What's the real value of an autopilot on a sailboat?

FastOlson · Apr 23, 2023

Noticed your Cool emblem for your site picture. Have not seen that for a while. I was not a member of that elite club, being stationed offshore but never "in country".

Anyhow, adding a basic tiller pilot to our prior 26 foot sailboat was one of the best upgrades ever. Present boat is on its second AP. We do spend a lot of time under motor, tho, being on a river with shifty or no winds. Plus plentiful commercial traffic and lots of crab pot when going offshore.
I have never felt a need to network it at all. It's vital when single handing, and if you have non sailing or not very interested guests or family with you, you are mostly "single handing" anyway.

'Temporary hands', indeed, and wonderful to have!
(just my .02 worth)

Davidasailor26 · Apr 23, 2023

I don’t do long distance cruising, so I can’t speak to its usefulness from that standpoint. For daysailing I agree it’s pretty much just a temporary set of hands, but very valuable for that. I use it quite frequently whenever I need to briefly step away from the helm, either when singlehanding or even with crew, since it’s just easier to hit the Auto button than make someone else move around. It’s most valuable when I’m motoring to get someplace. I’m usually happy to steer when sailing and the sails are balancing the boat anyway, but steering under motor is just monotonous.

I don’t use the wind function much, but mostly because I find it just doesn’t work that well. If I’m enjoying a sail it’s more fun and faster to steer myself. Probably 90% of my use is on simple heading-hold, and 10% is on navigate-to-course following a wide channel or path around the bay.

arf145 · Apr 23, 2023

I think you have the main advantages down, but the temporary hands at the helm is, to me, a very big deal, especially, as you said when singlehanding, which I do a lot. And there's enough flukiness (not sure it's a word!) in the winds in parts of the Chesapeake Bay that both the angle to the wind feature and just allowing me to mess with the sail trim while keeping a heading are very helpful. And I'll say-- and might get burned for this--but sometimes I sail with a friend and it's more of a social occasion than all about sailing. So the autopilot lets us keep a watch and socialize without steering.

dlochner · Apr 23, 2023

The AP serves as another crew member who doesn't complain much and does not touch the beer supply.

On short sails or when just sailing for the fun of sailing, an AP is nice to have and allows the helmsman to take a break to trim a sail, get drink or whatever.

When sailing in order to get somewhere and for longer passages the AP makes the trip much less stressful and tiring. A rested crew is important in case something should go awry. An AP with a remote is really handy if there are lobster or crab pots around as the helmsman can position himself to see the obstacles more clearly and avoid them. Also, when it is cold the remote sits in a warm pocket along with the hand that controls it.

The "steer to wind" is a great feature when it is gusty or shifty, it makes for a more comfortable ride and places less strain on the AP and boat. In these conditions under the steer to a waypoint or heading function the AP will try to maintain the heading causing the boat to round up with the helm locking hard over.

Ralph Johnstone · Apr 23, 2023

We have long straight runs up and down the West Coast and very few of them with any wind. It's mostly motoring in summer here. That means the chartplotter is set for the next waypoint and manually adjusting the autopilot ± a degree or two every so often to maintain a zero cross track error.

I've never bothered to network the autopilot and chartplotter to make like power boaters who, every summer manage to go below for martinis and plow into rocks, islands, bridges, buoys, beacons, and other boats both moving and anchored. Every minute we're under way there's a watch on the helm. Without that, it's like driving a car while catching a cat nap.

When the wind does come up as it rarely does, I'd never allow the AP to have all the fun. It's hands on when there's wind and we all fight for a chance to partake it's such a rarity.

dlochner · Apr 23, 2023

Ralph Johnstone said:
I've never bothered to network the autopilot and chartplotter to make like power boaters who, every summer manage to go below for martinis and plow into rocks, islands, bridges, buoys, beacons, and other boats both moving and anchored. Every minute we're under way there's a watch on the helm. Without that, it's like driving a car while catching a cat nap.

Probably one of the worst features of an AP is the follow a route. This will cause the boat to turn when it gets to a way point to steer to the next waypoint. The boat can turn without much notice which can cause havoc down below. It can also turn into an obstruction like another boat, the buoy, or a floating log. Too much automation ain't good.

Kings Gambit · Apr 23, 2023

We always maintain a watch when on AP. Have never used the automatic route function.

capta · Apr 23, 2023

To me an autopilot or vane gear is another crew member that doesn't need sleep, will do exactly as asked, and do it well, and doesn't need food nor a drink.

jviss · Apr 23, 2023

I think the answer to the title question, "What's the real value of an autopilot on a sailboat?" is that it depends.

I know guys who've sailed to Bermuda from Massachusetts single-handed, and the autopilot kept them on track as they caught some sleep. At the other extreme, just reaching along on a summer day and enjoying one's company and the sunshine in the cockpit is a good use, too.

For me, sailing solo, it is very valuable when hoisting sails and doing other tasks that require on to leave the cockpit. Or if one is navigating or checking something with the binoculars it will keep the boat going on the desired heading or course.

Mine's pretty good, can steer to a heading or a course, the latter compensating for leeway and drift, etc. It can also steer to an apparent wind setting.

I wouldn't want to do without it at this point.

jssailem · Apr 23, 2023

We all look at sailing from our own perspective.

When single handed or sailing with others who do not understand sailing (essentially single handed) the autopilot is a tool to steer the boat on a set bearing for a period of time. This resource can allow me to raise/trim sails, take a leak, grab something from the cabin, pick up the fenders, or just sit back and enjoy the water around me. It never relieves me of the keeping watch requirement... Look out for Crab Pots, logs floating, flotsam debris, other boats, rocks etc.

