There are a lot of blogs and individual sites that are similar, though.

I understand that obviously there are going to be more risks, and it is less comfortable, and probably less likely to make it.

These are misunderstandings.  Sailing a 'small boat' on passage is not necessarily more risky, less comfortable and certainly not less likely to make it.

To fully appreciate the total message of this site, you might have to "unlearn" those as your starting points in the discussion.

A lot of the people that say those things are trying to sell you something...or have read it and repeat it.

There is a TON of discussion on this board on this very topic.  "Why small boats are BETTER."  Go back into some of the discussions, especially in the early years of the site...dig up some old threads, they are very important.

The key question is "which small boat" is being compared to "which larger boat."  There are some under-30-footers that are FAR, FAR safer and more comfortable than some over-40 footers.  This is a key piece of the puzzle.

ands in case maybe next summer I don't get a bigger boat and keep this one, what would I have to:

1. Do to the boat.

Be very honest about her limitations and compromises.

2.Learn myself.

3.What supplies are essential for a small ocean crosser.

A very open question.  You'll find a lot of "counterculture" here on this particular topic.  We have several threads about 'necessary gear' and doing without and similar topics.  Good reading, but you may have to search for some of the older stuff a bit.

1. For the boat I need some way to self steer. Those windvane's look like the way to go, but do any work on my boat?

If your boat is well balanced, she can be made to self-steer.  The details are VERY boat dependent.  If you cannot find anyone who has successfully attached a vane to a Ranger 23, you may have to do some serious experimentation and modification of existing designs.

A lot of folks think vanes are 'turn key' and sometimes they are...depends on the boat.  One good book to read on the topic is John Letcher's "Self Steering for Sailing Craft" though there are others, too.  Walt Murray (RIP) designed a vane system for home builders, and the plans are available online.

Another good aspect of Letcher's book is that it has EXCELLENT information on "sheet to tiller" self steering....which works excellently with a lot of boats (no boat is going to self-steer well if she is badly unbalanced).  There are several threads on here about sheet to tiller gear, as well.

Are they too heavy? Can they hook to a small transom? Where does the motor go? I have a 6hp four stroke mounted in the center of the stern.

Some of the vane gears can be bit heavy, and some complain about this problem on boats larger than yours.  It is one of the reasons you don't see a lot of vanes on smaller boats.

That's where the pedal meets the metal on the design.  Anyone can clunk together hunks of metal to mount on a 50 footer.  A 23 is going to require more finesse.

The vanes can and usually do hook to the transom.  Depending on type, it does not necessarily need to go in the center.

I watched a youtube video just last night of a guy self steering with a home-made trim tab type on a small boat...I think the boat was 22 ft or thereabouts...a smaller Hunter in any case.

So...it can be done.

I've got to sleep, is it possible to go without one?

If you are singlehanding, you will DEFINITELY want some kind of self steering...whether it's a vane, sheet to tiller or electronic tiller pilot is up to you and what other requirements you impose on your boat.

Even if you are not singlehanding, you will almost assuredly want some kind of self-steering for any kind of distance sailing.  We are not operating fully crewed ship rigged war ships with a new helmsman ready to take the wheel every 30 minutes.  Being married to the tiller/wheel gets really old, really fast.

So, at the risk of getting into "must have" territory, I would put self-steering on the HIGHLY, HIGHLY desirable list for any distance sailor.

Don't kill me for asking,

All genuine questions are welcome here.

but can you just take the sails down and float while you sleep?

I cannot think how that would be a good idea....if something does happen that you need to maneuver quickly, your propulsion system is "down."  Plus, my experience outside the jetties with no sail up has been miserable and sleep was impossible...the boat rolls and bounces around too much.  If you are on big water, you will most likely want sail up.

Plus, you lower your visibility to other boats, day or night, with the sails down.

Heave to?

A better solution in my opinion...better than lowering all sails and drifting at least.

I am going to build a Sheet to tiller system.  Any experience with those?  How long can a properly set one be left unattended?

Again, it depends on the boat and how precise you are in designing the system.

Sheet to tiller can be VERY effective, and oceans have in fact been crossed using them.  I love it on my two boats.  Simple, low cost and works like a charm.  Search the site for more input.

What else would I need to do, what do I nee to learn. It sounds awfully hard to take a small boat alone, 2400 miles from Washington to Hawai'i say, and make it.  

