Auto Pilots - Below Deck

[sadie14]

I''m looking for input, recommendations, suggestions, warnings, stories, web sites, etc. on below deck auto pilots. We are just starting our research on this issue. We have never had one before. Our boat is heavy, so it needs a below deck pilot, not wheel.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

[kimberlite]

what boat and displacement do you have- do you have a tiller or wheel?
eric

[SHIMSHON]

Had great results with a CETREC PROPILOT on my last boat which displaced 34,000lbs. She was a linear drive and was overbuilt for commercial vessels. Had primary controls at the nav station and a hand held in the cockpit. Very simple to set up and use and had enough bells and whistles to keep everyone happy. It was particularly good in heavy weather. With the primary unit below, it added another steering station when offshore or coastal cruising. Good luck!

[sadie14]

Should have listed this - 37 foot, wheel steering, aft cockpit, sailboat, 25,000# displacement, full keel.

We have a wind vane, and plan to add a tiller pilot for it, but want a below deck unit also.

[sadie14]

We''re still investigating this - any input would be most welcomed. They are all very similar, so now what? How do you make a good choice? We''re thinking of looking at warranties.

[fer@fer]

Most instrument systems today connect with critical equipment like your wind, sounder, speed, autopilot, GPS, Radar, VHF, chart plotter and notebook computer, kitchen, and weather sites. But to do this to the fullest extent possible (two-way data exchange), you may have to in advance check compatibility amongst your current instruments, and the ones you are planning to add.


Needless to say, that same brand interface work trouble free, while different brand connections is coumbersome, if not impossible. (Like High speed bus propietary Plotter and Autohelm radars)

Having said that, I still carry a full ST 50 Autohelm Instrument and ST 6000 linear type 2 autopilot (10 yr old) troublefree