Autopilot

[Rock-C]

On to the next project. I have big cruising plans this summer and autopilot would make life easier. I have searched the archives and found lots of discussion on Garmin, Raymarine, even TR1. Very little on Intellisteer. Has anyone had experience or an opinion on this model? I have Bay Star hydraulics and this unit should adapt well. I don't need or want route planning or waypoints. I'm looking for a unit that will hold a set course. Thanks.

 

[Ron on Meander]

As far as I know intellisteer is not an auto pilot. It is remote steering for a kicker only. At least it was when I last checked them out.
Cheers
Ron

 

[South of Heaven]

RockC: Well, to hold a set course you I think you'll have to have the AP "talk" to the chartplotter. Unless you mean just pointing the bow where you want to go and then setting the AP to hold that position.

That's what my AP does (Raymarine ST6000 ?). It is a stand alone unit. The previous owner of my boat did not have it networked to any of the chartplotters. It just has a display and I can set a heading. It's good for going straight but ideally it should be networked to a GPS.

I find it very handy if I'm running parallel to the coast and I know that I have a long stretch in a pretty much straight heading. Then I can set the AP and run hands free for like 10 or 15 nm's. Obviously I'm still on watch though! Looking for other boats, buoys, lobster traps, etc.

The way my boat's current AP is setup is sufficient for now but probably next year I'll consider upgrading the entire system. Ideally I should be able to set a course via a chartplotter, not just HOLD my heading!

 

[Gene Morris]

You might want to check out Simrad also. I have an old AP16, before the computer went out it held a course pretty good and was networked with my plotter. The advantage that made me choose Simrad was the virtual feed back feature which made the install less complicated and less hardware to purchase. I don't know if the others have a Virtual feedback available now but, it's worth looking into. A friend with a TC255 has the Garmin and has considerable problems with it but, when it did work was as good as advertised.

Gene

 

[thataway]

Intellisteer is basically an electrical remove steering system--can be hydraulic, accentuator or cable helm driven--not really an auto pilot. There is no compass or GPS interface--so it just "steers" the boat as you direct it to. Most auto pilots will function with right and left steering.

I have always used auto pilots to steer a plotted compass course--sort of old fashion--but it makes you look at the chart (paper or electronic), and then be certain that there are no hazards.

If you have modern electronics there are good reasons to interface your electronics with the autopilot, often just with a NMEA 2000 connector.

 

[robhwa]

If you are just moving from place-to-place at moderate to high speed the regular autopilots are great, you'll never want to go back. I agree that most of the time you will take a compass heading and stay with it until you change course, and you should always be watching. If you can't, stop the boat temporarily. I haven't used plotting a course on a chartplotter much though my Garmin will do this.

If you want to troll, (i.e. steer, plot a course, or take a magnetic heading), but very slow, say <2knots, you'll find the typical autopilots won't normally do this, and the ones that do can be incredibly annoying as they move left, right, left, right, and make a lot of noise as they pump large amounts of hydraulic fluid trying to keep a light, flat-bottomed boat with a large "sail").

In most cases, the basic autopilots won't work at all at low speed unless you are going downwind. The problem isn't with the autopilot, it is lack of "steerage" at low speed into and across a wind with a boat (light dory with a high cabin) that doesn't point well. Since my passion is fishing, I've mounted an electric trolling motor on the front of my CD22...54 inch shaft works under most conditions where I would troll and fits nicely onto the bow of the CD22. It is also quiet and fumeless. The saltwater model (Minn kota Terrova 80) I just got to replace my previous freshwater model (not a good idea in saltwater) has an "anchor" mode which will keep the CD22 in the same spot. It seems to work great, particularly when there is just a little wind or just a little tide so it stays pointed in the same direction. I'm sure there are winds and tides that it can't keep up with, since it will only move the boat about 2 knots. I wonder why I don't see more of these on Puget Sound boats that want to fish.

 

[SEA3PO]

I have several autopilots on my boats and my major heart burn is with Raymarine...not the product but all the extra's you have to pay a fortune to make the darn thing work properly....$149 for a 6' connecting cable is crazy...just look at any marine catalog and you will be amazed..and nothing else works..so you have to buy the extra's..