That very trip has been done many times on 'small boats.'  

2006 Yamaha 6hp, 6 gallon tank(how many extra tanks should I bring?), seafoam

What is your hours per gallon at efficient cruising speed and how far do you anticipate motoring?  It's an engineering problem, not a rule of thumb.  There's not magic number of gallons to carry.  Anything from 0 gallons (engineless boat) to 100,000 gallons (large working ship) or more is a valid answer.

What do YOU need, or think you need?

One other point: transom hung outboards carry their own 'issues' when in seas over about 4 ft.

120 amp newish battery(no charger)

Do you mean 120 amp-hour battery?

No charging system on your outboard?  Can you install one?

Even a small solar panel can extend both the time between shore power battery charges and the life of your battery.  Remember, batteries don't like deep discharges; keep it above 50% is a common recommendation, higher still if possible.

That means your 120 amp-hour battery is really about 60 PRACTICAL amp-hours.  What is your energy budget?  What do you need to power per day, and for how long?  

Some cruisers report 100 amp-hours as their energy budget, and I know of one couple whose energy budget is 200 amp-hours per day.  That's on the high side, but not uncommon.

My own energy budget is 25 amp-hours per day and is considered quite lean.  I have LED lights in cabin and for navigation and I don't power GPS, sounders, plotters and the like.  And, I carry 215 amp-hour battery bank...enough to meet my budget with no charging for about 4 days if I want to stay above the 50% discharge level.

And, I have an 85 Watt solar panel.

So, you cannot answer if that battery is enough, with or without charging, without understanding the energy budget the battery is expected to meet.

[CharlieJ]

Post moved to where it should have been  ;)

Thanks JR- saved me a lot of typing.

A few points-

Lived aboard Tehani for several years with no engine charger and just a 32 watt solar panel. In that time I had to go in and hook up to shore power to charge the single grp 27 battery twice. You think you have a lean budget on amps? I'm FRUGAL.

Sleeping offshore. In clear waters, I set a timer for 20 minutes and sleep in the cockpit. Wake up, check around, check course and sails, reset timer and back to sleep. Works pretty well. In congested waters, you simply stay awake at night. You just do it. Sleep during the day if needed.

I've used sheet to tiller offshore for up to 2 days at a time.. Could have gone longer, but that was all we were offshore. Now I use a small tiller pilot in addition (  when coastal)

[Captain Smollett]

Here's the "DIY vane on a small boat" video I watched...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZSCAD_qhm0

The boat is a Hunter Europa, a 19 footer.

Transom hung rudder allowed easy linkage of the vane to a trim tab.

[northoceanbeach]

Wow, great responses. 

I'm just learning about self-steering and I didn't know sheet to tiller was so effective.
2 days?  Could you take the 20 minute naps during that time, or do you think it would be possible?

I've got to get a solar panel.  I'll put that at the top of the list.  It's really only for running nav lights, which I replaced the first to go out to LED.  At least at this point.  I have battery operated LED and a drawer of lithium batteries for the interior.

I have got it in my mind that I would new standing rigging.  I don't know how old it is.  It looks good, but I can't see the inside.  What are the thought on here about how long good quality standing rigging lasts?

[rorik]

As far as the self steering goes, if you decide to look into buying a system, look at Cape Horn wind vanes. They weigh about 25 pounds and do not need to be centered on the transom.
And Yves Galina is a peach to work with.
Standing rigging is sort of like motor mounts in your car......
Heaving to, I think, is much better than lying under bare poles, especially when the wind pipes up. For more info on the differences between heaving to and lying ahull, read Lin & Larry Pardeys book "Storm Tactics".

[Captain Smollett]

I'm just learning about self-steering and I didn't know sheet to tiller was so effective.
2 days?  Could you take the 20 minute naps during that time, or do you think it would be possible?

Just a point of clarification: I may be misreading your points about self-steering, but it is there for far more than just sleeping. 

The 20 minute nap method is surprisingly effective.  Sleep research has shown that your "rest" is not compromised so long as you wake for very short period...long enough to look around, make sure the boat is okay, and doze back off.

That's why most of the time, it is practiced in the cockpit....wake, look, sleep, without having to really physically move.

On self-steering: at the risk of sounding like a broken record, do get your hands on John Letcher's book.  It will answer a lot of the questions you have about the performance of various systems (including sheet to tiller).

