Is Autopilot Necessary In PNW?

Our old GB had the chain driven AP in the lower helm along with cable steering, one of our other boats had a hydraulic AP system along with hydraulic steering.

Our cruising grounds are Puget Sound to northern Canada. Having an AP is in no way a deal breaker and I would say that it makes you less attentive to your surroundings. Our current boat does not have an AP and I don't miss it at all. Watching your surroundings while at the helm adds to the enjoyement of cruising around here.

Aside from the fact that it frees you for the many other tasks essential to managing your vessel, it simply does a better job of holding a course than you will.

Like so many other responses, ABSOLUTELY have it. Not only for the obvious, it is a major safety item. If you have to do anything from navigating to changing fuel tanks to taking a "sand box stop", the AP protects you. I had to bring our boat up from Santa Barbara to SF with a broke AP, it was miserable. Don't leave home without it LOL!

We have an old Benmar on our 72 - 32' GB and it is not great, but it will follow a course which frees up your hands to eat lunch etc.

If the non-working autopilot on your new boat is a Benmar, I may have some of the parts you might need to get it going.

Rich

Everything everyone here has said is true. For sure it’s a much more pleasurable experience operating a boat with an auto pilot. I go on autopilot once I leave the dock and stay on it until I return. However you should ask yourself how many more years will you have this boat? And are you really going to stay in Puget Sound and travel during good weather conditions? That said in the fog, it’s very very useful. It’s difficult to hold a course otherwise.

Your boat is a 1976 GB. An auto pilot is not a cheap installation. If you go through the cost of putting one in, you will never get that cost back when you sell the vessel. So it’s a matter of determining how long you’ll own, the vessel, and how frequently you will use it. There are trade-offs, and the cost of installing one may not be justified with your ultimate use of the vessel.

Jim

Autopilot - necessary for San Juan's, etc.

I agree that AP is nice to have, but we don't use ourselves owing to the presence of logs, partially submerged crab and prawn buoys, and deadheads in most of the coastal waters we cruise in, from Puget Sound north to the Central Coast of BC. You really cannot take your eye off the immediate vicinity of your bow when underway, even at 7.5 knots. Logs and debris can be obscured by waves, reflecting light, kelp and seaweed, and we find we are making course corrections to avoid a direct hit, several times each day. Even with that attention, we have repaired a bent propeller blade and have had a prawn line wrapped around a propeller shaft. AP can help, but in these waters no skipper can take their eye off the water while underway.

I use my auto pilot extensively on my 36 foot single diesel trawler. It makes being underway much more relaxing, and enjoyable. An auto pilot can steer straighter and stay on course better than most human pilots.

I’m another “it would be nice, but not required” boater. Too many times when I’ve had to take evasive action where I was the stand on vessel, an operator would yell they had the privilege because they were on autopilot. This includes a few commercial whale watching boats. We, all of us, are also paying increased insurance rates for the ones who believed the sales pitch about just plugging in the destination and the unit will calculate the course.
Would I like to have it? Sure. Especially for fishing. It’s like everything else, it’s great when used appropriately, but a problem when skippers become complacent.

Don’t know where in PNE you keep your boat but I really loved having my AP when cruising from La Conner to Friday Habit. When we started cruising down the coast I also found it invaluable in San Francisco Bay . Can’t imagine having to steer for hours at a time.

TrawlerDavid said:

... I have made an offer on my first trawler after many years of sail. 1976 GB 36, well-maintained. ... Hull and complete engine surveys happening next week.

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I'll at least echo the "it's very nice to have" gang. As I effectively single hand a lot (even if the Admiral is aboard, I'm the pilot most of the time), I'd even go a bit further and say, for myself, I consider it a requirement. As I get older the more valuable the AP is to me. Hand steering all day is not a lot of fun to me, nor is it something I want to **have** to do for hours on end.

TrawlerDavid said:

...The boat does not have a functioning AP at the moment.

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I was not sure from that sentence if there is an autopilot on the boat that is broken, or there is just no AP on the boat as she is equipped.