What I am talking about is the darn SeaTalk (tm) connectors..

Joel
SEA3PO

 

[hardee]

If you are just moving from place-to-place at moderate to high speed the regular autopilots are great, you'll never want to go back. ....*

In most cases, the basic autopilots won't work at all at low speed unless you are going downwind. The problem isn't with the autopilot, it is lack of "steerage" at low speed into and across a wind with a boat (light dory with a high cabin) that doesn't point well.... (Stuff clipped.)

Yes, there may be a learning curve, but I have used my RayMarine AP in slow speeds, even to hold the boat stationary in a wind /wave situation for 15 to 20 minutes. Mostly I use AP on a "Go this Direction" mode, but it does multiple waypoints well. It is ghe newer RM, and if I recall right, it is EV 100. I use it mostly in my slow cruising, and I love it.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[ssobol]

IMO, I don't really see the worth of autopilots on small boats. I don't have one, but even with the autopilot on, you'd have to sit there and watch for floating obstacles and other boats, so you might as well steer while you're at it. If I need to momentarily do something else, I can just let go of the steering wheel and step away. In a C-Dory you are rarely out of reach of the helm if you are inside the cabin. I get nervous quite quickly if the boat is moving and I am not actively watching what is going on outside the boat, especially at planing speed.

If I get tired of sitting, I stand in the middle (behind the v-berth entry) and steer from that position.

 

[South of Heaven]

IMO, I don't really see the worth of autopilots on small boats. I don't have one, but even with the autopilot on, you'd have to sit there and watch for floating obstacles and other boats, so you might as well steer while you're at it. If I need to momentarily do something else, I can just let go of the steering wheel and step away. In a C-Dory you are rarely out of reach of the helm if you are inside the cabin. I get nervous quite quickly if the boat is moving and I am not actively watching what is going on outside the boat, especially at planing speed.

If I get tired of sitting, I stand in the middle (behind the v-berth entry) and steer from that position.

Once you have one, you'll never wanna go back to NOT having one. Pretty amazing tool for captains of any size boat.

 

[South of Heaven]

IMO, I don't really see the worth of autopilots on small boats. I don't have one, but even with the autopilot on, you'd have to sit there and watch for floating obstacles and other boats, so you might as well steer while you're at it. If I need to momentarily do something else, I can just let go of the steering wheel and step away. In a C-Dory you are rarely out of reach of the helm if you are inside the cabin. I get nervous quite quickly if the boat is moving and I am not actively watching what is going on outside the boat, especially at planing speed.

If I get tired of sitting, I stand in the middle (behind the v-berth entry) and steer from that position.

Once you have one, you'll never wanna go back to NOT having one. Pretty amazing tool for captains of any size boat.

 

[jkidd]

Have to agree with that 100 percent no more crazy Ivans.

 

[thataway]

Once you have one, you'll never wanna go back to NOT having one

I think that depends on where you boat and what kind of boating you do. I had auto pilots on almost every one of my sailboats, where we rarely went more than 7 knots, and mostly voyaged in open oceans. In the C Dorys an other small power boats I have never had an auto pilot, or really felt the need for one. The reason was that mostly I was boating on ICW, Rivers, and in crowded areas. There are too many turns, traffic and obstructions to use the auto pilot. (My next boat may have an autopilot, because it already has one--I would not take it out). If you are going on long stretches of water, with little traffic or debris--then the auto pilot makes a lot of sense. For example in the PNW going from Sequim to the San Juans--makes sense. From Anacortes, to Friday harbor, probably not as important.

A friend of mine is "delivering" his "new to him" 56 foot motor yacht from Little Rock AK to Pickwick (Down Arkansas, up the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee rivers) as I type this message. He has not used the auto pilot because of the traffic/and debris. The yacht only burns 50 gallons of diesel an hour! Something like .37 miles per gallon.

