Hi guys, Just questioning how many have auto pilots on board, especially on the smaller Gradys, seafarer and Adventure models, but anyone can chime in. Autopilot name and model and your thoughts on its use, cruising ? fishing? etc. If you installed your self, how difficult was it? Looking into the possibilities. With thanks, Cheers trapper
Auto pilots
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Fishtales
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I do not. I don't think they are very practical for most boats less than 30'. I'd have a hard time justifying the cost/benefit. I fish 18 to 24 mi away from port (almost 20 years) and don't feel I need it. Some will say they fish 2X the distance what I fish with tough seas to justify. I don't think too many people are taking 25'ers out that far or that regularly to justify. Just another thing to maintain and fix IMHO.
I may be in the minority, but I don't care about fuel on the water, want to actually drive my boat and am not trying to make time on it.
I may be in the minority, but I don't care about fuel on the water, want to actually drive my boat and am not trying to make time on it.
I have a Raymarine X-30 SmartPilot on our 330. Works great and is real nice for heading in or out on long (30-50 mile) legs. Good for trolling with limited crew as it allows me to leave the helm for short periods. Obviously some danger in not paying attention, so care needs to be taken in that regard. I upgraded on my own, but it would seem the plumbing is the toughest part. The electronics are relatively straight forward.
March of 17 I bought my Marlin and it came with autopilot. I'd wanted it for years on other vessels but never spent the money. I do fish 40-80 miles out most often so it's a 2-3 hour ride each way often. I have become absolutely spoiled rotten. I had a power supply issue for a couple months and went without the AP and really noticed how spoiled I have become. All that said its personal preference, fishing it's a giant help when trolling because I prefer to put the spread out on my own. Also fishing with limited crew sometimes it frees me up to help in the cockpit clearing lines, leadering or gaffing. I have a Simrad AP16, have been very happy with it. There are much newer units with many upgrades but what I have works for me. Maybe when I have the free funds to upgrade my electronics I will upgrade the AP.
Doc Stressor
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I had an old King autopilot on my 1986 Grady with manual steering and a Raymarine S1000 on my current boat with hydraulic steering. For long runs over the horizon, nothing beats an autopilot. Instead of being beat up from fighting the helm after a 2 hr run, I'm ready to fish.
The main reason I got an autopilot was to save fuel. I'm a terrible helmsman without visible landmarks, even when following a Loran/GPS track. It's impossible to steer as straight as an autopilot. I found that an AP saves me at least 20% on fuel consumption. When my S1000 gave up the ghost on me last summer, 30 gallon trips become 40 gallon trips. And I was happy to let the other guys fish for the first half hour after arrival while my 72 year old body recovered. We lost fishing time as well since it took longer to get to waypoints.
There are 2 things to consider before spending the money for an AP. The first is the distances you will be running and the second is the sea conditions. From your posts, it appears that you (trapper) are on Vancouver Island. If you are running on the inside, an AP should be helpful if you generally run long distances. The sea conditions should be fine except for tide rips. The Pacific can be another matter depending on the swell height and wind waves. You will find that running on the AP can get you wet and beat the crap out of you if things are sloppy. When you are at the helm yourself, you are constantly making little adjustments that minimize the effect of the waves. You may not be aware of this until you run with an AP. I find that in the Gulf of Mexico I can usually run on AP with up to 2 ft of short chop. Anything over this and I grab the helm myself.
As we discussed in other threads, I'm putting in a Furuno Navpilot 300 to replace the old Raymarine. For my purposes it makes sense. I've used an AP for trolling down here with good results. But when I lived on Vancouver Island I mostly trolled tide rips and offshore structure. I needed to be at the helm to do that effectively. So it all depends on how you will use your boat.
As far as installation goes, I put the S1000 in myself. The only hard part was hooking up the pump to the hydraulic steering. That required figuring out where to put the pump, changing some of the connectors that came with the unit, and bleeding the system. That was a sloppy mess. I was going to have the Furuno put in professionally since I'm now old and pathetic, but the quote I got was ridiculous. They wanted to bill for 10 hr of labor despite the fact that the already installed pump is going to be used. So I'll be putting this one in myself pretty soon. I haven't done any NMEA 2000 stuff yet, but I guess it's time to learn.
The main reason I got an autopilot was to save fuel. I'm a terrible helmsman without visible landmarks, even when following a Loran/GPS track. It's impossible to steer as straight as an autopilot. I found that an AP saves me at least 20% on fuel consumption. When my S1000 gave up the ghost on me last summer, 30 gallon trips become 40 gallon trips. And I was happy to let the other guys fish for the first half hour after arrival while my 72 year old body recovered. We lost fishing time as well since it took longer to get to waypoints.
There are 2 things to consider before spending the money for an AP. The first is the distances you will be running and the second is the sea conditions. From your posts, it appears that you (trapper) are on Vancouver Island. If you are running on the inside, an AP should be helpful if you generally run long distances. The sea conditions should be fine except for tide rips. The Pacific can be another matter depending on the swell height and wind waves. You will find that running on the AP can get you wet and beat the crap out of you if things are sloppy. When you are at the helm yourself, you are constantly making little adjustments that minimize the effect of the waves. You may not be aware of this until you run with an AP. I find that in the Gulf of Mexico I can usually run on AP with up to 2 ft of short chop. Anything over this and I grab the helm myself.