[northoceanbeach]

I don't think you're misreading.

I think in my mind the sleeping issue is most important.  I've got to sleep. I figure if I had to sit at the tiller and steer 16 hours I could.  It might suck. But I have to sleep so I always think about self steering in relation to me sleeping.   I know I would use it all the time, I don't want to sit at the tiller endlessly.

I got a small solar system now so the boat is looking really good.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Sorry for the formatting ? not much cut and pastes over from word. And can?t do long posts on sailfar easily.

Sailboat, newer sails, deck hardware and lines, older but good looking standing rigging?

.for unknown vintage I would replace the standing rigging. For me might or probably be good enough not sufficient. But that a judgement call.

2006 Yamaha 6hp, 6 gallon tank(how many extra tanks should I bring?),?

...depends on how much motoring you will be doing. And how convenient refuelling is. But given you have an o/b and going long distance I would not be planning on extended passages under power anyway, so fuel load not a big thing. But would be prudent to navigate around that limitation when heading towards shore. I would feel comfortable with an extra 5 gallons onboard, for convenience on refuelling as much as for the extra  just in case range.

Seafoam 8 foot dinghy, neatly folded in bag, footpump???

no idea what that is, but a dink needed for sure.

Smallish dog with food, water and lifejacket, Corgi??..

..some folks do like to make life harder for selves.

All safety equipment required by law, nothing more??

..a personal choice. Yer only need everything if you sink.

Good selection of charts from Bellingham to Victoria, down to the bottom of Whidbey Island. Washburns Tables, Tide Book, and book with pictures of the currents that complements the tables. Goes from Port Townsend to Powell River?..

..being able to navigate with a pencil is very useful. At least a handheld GPS (numbers only) does make life easier. Am guessing you also have a compass onboard, would be prudent to check for deviation or get it swung.

Butane Stove, backup tiny backpacking stove. Pot, pan, silverware, dishes???..

a back up for getting hot drinks and food is important.

2 sets of coastal foul weather gear 5 quick dry camping pants, 5 shirts, 4 jackets, 5 wool socks, 5 camping underwear, 2 wool hats, sun hats, 2 pairs sunglasses, sailing gloves, hiking shoes, Sperry deck shoes???

whatever keeps you warm and dry.

120 amp newish battery(no charger)

.would be prudent to have some charging capability. For Nav Lights at least. Could be solar could be run off the o/b.

150, 130, 90 jibs. Spinnaker. Main with one reef. Boat hook, spinnaker pole(most likely use as backup boom in case...)???

can set the main without a boom, likely the gooseneck fitting will fail rather than the boom snap and if that does happen odds on you have bigger problems.

Portable Vhf???.

will be limited range, useful near shore.

one book!??.

hopefully a good.

Porta potti??.

..or a bucket.

led interior battery powered lights??

..good idea, being able to recharge batteries would be nice. Otherwise pack some spares.

Tool box, some spare hardware, Epoxy kit, rig tape, electric and plumbing tape?..

.enough of bits and bobs to do some running repairs or bodges.

22 lb. Bruce anchor, chain, 150 feet rode. big and small danforth, chain and rode ??

you will heading up into deep water. 150 foot sounds plenty but no idea if that is.

Iphone??..

..likely will be out of signal range a lot.

Handheld GPS??..

..good idea, but no substitute for being able to navigate.



{Edit by Captain Smollett: Fixed Formatting}

[David_Old_Jersey]

Grrrr  >:( that formatting went even worse than I thought!

Anyway, for self steering I would favour a tiller pilot. Main downside (apart from cost) is the need for power and the ability to re-charge own batteries.

FWIW, I think you are spot on with your comment about smaller boats being less comfortable - and also more dangerous!, but by that I mean less forgiving of the skipper being a numpty. I won't say any idiot could take a 40 footer on a long passage, but plenty do! Whether a small boat is a suicide mission will be mostly down to you, both when out there and beforehand in boat prep and own knowledge / experiance.

Attached is a list made up on another forum - obviously lots on there not relevant to you (and no one has everything anyway) - but might give some food for thought.

https://docs.google.com/a/jaytac.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ar3rFs1lDsoAdEl1ck5ONWJ0Vy1DNkFycWdaS0pjWnc#gid=0

[Captain Smollett]

Grrrr  >:( that formatting went even worse than I thought!

