Auto Pilot
Hello, My 22 centerboard had a auot pilot on it when I purchased it several years ago. It was a old model, with a motor driving a worm gear that attached to the tiller. The fixed end of the tiller controller was attached to a grommet in the cockpit coaming. The tiller has a little stud in it that received the free end of the tiller controller. This tiller controller is available new thru many sources and is not too hard to install. The controller is steered by a flux gate compass (I think) that mounted on the cabin bulkhead. The power supply was a 12 volt plug mounted on the bulkhead circuited to a breaker inside. The flux gate compass needed to have it's "north" determined by the skipper, and remote steering was possible by dialing the compass' 360 degree card on top one way and the other to change the boat's course without touching the tiller directly. Since I single hand most of the time, it seemed a good thing when I had to go forward to set the sails while motoring away or while under sail. But with a centerboard small sloop, the compass could not deal with the variations in heading from the winds and waves, and kept steering the boat into irons. Unless under power in a calm sea, it was not useful. It finally failed on me and kept the boat boxing the compass, so to avoid being accused of BWI, I disconnected it and have not used it since. Who knows, if the money is there, perhaps a new AutoHelm tiller autopilot will find it's way into my Christmas stocking. Good Sailing!