As we discussed in other threads, I'm putting in a Furuno Navpilot 300 to replace the old Raymarine. For my purposes it makes sense. I've used an AP for trolling down here with good results. But when I lived on Vancouver Island I mostly trolled tide rips and offshore structure. I needed to be at the helm to do that effectively. So it all depends on how you will use your boat.
As far as installation goes, I put the S1000 in myself. The only hard part was hooking up the pump to the hydraulic steering. That required figuring out where to put the pump, changing some of the connectors that came with the unit, and bleeding the system. That was a sloppy mess. I was going to have the Furuno put in professionally since I'm now old and pathetic, but the quote I got was ridiculous. They wanted to bill for 10 hr of labor despite the fact that the already installed pump is going to be used. So I'll be putting this one in myself pretty soon. I haven't done any NMEA 2000 stuff yet, but I guess it's time to learn.
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wrxhoon
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I don't have it. Would I like one ? Yes but not to get to my destination, I prefer to steer myself for reasons given above. I would like to have it when trolling especially when only 2 on-board . I may consider fitting one on the new (to me ) Seafarer.
Raymarine electronics is the easiest to install, very little to configure. Have axiom pro with all the fun
stuff , the auto pilot for me is a must. Just run larger wire to the auto pilot I ran #6, my 2000 Marlin
didn’t have the best factory wiring. Found # 10 to my windless, and to my main breaker panel, replaced
both and add more feeds to all the electronics.
stuff , the auto pilot for me is a must. Just run larger wire to the auto pilot I ran #6, my 2000 Marlin
didn’t have the best factory wiring. Found # 10 to my windless, and to my main breaker panel, replaced
both and add more feeds to all the electronics.
SkunkBoat
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I am in the process of installing a Garmin reactor 40. Learning things ( usually too late) about fittings, and "kits" and hoses that may save money and aggravation . I will post with pix in a week ...or two. Waiting on one or two fittings and good weather. Hoses came yesterday.
I put one on my Gulfstream last year and I like and use it a lot. I got a Simrad unit that I assembled over the winter - pump, computer, and compass, either new or used but not installed. I have a simrad chart plotter so I use that for the interface.
The only difficult part was opening the hydraulic lines and the subsequent bleeding.To bleed, I applied 12V to the pump and if it would turn the motor left I'd turn the wheel to the right at the same rate (so the motor didn't move) to set up a continuous loop through the helm pump. Reverse polarity at the pump and turn the wheel in the other direction. I didn't have to open the bleed valves at the engine.
The only difficult part was opening the hydraulic lines and the subsequent bleeding.To bleed, I applied 12V to the pump and if it would turn the motor left I'd turn the wheel to the right at the same rate (so the motor didn't move) to set up a continuous loop through the helm pump. Reverse polarity at the pump and turn the wheel in the other direction. I didn't have to open the bleed valves at the engine.
Doc Stressor
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Not to hijack the thread, but where are you guys locating your heading sensors? My old S1000 did not use a heading sensor. I can't find any place on the centerline of my 226 to mount the Furuno fluxgate compass, which is not waterproof. I'm thinking of a bulkhead mount inside the cabin next to the door. How far off the centerline can you go?
WOW! Thank you all for taking the time to respond to my question.Yes I agree with some of you " it probably is not necessary" where I live, as most of my fishing is done on the inside of Vancouver Island, with the occasional trip to the west coast. I am familiar with auto pilots, having had one on my 40 ft commercial salmon troller, fishing the west coast, it was absolutely necessary. That was business, this is just fun! Doc I appreciate your reasoning and understanding of my fishing area, mostly fairly flat water. We cruise a lot through Desolation sound, Discovery Islands and the Broughton Archipelago. I believe for me, at this cycle of my life, it is more about want than need. I enjoy working on my boat, adding goodies and I look forward to installing "Help Doc" the navPilot 300 with PG 700. Enjoying the process of working on the boat and making changes, is all part of the "Boating on the Ocean Adventure" where my wife and I always find the centre of our universe! Thanks again for your valued responses! Cheers, trapper
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Doc, For the fluxgate compass, ideally the closer to waterline elevation is best but anywhere below deck is fine. As far as fore to aft location the best area is aft of midship and forward of 30% of hull length from transom. As for port to starboard location, of course centerline is ideal but it will work fine anywhere in our relatively narrow hulls. Having it mounted plumb to centerline is important also.
Trapper, Being familiar with your area and having seen many pictures of your cruises, I can tell you for sure that an AP is gonna make you smile. I just hope you will post a bit of a tutorial for us all when you install one so we can witness your fine attention to detail. Every time I use our boat I am happy that I installed one.
