Auto-pilot options?
- Thread starter Bonzai
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There are plenty of great AP's out there, but I would steer (pun?) clear of Raymarine. I've never had poorer service, nor support from any company.
I do believe you do get what you pay for with AP's, so consider spending a bit more for the best.
If you are going cruising a wind vane may be a better option.
I do believe you do get what you pay for with AP's, so consider spending a bit more for the best.
If you are going cruising a wind vane may be a better option.
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Raymarine
I have a Raymarine AP, the last version before the X-5, which has the gyro it. While it is acceptable, I would not buy another Raymarine product. I have been very happy with my Garmin instruments, and would certainly investigate their product. There are others available, but the Garmin/Raymarine are probably the two most common, and easier to get service almost anywhere.
I have a Raymarine AP, the last version before the X-5, which has the gyro it. While it is acceptable, I would not buy another Raymarine product. I have been very happy with my Garmin instruments, and would certainly investigate their product. There are others available, but the Garmin/Raymarine are probably the two most common, and easier to get service almost anywhere.
To me, "reliability" is the first, 2nd, and third qualification for an autopilot.
I like controls that have Left 10 degree, right 10 degree buttons at the control (most but not all do). To avoid a lobster trap while on autopilot, I simply hit left 10 once, wait a few seconds and then hit right 10 once and am back on course. Very hard to mess up.
Be sure to install a "rate compass" or it won't steer well in tough seas. If you want to get fancy consider something like this Airmar (watch the video) http://www.panbo.com/archives/2009/02/airmar_h2183_compass_best_in_class.html
I've never had an autopilot do particularly well steering to a wind direction instead of compass although they have the capability. If you wind sensor swings at all in a seaway the autopilot computer is challenged.
Simrad has a long history of robust autopilots - not just pleasure but commercial. I've had an AP42 for five years without a moment of trouble. The AP24 control looks old fashioned - but I really don't need fancy graphics for my autopilot. They are now part of Navico. Hopefully this doesn't reduce quality.
Garmin is newer in sailboat autopilots and also has a reputation for reliability. If you had a Garmin chartplotters this would seem worth a hard look.
I like controls that have Left 10 degree, right 10 degree buttons at the control (most but not all do). To avoid a lobster trap while on autopilot, I simply hit left 10 once, wait a few seconds and then hit right 10 once and am back on course. Very hard to mess up.
Be sure to install a "rate compass" or it won't steer well in tough seas. If you want to get fancy consider something like this Airmar (watch the video) http://www.panbo.com/archives/2009/02/airmar_h2183_compass_best_in_class.html
I've never had an autopilot do particularly well steering to a wind direction instead of compass although they have the capability. If you wind sensor swings at all in a seaway the autopilot computer is challenged.
Simrad has a long history of robust autopilots - not just pleasure but commercial. I've had an AP42 for five years without a moment of trouble. The AP24 control looks old fashioned - but I really don't need fancy graphics for my autopilot. They are now part of Navico. Hopefully this doesn't reduce quality.
Garmin is newer in sailboat autopilots and also has a reputation for reliability. If you had a Garmin chartplotters this would seem worth a hard look.
Just to give another viewpoint, I have the Raymarine X-5 autopilot on my 2009 Hunter 27 for the past five years. I sail (and motor) almost entirely in upper Puget Sound and the San Juan islands (WA) in relatively mild waters and winds. However, I have had other autopilots in the past starting with the TillerMaster.
The X-5 has done the job for me since it was installed but it has been used mostly under power. When the wind blows I like to sail and feel the boat. The biggest need for my autopilot is when I move from my summer slip to my winter slip, a five hour trip from Friday Harbor to Bellingham.....mostly a motor trip to get somewhere.
I will admit i have not set the autopilot to work off my waypoints. I just aim the bow and hit auto. But like another one on this list--I do like the plus and minus 10 degrees to miss crab pots.
The X-5 has done the job for me since it was installed but it has been used mostly under power. When the wind blows I like to sail and feel the boat. The biggest need for my autopilot is when I move from my summer slip to my winter slip, a five hour trip from Friday Harbor to Bellingham.....mostly a motor trip to get somewhere.
I will admit i have not set the autopilot to work off my waypoints. I just aim the bow and hit auto. But like another one on this list--I do like the plus and minus 10 degrees to miss crab pots.
