Autohelms

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El and Bill

New member
Wow, our one-liner on the chips subject stirred up a typhoon. Let's try a one-liner on this subject, and see if the sea stirs.

Thesis: Except for fishing at trolling speeds, an autohelm on a small (relatively high speed) cruising boat is an expensive hazard.
 
This topic should get some attention considering the significant investment perhaps half of our brethren have made on Auto Pilots.

I agree that the units are expensive and can pose a significant hazard but, I believe this is a "Stupid is as Stupid does" kind of thing.

Based on one seasons use, I've found my unit to be extremely helpful for trolling as you mentioned and slower travel in fog, low or no light conditions. By slow travel I mean 12 knots or less. I try to make a habit of positioning my hand directly above the standby button to allow for a quick disconnect should it be necessary to rapidly alter course. It is wise to not allow occasional drivers to utilize the device. It is also wise to inform all on board how to turn the device off should something happen to the skipper.

Just my two bits. Tim
 
I fish and boat a lot by myself and am very comfortable using the autopilot up to about 6 mph.
Navigating in fog used to terrify me, I just refused to do it. But since I got my integrated Raymarine electronics with autopilot and gps/radar overlay it's a piece of cake to go in the fog. I don't need to touch the steering wheel, just change course on the autopilot, it's very accurate.
It's very handy to set the autopilot, cook, eat your lunch at the dinette. Walk out on the cockpit and put your fishing rods out, fight and land your fish. Go to the head. You just have to keep one eye ahead of the boat for debris.
 
I'd rather not leave home without it. It's like having a very competent helmsman aboard, and allows me to be much safer in virtually all conditions. At normal cruise I can watch for logs and other hazards without worrying about hold course -- the pilot will make an emergency turn far quicker than I can once it's told to do so.

In fog or restricted visibility it will steer a steady course while I evaluate the targets on the radar, and my radar will give me the course, speed, and closest point of approach of those targets that concern me. It is particularly valuable in low visibility when you are watching for close-aboard contacts that loom out of the fog. Very important safety factor.

When fishing it will hold a steady course while I work with the downriggers, land a fish, rebait -- whatever.

All the above means you MUST be alert at all times. To me, it's just another great tool aboard the boat, like electronic charts, GPS, Radar, BUT the skipper is still where the buck stops.

The old pontificator!

Dusty
 
Target on Dusty! It also helps when you are on board alone and can't just say...Hey Darlin, bring me another one of those...or move that over just a bit... and, while tracking on radar at night.....allows another hand for a powerful spot light to search for buoys, drift, etc.... I like it and often use it sitting right at the helm.... sort of helps with the "can't see the forest for the trees" syndrome... an aid to the pilot...not a replacement for. ,,
Now, if you have never been on a TomCat, let down the dinette table into a bed, put a big-ol fat down comforter on it, made a big ol horseshoe from fat ol pillows resting back on the back cabin wall, set a course with some points on the auto pilot, one motor just in forward, breakfast tray in your lap ...of course with auto pilot remote control beside your coffee mug, a plate full of steak-n-eggs, garlic cheese grits (southern thing), nice buttered toast, coffee in your hand,,, head east into the sunrise as the steam rises off the water, or west into the sunset as it melts into the water horizon.... You have not experienced life on a TomCat with autopilot, a few waypoints, nice large radar.... Wow... Guess where I am headed for sunrise in the morning....after of course stoping by the Steak Shop for some nice fresh cuts.

Bill: You know how me and buoys get along...
 
Please forgive me all.... :oops: :oops: I forgot to tell you to drop Patsy Cline "Crazy" into the CD..... and for the sunset...substitute your favorite "sundowner" :beer :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
 
.....LOL.....
you almost had me convinced till your last post about that country music..then you went and spoiled it all.......
 
So -- do I judge that the consensus of the group is that autopilots are a good tool and a safety factor on C-Dorys, under almost all conditions and especially in fog? They relieve the skipper from fatigue at the helm. And, they are used to free eyes to check chartplotters and radar, and to free hands to do calculations while the autohelm holds a steady course. They are also used when its time to fix meals (or garlic cheese grits? -- is that a meal, Pat?), use the head, or work in the cockpit on fishing gear.
 