If it's the former (it's broken), I'll also add another thought I've not seen mentioned. An auto pilot is not a cheap system to add (and probably not cheap to repair, may even find replacement is the better long term solution). If an existing autopilot is not working, factor that in as part of your negotiations. If you get some price reduction, you can later decide if you want to use those $$ for a AP repair/replacement or something else. Might be wise to get a couple of ball park quotes for the price of an installed AP system.

Autopilot

Last fall, I bought a 38 foot Helmsman in Rhode Island and delivered it to Florida. The first day underway, the AP did not work. We hand steered the entire time. By the end of the day, the two of us on board were exhausted.
We then discovered the problem and had the AP for the rest of the trip.
Is it “required?” No, but it’s m-u-c-h nicer when you have one and it works.

Quick answer to the OP's question: No, it is not necessary. More nuanced answer: No, it is not necessary, but it sure is nice.

We've done over 4,000 miles in 12 years on our current boat from Olympia to the Broughtons (two thirds of those mile on many dozens of trips between Port Townsend and the San Juan/Gulf Islands). ALL of it without a working auto pilot. By comparison, all my previous boats (sailboats) had AP, and I thoroughly appreciated them.

As far as the argument that AP allows for better situational awareness, my personal experience is the opposite. While it's true I enjoy "driving" my boat, when at the helm I'm not solely focused on steering a straight line. Rather, I'm constantly vigilant and aware looking out for logs, other boats, whales, currents, etc. Basically when I'm at the helm, I'm always ON. Of course, it helps that I usually have my wife or daughter to spell me for engine room checks, bathroom breaks, food, and rest. It also helps that the Cheoy Lee 46 tracks like a train, but even then I'm still constantly making minor adjustments.

I think the best advice so far is to operate your boat without an AP for a season. Really get to know her and your cruising style. You may find you don't need an AP for comfortably cruising the Salish Sea. In which case you could save potentially thousands of dollars that might be better spent elsewhere. And if you do determine you need that AP, then you'll know it's the right investment to make to ensure maximum enjoyment of your boat.

Good luck with the new boat, and have fun!

Is an Autopilot Necessary

I agree with all the comments already made, just want to add that AP, at least in my experience, does a better job steering the boat than I do, especially at slower speeds like a trawler or sailboat, or when running in heavier seas. You don't "need" AP, but situations where you have to make constant corrections to maintain a heading get tiring pretty fast, especially at our age!
Enjoy your new boat, and steering from a comfortably dry and heated cabin!
Peter

We generally don't use the autopilot for the first and last five minutes of our cruise. The Rest of the time, we are on AP. Went one summer without the AP and it was terrible. Wandered around for three months . . . .

Two items that were important to me

I single hand my Marine Trader a lot.
An autopilot so I can relax and enjoy the ride.
A remote windless control, so I can raise and lower the anchor from the fly bridge.

Aren't APs considered a safety issue? What about keeping a boat on course in inclement weather, while someone requires medical attention?

I have a Furuno Navpilot 711C sitting in a box next to my desk as I write this. I ordered it a while ago and did not give it much thought until it arrived. I cannot believe how much looking at it has motivated me.
I know very little about autopilots in general having mostly hand steered for over 25k miles. The capabilities of this autopilot are far greater than I can imagine at this point and that is the source of excitement. I get to install it, de-bug it and explore it. Pretty cool, the price of admission is steep but the entertainment value seems vast.

Your boat is a 1976 GB. An auto pilot is not a cheap installation. If you go through the cost of putting one in, you will never get that cost back when you sell the vessel. So it’s a matter of determining how long you’ll own, the vessel, and how frequently you will use it. There are trade-offs, and the cost of installing one may not be justified with your ultimate use of the vessel.

Jim[/QUOTE]

You are correct on the above. We have a "vintage" Sharp Auto Pilot on our 36. It works well as per its design. The only shortfall is it has to be dialed in. No functionality to push a button to hold course. I find "hold course" functionality necessary in tight channels when single handing. The drive mechanism (Electric Motor) on the Sharp is in good shape so it will remain. Just to change out the Pilot, attaching it to the existing drive motor, is somewhere around $4,000 in parts alone for 2 stations. OUCH!!!!