Halfhitch, having had the AP in the "yacht" for about a month now, I am sure enjoying the fun factor of its use. With integrated steering patterns, point and shoot on the remote for changing direction, and buttons that do the same thing 1 or 10 degrees. It is a new experience on the water. My wife and I like to cruise on the bow with the kicker running. One can barely hear the motor and steering is just a point or button away. Since our salmon fishing is closed until mid July, haven't had a chance to let the salmon know they are in danger, with the new controls. Tried the Sabiki mode for back trolling, and yes it certainly helps keeping you on the spot. Also good for
dropping prawn traps in a tide and wind. Anyway, all is well here on the Island and we look forward to a little fresh salmon coming up. Hope your chasing the fish down your way and finding daily fun in retirement. Cheers, trapper
dropping prawn traps in a tide and wind. Anyway, all is well here on the Island and we look forward to a little fresh salmon coming up. Hope your chasing the fish down your way and finding daily fun in retirement. Cheers, trapper
RussGW270
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I totally plan to have one. The issue I see is it saves me the white knuckles when steering lol. I need to be able to let go once in a while 
I mean.. no idea what I will fish and where, but I like options.
I may get an A/C for the cabin first though.. we will see.. lol
R
I mean.. no idea what I will fish and where, but I like options.I may get an A/C for the cabin first though.. we will see.. lol
R
I use mine constantly...only steer myself in boat traffic or while docking....otherwise the Garmin GHC10 has the helm.
Aside from the advantages of lowering Fatigue on long trips and the fuel savings realized by running a STRAIGHT course to your waypoint, the AP is one of the best pieces of Fishing gear on the boat.
It allows me to set trolling lines solo, fight a fish while keeping the other lines from tangling, run either zig-zag or circular trolling patterns over a wreck or bait readings, and/or hold the boat steady into the current while deep dropping or jigging.
One of the two BEST upgrades I've added onto my boat...and the other is the Windlass!
Although She is over 30 years old, with all the upgrades over the years, She is BETTER than new.
Aside from the advantages of lowering Fatigue on long trips and the fuel savings realized by running a STRAIGHT course to your waypoint, the AP is one of the best pieces of Fishing gear on the boat.
It allows me to set trolling lines solo, fight a fish while keeping the other lines from tangling, run either zig-zag or circular trolling patterns over a wreck or bait readings, and/or hold the boat steady into the current while deep dropping or jigging.
One of the two BEST upgrades I've added onto my boat...and the other is the Windlass!
Although She is over 30 years old, with all the upgrades over the years, She is BETTER than new.
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Size of the boat doesn't matter .... I would not own a boat without auto pilot ... Well maybe except a 13' Whaler !!! Troll the 3 mile line .. Get to point "A" faster and straighter than I can steer. .. I suggest the the auto pilot "talks" to the GPS, so it has the ability to "track" to a waypoint. I have all Raymarine e and eS series with the raymarine evo auto pilot ... could not be happier .. The Evo actually "learns" and gets better as you use it .
Denko
GreatGrady Captain
I have a Simrad on mine, I've only used it once for a long run. I mostly troll and for that I wouldn't give it up for anything.
ROBERTH
GreatGrady Captain
Took a shot at the Lowrance Outboard Pilot Hydraulic Pac Autopilot system this year when I updated to the new HDSLive 12's and the new Halo24 radar.
All I can say is that the Autopilot should have been one of my priorities years ago! Just did not know that this unit can support twin motors on same single link rod. Seems Lowrance figured it would and it does so with no issue.
It was not overly complicated to install. I did however go ahead and replace the Seastar helm as mine was wandering a bit. Could have rebuilt but it had the old fittings and would require purchase of a different type, whereas the new one's adapt perfectly. I also replaced the copper lines with the new Kevlar hoses front to back.
Benefits so far for me are many, but here are some after a few trips this year so far:
Hook up a fish, lock on heading, go fight the fish without the boat turning and tangling the lines. Just keep an eye out for other boats.
Like others have said, keeps a better course than I can manually, so better fuel and time.
Less wear and tear on me.
When heading in for the day, set heading toward home at a trolling speed, allowing us to clean up and gain some miles before we get on plane. With my typical 50 to 60 mile run home, we gain sometimes 10 miles or so by the time we get all cleaned up and everything tied down for the ride. This is a huge time saver!
For the money, this autopilot option is a good deal and well worth it!
All I can say is that the Autopilot should have been one of my priorities years ago! Just did not know that this unit can support twin motors on same single link rod. Seems Lowrance figured it would and it does so with no issue.
It was not overly complicated to install. I did however go ahead and replace the Seastar helm as mine was wandering a bit. Could have rebuilt but it had the old fittings and would require purchase of a different type, whereas the new one's adapt perfectly. I also replaced the copper lines with the new Kevlar hoses front to back.
Benefits so far for me are many, but here are some after a few trips this year so far:
Hook up a fish, lock on heading, go fight the fish without the boat turning and tangling the lines. Just keep an eye out for other boats.
Like others have said, keeps a better course than I can manually, so better fuel and time.
Less wear and tear on me.
When heading in for the day, set heading toward home at a trolling speed, allowing us to clean up and gain some miles before we get on plane. With my typical 50 to 60 mile run home, we gain sometimes 10 miles or so by the time we get all cleaned up and everything tied down for the ride. This is a huge time saver!
For the money, this autopilot option is a good deal and well worth it!