An A/P was the last item (...it seemed somewhat over-the-top equipmentwise) we had installed on Naknek. Were I to do it again, it would be much higher on the equipment list.

While there are a number of circumstances where I think an A/P may be inappropriate, even unsafe, (rough conditions, heavy debris/crabfloats, crowded waters, etc) there are certainly countless sitations where it has proven to be very handy.

Just like in an airplane a (2-axis or 3-axis) A/P can Greatly relieve the cockpit work-load and the demands associated with flying, navigating, communications, engine performance, etc. Having said that - would I leave the left-seat (or helm...) even if "nature" called? No Way. (In the case of a left-seat-nature-call, they make some spiffy little bottles if you don't have a copilot!) ...with the C-Dory it's even easier; I can just shift into neutral (...don't do that in a airplane. Please!) and attend to Nature.

In certain challenging conditions (ie. long distances, IFR/night/fog) an A/P can likely do a better job than hand-flying! Likewise with boating. Does that relieve the Captain of being instantly available (AT THE HELM), and on-top-of the current situation and conditions? NO.

Much like flying, safe boating requires Judgement. Our fun-toys (A/P, radar, GPS, etc, etc) are incapable of exercising Judgement, so WE need to decide when to use them - and when to leave 'em in the Toy Box.

Respectfully,
Casey
C-Dory Naknek
 
Truly consistent with The Details - the Spartan esthetic! The Spartan esthetic is certainly a valid choice, as you have amply demonstrated.

It appears that everyone who has responded has felt an autopilot is a safety feature not a hazard. I certainly had viewed it as an invitation to a shipwreck - I for one would NEVER leave the boat to the autopilot without human eyes scanning ahead, even for short periods, no matter what - I know of no place where you cannot encounter a log or other debris, and the autopilot can't help you there. But I am possibly getting convinced about the holding a course in the fog part and some of the other benefits...


El and Bill":1hqiu0qf said:
Thesis: Except for fishing at trolling speeds, an autohelm on a small (relatively high speed) cruising boat is an expensive hazard.
Click to expand...
 
Bill,

Never a concesus!!!

The autopilot is a tool, just like all the other expensive gadgets we have. If you happen to be looking at an electronic chart and hit a log -- ain't the chart that buys the prop or repairs the glass. You da man, skipper. Some commercial fishing skippers that I know turn on the pilot, set the alarm clock, and sack out. :disgust

A good autopilot in rough weather is a much better helmsman than I am. In rough weather in manual mode I'm hawking the compass, trying my best to stay within a few degrees of the desired heading. If lucky, maybe within 5 or 10 degrees. Sometimes I get a chance to glance ahead to see what's in the water. The autopilot, which is easily adjusted for sea conditions, will hold a much better heading and let me keep a constant scan (360 degrees) which makes for a safer crossing. To avoid a log or other hazard, at the push of a button the autopilot will turn much quicker than I am able to turn manually. That little pump puts out (shucks, I dunno, maybe 1500 pounds) lots of pressure and responds immediately. And it can be disengaged immediately.

I use the pilot in as much as 25-30+ knots of wind and wind-driven chop and swell. Of course if it gets real stinky I'm gonna take over, but Love that little guy.

To go fish with Jon and Cynthia I have ONE course change in 45 nautical miles. I can either fight the helm in the usual 15-20 knot headwind and sea for 2 or 3 hours, or turn on the pilot, relax, watch for logs and drift, and have a cuppa with the CD player making funny noise.

Airplanes are different. BTDT for a lifetime.

Bill, I'm biased, I know, because the autopilot has been my friend for so long. Trips from Seattle to Juneau in the Lamplighter with fog so thick you could rarely see the bow for 1000 NM -- and charter party waiting so you gotta make time. Love the C-Dory days mo betta.

Hugs to the pretty copilot,

Dusty
 
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