I think an AP is nice to have and possibly a necessity for longer trips.

For me the helm position is an important factor. I've had a few boats where I need stand when using the wheel and when I sit back and relax I can't reach the wheel. On these boats I used the AP all the time. My current boat the wheel is comfortable to reach from the helm seat and I rarely use the AP.

If it's the former (it's broken), ......., factor that in as part of your negotiations. If you get some price reduction, you can later decide if you want to use those $$ for a AP repair/replacement or something else. Might be wise to get a couple of ball park quotes for the price of an installed AP system.[/QUOTE]

AP was FUBAR as we took possession. Rather than try to get fixed, we took a $4k reduction in price. It was an older Raytheon. I found the electronics on eBay for $800, replaced and we were in business. Been working ever since. If it never had one, the only other thing we would have needed was the pump and wiring for the rudder indicator so could well under $4k put in a new "used" AP. Just a thought.

I ended up installing a CPT AP on my boat. It's a stand alone wheel based system but was under $3k.

Update from original poster on AP

Thanks to everyone for the insightful comments. Not surprisingly when it comes to boats, several different viewpoints. The surveys were on Friday, and went well. The current owner came for the sea trial, and I learned that the last time he tried the original Benmar AP it was semit functional,, but immediately turned the boat hard to starboard rather than the course set. After reading all the comments, I have concluded that I'll want an AP, and will need to maintain constant helm awareness. Since there is an AP that I may be able to repair once I own the boat, I have decided not to run out and spend $6,000 on a new AP installation and to first see if I can restore/upgrade the existing Benmar. Although it is not as sophisticated as the newer AP's , if it holds a heading after being set that is all I really need.
I may post again if I need advice as I sort out the issues with the Benmar. Thanks again to everyone, and its great being a new member of this forum.

Given that your boat is 1976 vintage, with cable steering and the old autopilot is a Benmar, I'd guess that it could be a model 210. Is the drive unit for the mechanical steering a metal box around 10"-12" on a side? With a sprocket and chain to a wheel shaft where the shaft in turn moves the steering cables? If so, while I've forgotten the model number for the drive unit, that's a very reliable mechanical drive motor unit.

I wanted to let you know that if you do go the route of a new AP, it's likely that you can use the old drive unit. That saves a bunch of install work and avoids the complexity of converting away from mechanical (cable) steering.

Just FYI, this is the entry from my log in 2002 when I upgraded from a Benmar 210 to a Simrad AP22:It's now 2024 and the Simrad AP has been using the Benmar drive unit with out a single problem for the last 22 years!

TrawlerDavid said:

Thanks to everyone for the insightful comments. Not surprisingly when it comes to boats, several different viewpoints. The surveys were on Friday, and went well. The current owner came for the sea trial, and I learned that the last time he tried the original Benmar AP it was semit functional,, but immediately turned the boat hard to starboard rather than the course set. After reading all the comments, I have concluded that I'll want an AP, and will need to maintain constant helm awareness. Since there is an AP that I may be able to repair once I own the boat, I have decided not to run out and spend $6,000 on a new AP installation and to first see if I can restore/upgrade the existing Benmar. Although it is not as sophisticated as the newer AP's , if it holds a heading after being set that is all I really need.
I may post again if I need advice as I sort out the issues with the Benmar. Thanks again to everyone, and its great being a new member of this forum.

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If it’s an older autopilot it probably has two small relays in the control unit. One relay for port turn and one relay for starboard. The points in the relay are known to get corroded and stick. Therefore the hard turn to one side or the other. I had this exact problem with my Sharp AP. We took the box out of the boat and took it apart. Matched up the relays on EBay. Cost more for shipping than it did for two new relays.
Here is a pic of the relay. Sticking points are at the tip of the pencil.