Should be better now.   ;D

Anyway, for self steering I would favour a tiller pilot. Main downside (apart from cost) is the need for power and the ability to re-charge own batteries.

This is one thing I do not understand.  A tiller pilot costs $1000-ish dollars.  Failure rates are fairly high, especially under sail.  They use electrons that have to be generated (and stored, typically) somehow.  This one small gadget increases the complexity of at least two on board systems, and with a relatively high failure rate.

Indeed, the failure rates are high enough that it is often recommended to carry a spare.  So, that's twice the money in, and if the failure rate on one is high, the statistical probability of failure of the second unit is JUST AS HIGH.  Do you carry a third?  A fourth?  Where does it end?   ;)

Now, for less than about $20, one can have a back-up to the electronic gizmo in sheet-to-tiller gear.  And, if you are going to be good at using it effectively, one has to experiment with it.  Which means using it in a variety of conditions.  Which means...not using the tiller pilot.

$20 for a low tech, low failure rate (but requires fiddling to get set up) piece of gear that does not require electricity vs $1000+ failure prone electron hungry gadget.

Unless doing a lot of straight line motoring...then the game changes.  But for sailing, cost-benefit wins for the tiller pilot how?

FWIW, I think you are spot on with your comment about smaller boats being less comfortable - and also more dangerous!, but by that I mean less forgiving of the skipper being a numpty.

Therein lies the rub, eh?  Human skills vs being a numpty.

Which prompts the question...what that comes 'easy' is really worth having? 

(And, we get circular, as that makes as good a comparison between tiller pilot and sheet-to-tiller gear as anything  ;D  )

[David_Old_Jersey]

Cheers for the formatting fix  8)

On the tiller pilot thing, I see I used the word "favour" rather than a 100% recomendation over a windvane A bit of a cop out for sure!, but nonetheless I will stand by it!

Although I don't know a Ranger 23 my quick peek on the internet showed a 23 foot with a wide beam and a fin keel - my gut said won't be self tracking, even sheet to tiller. Well, not for long! My thinking is that therefore something else would be needed. I favour electrikery simply because it requires an upgrade to the electrics (principally for recharging) and electric always finds a use! The other plus for a tiller pilot is inshore as allows the boat to maintain a course whilst you raise and lower sails and are under motor, not essential but a nice conveniance. AFAIK a windvane is not a cheap buy either (although can be DIY'd) and more of a PITA to install, my gut says OP more likely to acheive the desired result with a tiller pilot than a vane simply due to (low) starting point of knowledge of boats and vanes to puzzle out a solution / set up. But I could be wrong! Having said that, likely that the vane would be of more use in stronger wind / wave conditions. Boats is all about choices!

The bare bones basic (and cheap!) way is to hand steer and heave to for rest (and cooking?). Much to commend heaving to, just not always practical.....but on a long passage and offshore then why not. Main penalty will be slower progress, that and the effort required!

[Captain Smollett]

On the tiller pilot thing, I see I used the word "favour" rather than a 100% recomendation over a windvane A bit of a cop out for sure!, but nonetheless I will stand by it!

Cop outs are fair game.   ;)

Although I don't know a Ranger 23 my quick peek on the internet showed a 23 foot with a wide beam and a fin keel - my gut said won't be self tracking, even sheet to tiller. Well, not for long!

My little 18 footer is beamy and has a thin little centerboard...essentially a fin keeler.  And she self-steers with sheet-to-tiller gear just fine.  I don't think that hull form has to prima facie mean it won't work.

It's all about balance ... you need a touch of weather helm, but not excessive. 

There have been many many boat designs successfully rigged with sheet-to-tiller self steering, but it's not a "one size fits all," turn-key solution like a tiller pilot would be.  It can require some tweaking and experimentation to get working, and I suspect that is what puts a lot of folks off even trying it.

[CharlieJ]

Well, since I have and use both sheet to tiller, and a tiller pilot ;D

There have been times in the last years where that tiller pilot was a life saver- single handed motoring across the SC sounds in a dead calm for one example

And offshore, or in large bodies of water like Mississippi Sound, or the Chesapeake, sheet to tiller comes around and quite successfully I might add.

Smollet is correct- it takes playing with the system. You can't just hook it up and watch it sail the boat. Nor can you just DO that with a tiller pilot. Takes a bit of tweaking.