For those reasons I do not use the chartplotter connected function of the tool. It has hands down been a great addition to my boat. I have cruised for up to 10 hours at a time navigating a variety of waters and passages without getting tired. If I had needed to be at the helm the entire time I would have not been sharp enough to manage the docking procedures at the end of such a cruise day.

Do you need it to navigate for 30 minutes out/in to a marina for a day sail. An AP is likely not necessary.

If you're going to need to be alert at the helm for more than 3 hours I would say it is an absolute necessity.

Siamese · Apr 23, 2023

I have mine programmed to dock my boat.

Hollyberry · Apr 23, 2023

We primarily double-hand. Steering a boat under sail is something I (and many others) love to do. However we do find the AP handy and routinely use it when setting and dousing the mainsail, we use the 'tack/gybe' function when flying a spinnaker so we can tend the pole and sheets/guys as the AP adjusts the heading. And on a long windless passage (as Ralph J alluded to) it holds a course, but again, often I'd just as soon drive.
Historically our Raymarine AP on the last boat wouldn't handle the boat with any sort of seaway or sailing loads, the Simrad wheel pilot that came with this boats seems to be able to do a better job under sail - but it's twitchy even at the lowest gain setting....

We use it routinely but not typically constantly...

Tally Ho · Apr 23, 2023

I have had an AP on both of my boats….and you realize how much you miss and rely on it when it isn’t working

I single-hand an O’Day 322 and I find the AP really handy for:
1) taking a break at the helm for many things, including getting beer, relieving a beer, making something to eat, dealing with any number of issues that may arise when under sail, checking the engine, stuffing box, and other items when under power, setting my spinnaker, taking photos or movies, and lots of other things….

2) I always use my AP set to hold wind angle when I am raising or dropping my main sail…keeping the boat pointed into the wind.

3) sometimes I just want to read, or do some work on the boat while sailing….or play my guitar, or whatever…and the AP is really handy.

I do not really use the routing feature, and I am always close to the helm. But I do appreciate all of the hands free sailing I can do with an AP.

I once lost my anchor off the bow roller in a nasty winds, big sea sail... as I realized what happened I thought, how in the heck am I going to get the anchor back on deck in these seas? Luckily, my AP was able to hold the boat on coarse while I ran (more like crawled) up to the bow and dragged the anchor back up on deck….no idea what I would have done with out AP there by my side.

Greg

Head Sail · Apr 23, 2023

Ralph Johnstone said:
When the wind does come up as it rarely does, I'd never allow the AP to have all the fun. It's hands on when there's wind and we all fight for a chance to partake it's such a rarity.

PNW weather could be pretty stormy in the spring, when it starts blowing, nice to have the cabin to jump into while the AP runs a straight course. AP compensates for strong currnets too. Sometimes it'll make corretions that seem odd but the track is right on.

dlochner · Apr 23, 2023

Tally Ho said:
Luckily, my AP was hold the boat on coarse while I ran (more like crawled) up to the bow and dragged the anchor back up on deck….no idea what I would have done with out AP there by my side.

Sailed merrily along until the bottom came up and set the anchor for you. At which point the boat would have done a quick 180 pitching you and your beer overboard. It would be an easy swim back to the boat.

Tally Ho · Apr 23, 2023

dlochner said:
Sailed merrily along until the bottom came up and set the anchor for you. At which point the boat would have done a quick 180 pitching you and your beer overboard. It would be an easy swim back to the boat.

I kept thinking that if the anchor grabbed the bottom, something crazy was going to happen. I was in about 50 feet of what or so, and the chain/rope splice caught on the roller as the chain was spilling out…

My heart was pounding as I made my way back to the cockpit, anchor fairly stowed away, and I was back in control.

Could have had a much different outcome I think.

Greg

jviss · Apr 23, 2023

Tally Ho said:
I kept thinking that if the anchor grabbed the bottom, something crazy was going to happen. I was in about 50 feet of what or so, and the chain/rope splice caught on the roller as the chain was spilling out…

My heart was pounding as I made my way back to the cockpit, anchor fairly stowed away, and I was back in control.

Could have had a much different outcome I think.

Greg

I'm paranoid about that sort of thing. My anchor is pinned to the roller with a fastpin, and I also always tie a short line from the anchor shackle to the bow pulpit leg.

dlochner · Apr 23, 2023

Tally Ho said:
I kept thinking that if the anchor grabbed the bottom, something crazy was going to happen. I was in about 50 feet of what or so, and the chain/rope splice caught on the roller as the chain was spilling out…

My heart was pounding as I made my way back to the cockpit, anchor fairly stowed away, and I was back in control.

Could have had a much different outcome I think.

Greg

My now retired Doc had that happen to him. Sailing along in brisk breeze, the anchor went over and he didn't notice it until he sailed closer to shore. Then he had to raise it in 20 kits and 4-5' seas. He shared the story as part of his health and wellness program to keep his patients healthy.

I had an anchor partially fall off motoring to weather in the St Lawrence river. Wind was on the nose at about 20 or so, seas were running about 4' and a large freighter was headed our way. Fortunately the water was quite warm as I got drenched sitting on the bow retrieving the anchor. I improved our anchor securing procedures. Again, fortunately, the gelcoat dings are not that noticeable, I hope to make them less noticeable this spring.

What's the real value of an autopilot on a sailboat?

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SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

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