TrawlerDavid said:

Thanks to everyone for the insightful comments. Not surprisingly when it comes to boats, several different viewpoints. The surveys were on Friday, and went well. The current owner came for the sea trial, and I learned that the last time he tried the original Benmar AP it was semit functional,, but immediately turned the boat hard to starboard rather than the course set. After reading all the comments, I have concluded that I'll want an AP, and will need to maintain constant helm awareness. Since there is an AP that I may be able to repair once I own the boat, I have decided not to run out and spend $6,000 on a new AP installation and to first see if I can restore/upgrade the existing Benmar. Although it is not as sophisticated as the newer AP's , if it holds a heading after being set that is all I really need.
I may post again if I need advice as I sort out the issues with the Benmar. Thanks again to everyone, and its great being a new member of this forum.

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A friend had an autopilot on his boat that was making a 90 degree hard turns instead of holding the set course. We played with it and finally unhooked the rudder feedback unit. It stopped making hard turns and held the set course. He never did replace the rudder feedback unit and just used it without one. Worked fine as long as hed had the boat.

I had an A/P that the original owner did not properly finish the setup on. THe thing was VERY quick to make corrections. As I found out, to quick as it overloaded the transistors and killed a couple so as soon as it got power it made a HARD starboard turn
.
I replaced them and read the destruction manual which is how I realized what had not be done.
So after the repair I adjiusted the AP turn rate, slowed it to spec., and it gave me several more years of good service untill another problem killed it. I never replaced it.

I write this so you check the rudder swing rate to ensure it is not overloading the pump and therefore the electronics and damaging them.

I still have it and rerepaired it , never installed it. Part of the reason I never bothered was it took about 8 or more years to find the right part as they were no longer available and the mfgr. who I tracked down would not set up the equipment to make the one or two I wanted.

The electronics were doable, the part that next gave out was a split in the part I needed, the hydraulic direction block.

I would have needed a milling machine to do the repair and I didn't, still
don't have one.

So I hand steer.

But check the rudder adjustment rate since it will overload and burn the transistors , or in some cases, relays.

Cigatoo said:

If it’s an older autopilot it probably has two small relays in the control unit. One relay for port turn and one relay for starboard. The points in the relay are known to get corroded and stick.

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Your post @Cig brings back memories of my old Wood Freeman with the 4" flat card compass, relays and chain drive off of what I believe was a starter motor.

I had a slight oil leak from the pressure gauge drop exactly onto the contacts (the relay was open, did not have a clear plastic cover). Easy fix once we got out of the storm.

They are old school and mechanical and fixable - no CPUs or magic black boxes. I wouldn't go out and install a WF with relays today, but would keep it if already installed.

>>Although it is not as sophisticated as the newer AP's , if it holds a heading after being set that is all I really need.<<


Just the right attitude. Let the "enlisted man" steer while you manage the vessel!

Yes.

TrawlerDavid said:

At age 70, I have made an offer on my first trawler after many years of sail. 1976 GB 36, well-maintained. Most importantly, my wife saw the boat yesterday and approved of the galley. Hull and complete engine surveys happening next week.
The boat does not have a functioning AP at the moment. Considering that our use will likely be day cruising and San Juan island trips rather than coastal or extended cruising, I'd appreciate thoughts from those of you with experience on whether the AP is essential or important for safety. I had an AP on my last sailboat, a Pearson 33, which was invaluable when I singlehanded and needed to hold course while raising and lowering sail. On the GB I always expect to have another person to helm while I move from lower to flybridge or use the head, and my practice is never to leave the helm when underway.
If not really necessary, then an expense and another system to maintain that won't be used much. But if those with experience think the AP is an important adddition I'll start research on what would integrate with the cable steering and Raymarine C140 plotter. Thanks for the assistance!

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We owned a 1974 GB 36 and found the AP to be a very handy tool for us. We could still maintain our watch from the fly bridge on the lower helm safely and felt it gave us less stress in cruising. 6 hour cruises just felt so much easier and had less physical toll at the end of the day. We were in our late 60's and early 70's and noticeably felt less tired because of it.