First as others have said, do not cut corners on an autopilot.
I singlehand a lot on the Chesapeake Bay and have an older below deck Raymarine system with GYRO and remote. The unit is networked with all the instruments including the chart plotter. Both the remote and control head allow you to make both 1 degree & 10 degree course corrections as well perform "auto tack" (an important feature when singlehanding in close quarters) with a single motion. It handles any condition I have encountered on the Chesapeake both in “wind vane” and heading mode on all points of sail.
While I have had great service from Raymarine, I have read more than one post saying just the opposite… If I were given the chance to do it all over again, I would do the same thing.
At the time I installed the below deck unit on our boat, a wheel pilot was simply not an option. At 18,000 lbs every manufacturer B&G, Garmin, Raymarine, etc. told me not to waste my money on a wheel pilot as I would not be happy. Oh by the way at that time wheel pilots were well under $1,000 and the below deck unit came in at just over $4,000 plus my labor….. So there is a significant difference in the price of the unit and installation.
Below is a link describing the unit and installation of the system on Sea Dragon.
http://www.sailingseadragon.com/AutoPilot.htm
A few years after the initial installation I added an S100 remote to the system… Also a great investment.
And for fun below is a link to a 40 minute (shrunk to 2 ½ minutes of video) sail under “wind vane” mode in 15 knot winds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmVbDDYTdYI&feature=youtu.be
I hope this helps,
Garner
I singlehand a lot on the Chesapeake Bay and have an older below deck Raymarine system with GYRO and remote. The unit is networked with all the instruments including the chart plotter. Both the remote and control head allow you to make both 1 degree & 10 degree course corrections as well perform "auto tack" (an important feature when singlehanding in close quarters) with a single motion. It handles any condition I have encountered on the Chesapeake both in “wind vane” and heading mode on all points of sail.
While I have had great service from Raymarine, I have read more than one post saying just the opposite… If I were given the chance to do it all over again, I would do the same thing.
At the time I installed the below deck unit on our boat, a wheel pilot was simply not an option. At 18,000 lbs every manufacturer B&G, Garmin, Raymarine, etc. told me not to waste my money on a wheel pilot as I would not be happy. Oh by the way at that time wheel pilots were well under $1,000 and the below deck unit came in at just over $4,000 plus my labor….. So there is a significant difference in the price of the unit and installation.
Below is a link describing the unit and installation of the system on Sea Dragon.
http://www.sailingseadragon.com/AutoPilot.htm
A few years after the initial installation I added an S100 remote to the system… Also a great investment.
And for fun below is a link to a 40 minute (shrunk to 2 ½ minutes of video) sail under “wind vane” mode in 15 knot winds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmVbDDYTdYI&feature=youtu.be
I hope this helps,
Garner
I have an old alpha marine system, below deck unit. Thing had a few bugs when I first bought boat but I sent unit back to company to be fully checked and cleaned. I reinstalled and love the performance. 5 years with no problems......
Don't see many of these and never had an auto pilot before so I can't make a comparison to other units on the market.
Don't see many of these and never had an auto pilot before so I can't make a comparison to other units on the market.
My plotter is a Garmin, so I am looking into the Garmin GHP AP. It's a below deck unit and I have had pretty good experience with Garmin customer service anytime I needed them. I also have an Aries windvane I plan to repair and install as a back-up when I get to the point of longer passages solo. Thanks guys for all the input, it was very helpful.
I installed a Garmin GHP 12 in 2012 with my existing Simrad below deck drive unit. I am very happy with the performance of the Garmin AP. It is connected to my chart plotter(3206) via NMEA 0183 but that will get replaced in 2014 with a NMEA 2000 unit. Probably the new 820.
I installed a Raymarine S1 on a previous boat and it worked well but not as well as the Garmin.
I installed a Raymarine S1 on a previous boat and it worked well but not as well as the Garmin.
I installed a Garmin this year and bought the wireless remote as well. Both worked well over the summer. Since you have hydraulic steering, the Garmin unit has a cool feature that allows you to take over the wheel without disabling the course, once you steer back on course it re-enables automatically. A cool feature I wish I could utilize but I don't have hydraulic steering. I installed it myself, and it was pretty easy. I did buy extra cable as what comes with it is pretty short.
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