An example of when I used the tiller pilot to really good advantage-

In Louisiana, on the ICW, there's a place called Wax Lake Outlet. One of the few anchorages where I can get in with Tehani's 3'6" draft. The actual anchorage there is off the main channel, and is called Possum Bayou. Two years ago when I came through single hand, the river was ripping, and there was even a decent current into Possum. I had about 60 feet of chain out, and gwas getting under way. No room down current- gets shallow quickly. So- problem- how do you maintain control, while motoring against the current, and hauling anchor?

What I did was engage the tiller pilot, put the engine ahead slow, and then I could haul anchor while my "second" crew motored us straight out into clear water. Took a lot of worry out of that morning. ;)

And an addition- I've posted this link before, but it seems appropriate here again- this is a video of Tehani sailing in Mississippi Sound with sheet to tiller driving

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NokZpCJIuBg

[Captain Smollett]

tiller pilot was a life saver- single handed motoring across the SC sounds in a dead calm for one example

Hence the qualifications given like this one:

Unless doing a lot of straight line motoring...then the game changes.

;D ;D ;)

[CharlieJ]

 ;D ;D
Yep- few things more boring than motoring and hand steering  a sailboat in zero wind and flat water, for hours and hours.

And even more so offshore, cause then there's NOTHING to see but water
;D ;D

[Godot]

I love my tiller pilot. And while it was a hunk of change, it cost way, way less than a kilo-buck. Oddly enough, it really doesn't seem to suck down the electrons as much as I would have expected. Keeping the boat balanced does seem to help. I like a few gadgets anyhow, so a reasonably robust electrical system is part of my game plan, regardless.

Someday I'll get around to playing with sheet to tiller steering. My Bayfield seems to track pretty well most of the time anyhow, and it probably wouldn't take too much tweaking. Perhaps I'm too lazy.

For certain, as a single hander, the tiller pilot is far more convenient for being on a course for a short while, sometimes only ten minutes or so. I don't often get to spend hours on a single point of sail. And, like I said earlier, I'm lazy.

At the risk of repeating myself, I love my tiller pilot.

Oh, and it hasn't broken yet.

[northoceanbeach]

Made it to Friday Harbor.  It's super fun but very tiring since I'm trying to get my routines going.  The first time you do something is the hardest and I have had a lot of firsts these last couple days.

I am feeling right now that a sheet to tiller with a backup auto helm would be ideal.  I installed the s to t but haven't tried it out yet. But going across straight of Juan de Fuca I was able to lash the tiller and hold a course for over twenty minutes in about 12 knots of wind at 45 degrees off so I think the s to t would work for a while at least.

I'm new to this whole battery thing. How do I tell how much juice I have?  I got a rollable 7 amp solar charger and west marine cheap controller.  I think it's working but I don't know how low the battery was in the first place. It stayed hooked up all day across my turtle box. 

I have a switch on my circuit breaker that say battery test and has a bar that is half yellow an half green with a stripe below the green. Does this so me any good or are those voltmeters at the hardware store a better way to keep track.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Sounds like the sheet to tiller thing is worth an explore. and learning to balance the boat is never time wasted, even if you fit a tiller pilot the less work it does the less electric it will eat. What you will likely find is that sea state affects how well / long the boat stays balanced / on course - if she is constantly getting punched on the nose or kicked up the arse then that likely to affect things. The best approach is often to acquire the basic knowledge puzzle and try things out for self.

I must confess am not very aufait on the electrickery front!, but my gut says a 7 amp solar charger (panel?) is very small - that may only be good for keeping a battery topped up rather than replacing any great draw. But as you say, yer need something to tell you where the battery is at (and ideally also what is going in and coming out). The good news is that you seem to be aksing the right questions, just need someone more knowledgable than me to answer!

I would Google up some info on what a tiller pilot sucks out and go from there on whether worthwhile to fit / whether you will need a bigger solar panel and if so whether that will fit into your current set up / the controller (I appreciate always easier to spend other people's money! - but you seem to be nearly there on having a useful amount of electric on tap).....I dunno what your long term plans are for the boat, but if you keep one eye on the future when buying can have stuff that does not need to be sold with this boat, could be put onto the next boat or simply sent (returned?) to E-bay.

[Captain Smollett]

7 amp panel is pretty big...over 100 Watts...probably not a grab at the store and go sailing install.  If he means 7 watts, that is only good for replacing self-discharge of the battery, not for doing real work.