 

[rogerbum]

IMO, I don't really see the worth of autopilots on small boats. I don't have one, but even with the autopilot on, you'd have to sit there and watch for floating obstacles and other boats, so you might as well steer while you're at it. If I need to momentarily do something else, I can just let go of the steering wheel and step away. In a C-Dory you are rarely out of reach of the helm if you are inside the cabin. I get nervous quite quickly if the boat is moving and I am not actively watching what is going on outside the boat, especially at planing speed.

If I get tired of sitting, I stand in the middle (behind the v-berth entry) and steer from that position.

To me the primary benefits of having an autopilot on a small boat are:
1) It will track a course far better than I can, especially in the fog. That saves time and fuel.
2) I free up some energy that would be spent steering and allows me to concentrate more on watching the radar and looking out the window.
3) I can program it to do courses that aid in fishing - e.g. spiral out when I've lost a school of tuna or rock fish or zig-zag (salmon often strike the outside rod on a turn).

 

[smckean (Tosca)]

I would never give up my autopilot. True, one still has to watch too, but it's a whole different ball park when you don't have to also steer nearly every second.

Perhaps I feel so strongly because I single-hand a lot. When single-handing, giving yourself 30 to 60 seconds to secure a line, or pull in a bumper, or whatever is a God-send. I can even do stuff in the cockpit or foredeck for minutes at a time as long as I glance forward (works fine out the front windows) every 30 to 60 seconds.

 

[ssobol]

... When single-handing, giving yourself 30 to 60 seconds to secure a line, or pull in a bumper, or whatever is a God-send. I can even do stuff in the cockpit or foredeck for minutes at a time as long as I glance forward (works fine out the front windows) every 30 to 60 seconds.

I just put the motor in neutral and do whatever I need to do then go back to driving the boat. In this method the watching out is a lot less critical.

 

[Kushtaka]

Things that an AP can accomplish can also be accomplished other ways. The OP is looking for an AP that can hold a heading. Seems as though the thread isn't "do I need an AP" or "are there things I NEED and AP for". Forgive me if I'm off here, but maybe the comments about how you don't need AP are getting in the way of a productive convo about which AP might meet these needs. I am absolutely certain there are an abundance of discussions bouncing around the server discussing the merits of an AP. As someone shopping for AP now, I was happy to see this very useful convo start up, and somewhat disappointed that it got derailed because I think there are still many things that could be discussed.

SUCH AS:

Integration into electronics. I have lowrance electronics. I can purchase a relatively inexpensive unit, but if I have an issues with my MFD, the AP fails. Is it worth the extra $$ to buy a standalone system?

 

[thataway]

Any autopilot that integrates into the MFD should be able to stand alone. Or the other side of that, is that you probably should have two MFD which will function with the auto pilot, radar, sounder etc...if you should loose one. For example my current boat has Garmin displaces which are not networked, but either one will do all I need to be done--Radar, depth, course/speed, chart plotter.

If I buy another slightly larger boat, with an autopilot, and a single MDF, I will buy a second MDF, smaller, which will do all functions. Although redundancy is one goal, the other is to have adequate screen size for each of the 3 crucial displays.

Even if the pilot does not stand alone, most can be configured with a separate compass--fluxgate, gyro, or GPS, which will work--and make it independent. You are going to get more out of the pilot if it integrates with the MFD.

I think that today all of the major brand autopilots are good, (RayMarine, Garmin, Simrad (lowrance, B & G.) Furuno, and there are a few independent--like com Nav, Sitex, Hummingbird, etc. The only one I would not consider is "AutoNav"--and only because I had such a miserable experience and felt that they were dishonest--failed to stand behind product.

 

[Kushtaka]

I do think a redundant MFD is going to be the ultimate goal, but for now, not in the budget. I need AP and Radar first. No sense building redundancy for gear you don't own yet!

 

[hardee]

I do think a redundant MFD is going to be the ultimate goal, but for now, not in the budget. I need AP and Radar first. No sense building redundancy for gear you don't own yet!

JMHO, planning ahead for when you have the full suite, It might be nice if it all works together, and provides redundancy.

Since I single hand 98% of the time, I want all the redundancy I can get.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon