Auto Pilot

[bridma]

Could some one please explain the benefits of auto pilot on a C-Dory.

My thinking is, that if you take your eyes off the water ahead and your hands off the wheel and hit a partially submerged thick branch, or worse still a log, you are going to run straight over the top of it and take your engine(s) out! There is also the hazard of crab/prawn traps to navigate around.

Martin.

 

[chromer]

Personally use mine for great distances where wind and current are present. In the end, it does better job of steering than me.

 

[thataway]

If you are going great distances in a straight line, then an auto pilot is almost an essential. Crossing that Atlantic Ocean, we had an autopilot working full time. In thousands of crossings to Catalina Island we had an auto pilot working full time. Going offshore fishing more than a few miles, we had an auto pilot working full time.

The reason I DON'T have an auto pilot on my C Dories, is that I am boating on the ICW--many boats, many bends and turns. Perdido Bay, where I live, has crab pots, as well as tree trunks. There are unmarked shoals. Lake Powell, is visual navigation, with shoals, and a lot of traffic, plus many canyons have turns and hazards. Even going from Sequim to the San Juans, or to the Broughtons--there are enough hazards, it was not worth having an auto pilot. The C Dory is fast. The Cal 46, was slow-(6 knots), so we had long times when we were on constant courses, and I ran an autopilot...

If you are doing trolling for many hours, get a pilot! Lots of good reasons...But don't make the mistake of using a pilot where there is a risk of hitting another boat, or obstruction...and always stand watch!

 

[Will-C]

I would not own another boat with out an auto pilot. I use the auto pilot mostly at displacement speeds. If I have a straight piece of water in front of me I'll turn it on and then go to standby and take over the wheel if it's required. If you have a quartering sea off the bow or the stern an autopilot can save a lot of stress. You can dedicate your self to watching for debris and other boat traffic etc. Great for low speed work in canals or no wake zones and manatee zones in Florida. Auto pilot is my favorite piloting boat accessory. The auto pilot will steer a straighter course in almost any kind of weather than you can in most any situations.
D.D.

 

[starcrafttom]

Why would you think that the auto pilot allows you to take your eye off the water? What it allows you to do is relax your arms and spend more time looking at the water. In low vis conditions it is great at allowing you to stare in front of you and not at the compass. In long open water it allows the same thing when you can not see your destination and have to keep looking at the compass or chart plotter. I use it to allow me to spend more time looking were I am going not less. And for fishing. You just made a 7 hour run home. a good auto pilot would save you some gas and fatigue.

 

[stevej]

What everyone else has said plus fishing patterns. Get over a school of salmon or tuna and my favorite is to set for 15 minute loops, keeps you on top the fish as the wind and current pushes you into a spiral pattern. Zig zag when on the hunt. Plus You can use the remote control to make course changes while on the deck trolling.
Went many years without and would not be without one now.

stevej

 

[Pat Anderson]

Patty here. I love the auto pilot because in really choppy seas it keeps a straight course and even in calm seas if you don't have an auto pilot you are constantly adjusting the steering, even a little-constantly. Your arms get tired! We have a disconnected wire in the rat's nest of wires behind our helm and our auto pilot is not working (cannot find the bugger). I'm bereft. Miss it so much. HELP!

 

[breausaw]

As soon as I'm around the breakwater I engage my autopilot. Oue 22 we didn't have one, the 25 came with one, and I have to say is the best feature on that boat.

 

[hardee]

Could some one please explain the benefits of auto pilot on a C-Dory.

My thinking is, that if you take your eyes off the water ahead and your hands off the wheel and hit a partially submerged thick branch, or worse still a log, you are going to run straight over the top of it and take your engine(s) out! There is also the hazard of crab/prawn traps to navigate around.

Martin.

Martin, the Auto pilot is probably one of my favorite "accessories" on my boat. it even has a name, "Charlie" as in Let Charlie do it".

As mentioned above, it does not mean you can quit watching where you are going, it allows you to watch better. Often, even in clear weather, when crossing the Juan de Fuca Strait, I cannot see precisely the headland where I am going for the entrance into Cattle Pass. It is 25 miles away. It is easy to drop a cursor point on the screen and tell the AP to take the boat to that point. That will counteract the wandering I would be doing if I was just steering off the compass, AND it counteracts the wandering induce by the ebb or flow of the tidal current that are affecting me broadside. The crossing is typically done between 12 - 15 knots, so I'm often standing, watching through the center window for anything floating in front of my path. One button to push and I have my boat back until I'm ready to turn it over to Charlie again.

When slow cruising, it pays dividends in, again, minimizing the wandering. And in foul weather, foggy, it eliminates going in half circles, the wandering, from lack of visual orientation, and having to stare at the compass, allowing more time for observation of the intended path.

When single handing, it allows me to photograph and know which direction the boat is going. (Generally done at displacement speed.) With a one button push it will keep the boat pointed in the direction it is pointed when I push that button. That will allow me to move from behind the wheel to the passenger seat to photograph out of the port window at times. Done at slow cruise, I can keep an eye to forward and grab a picture from the side window. That is probably how I use it most, but I think the most important use is in the fog, to maintain a steady direction.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

 

[Kushtaka]

When you are single handing the boat, you can use AP to steer while you keep watch and you won't get as tired. You can also do other things on the boat like switch fuel tanks and drain racors or secure items that have come loose, all while underway. Sometimes when it's really rough you have to keep going and AP let's you do that safely.

If AP is being used to substitute for the Captain you need to have a white light over a red light!

 

[hardee]

When you are single handing the boat, you can use AP to steer while you keep watch and you won't get as tired. You can also do other things on the boat like switch fuel tanks and drain racors or secure items that have come loose, all while underway. Sometimes when it's really rough you have to keep going and AP let's you do that safely.

If AP is being used to substitute for the Captain you need to have a white light over a red light!

I have done quite a few other tasks when running slow, deploying fenders etc. but not sure I would do anything I couldn't drop and get out of in a split second, to get back to the wheel.

I have yet to get brave enough to let the AP "Charlie" drive when it gets rough. That is where I want to have full control. And Yes, I may do a bit of wandering in that mode, but I like to pick which trough or wave I run in by looking at them, and Charlie isn't as persnickety. :roll: :lol:

What kind of rough water conditions are you using AP in? I'm curious.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

 

[journey on]

We (Judy and I) have used an autopilot for years and would not be without it. It takes on a low level function (steering a compass course) and allows us to concentrate on piloting. That's a big increase in safety, among other things.

The autopilot allows you to look where you are going, instead of looking at the compass. It's only performing a steering function, not piloting. We used an autopilot to go up the Inside Passage; it enabled us to forget the steering and watch for logs, fishing nets, etc. We used an autopilot to go through the ICW; as twisty as it is a lot of piloting is needed. We not only can check that the area in front of the boat is clear, we can check where we are vs where we want to be by looking at the chartplotter.

One thing we try not to do, is leave the helm un-attended whilst we're on auto; we're there to pilot. let the other person do the extraneous tasks.

Boris

Boris

 

[Kushtaka]

If AP is being used to substitute for the Captain you need to have a white light over a red light!

What kind of rough water conditions are you using AP in? I'm curious.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

I don't have AP on my boat right now, but I want it! Part of the reason I don't have it is because the compass/heading sensor on the unit compatible with my electonics is not the best, and I was concerned about rough water operation. They have since released a better one, and I'm getting close.

I use AP in some of my work boats (very robust setups) and basically run the boat, but don't worry so much about the helm. I can grab the wheel and change course if I need to, or help the AP our with some direction, but I can concentrate on looking ahead.

A few times I've been solo, and had to do something on the boat to keep everything good. Once my fuel tank was getting low and I noticed some water in the bowl of my racor while underway in some fairly big swells. Rather than go to neutral and drift through that while I went aft to switch tanks, I was able to keep the boat going into the weather, run back and make the switch. Another time I came around a point and the world ended (calm everywhere else) and I just wasn't ready. I had things loose, and a mess was being made. I was able to turn on the AP, ask it to keep a heading, then clean up the mess.

All the time, you are keeping at least half or more of your attention on the helm, and on the sea in front, and yes yes yes, ready and able to get back to the helm and take over. But for those couple times when nothing else will do, it's worth the investment.

For regular cruising in open water it just makes the fatigue set on more slowly, and in general, if it's on, I'm at the helm.

 

[Rock-C]

Ok, I'll pipe in. I know Seastar is compatible with AP. But i have the Baystar, & love it. Other then ripping it all out & starting over with Seastar, what can I do to upgrade to AP?

 

[Hunkydory]

I've yet to hear from an experienced C-Brat cruiser who has started using a auto pilot that doesn't think it's a good addition to their boat & on the other hand, all who have thus far mentioned negatives over positives, have not mentioned personnel use experience. For the record we have many miles under the haul of our Hunkydory with & without an auto pilot & think it one the best additions to the boat for safety & upping the enjoyment of cruising factors.

I have Baystar & the older now Raymarine S1000 auto pilot since around 2005. I'm happy with it, though from others comments it seems the new ones out are even better.

Jay

 

[thataway]

Ok, I'll pipe in. I know Seastar is compatible with AP. But i have the Baystar, & love it. Other then ripping it all out & starting over with Seastar, what can I do to upgrade to AP?

No reason you cannot use an auto pilot with Bay Star--that is what most of the C Dory22's have as the standard helm/ram set up. Basically what you do is to "T" into the hydraulic lines--some auto pilots come with kits. If you any hydraulic shop can make the fittings.

Ah, you so, Bay Star says that you have to have the "Sea Star" system.

Not true: As noted in the C Brat site: Here and Here

 

[hardee]

My new RayMarine Auto Pilot ( I forgot the number right now) has a small, about 1 inch diameter wheel, instead of the buttons for 1 and 10 degree turns. I truly love that little wheel. I use it (a conservative guess here) 65% of the time my boat is moving.

I probably use it more in slow cruise, but if it's flat water and good visibility, it works (Charlie drives) then too.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[SGIDave]

My new RayMarine Auto Pilot ( I forgot the number right now) has a small, about 1 inch diameter wheel, instead of the buttons for 1 and 10 degree turns. I truly love that little wheel. I use it (a conservative guess here) 65% of the time my boat is moving.

I probably use it more in slow cruise, but if it's flat water and good visibility, it works (Charlie drives) then too.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

Yes, Harvey, that's the Raymarine P70R you are referring to...I have one on my Ranger Tug. It is VERY handy and I use it to steer the boat frequently.

/dave

 

[RobLL]

At my USCG Auxiliary classes the instructors generally recommend AP so that the 'driver' could be a better lookout.

 

[hardee]

My new RayMarine Auto Pilot ( I forgot the number right now) has a small, about 1 inch diameter wheel, instead of the buttons for 1 and 10 degree turns. I truly love that little wheel. I use it (a conservative guess here) 65% of the time my boat is moving.

I probably use it more in slow cruise, but if it's flat water and good visibility, it works (Charlie drives) then too.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

Yes, Harvey, that's the Raymarine P70R you are referring to...I have one on my Ranger Tug. It is VERY handy and I use it to steer the boat frequently.

/dave

Yup, That looks like my 1" steering wheel. But this one looks like it is set up for sailing.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon