Most of the most experienced, most knowledgeable boaters I've met in this area (PNW-BC-SE Alaska) did not or do not have or use an autopilot. And they would probably laugh at the notion that having and using an autopilot in these waters is "the only way to go." Or in some cases, even beneficial.
These are people with far, far more experience, some of it for fun, some of it for work, than just about anyone I'm aware of on this forum with the exception perhaps of psneeld.
Which only goes to show that what one boater may view as a necessity and the only smart way to do something may be viewed by another boater with equal or greater knowledge and experience as perhaps "nice but not necessary to have," or in some cases, not necessary at all.
None of these viewpoints are wrong. The only thing that matters is that the boater be comfortable, confident and safe with whatever manner they choose to operate their boat.
I would be far more willing to go on a boat with one of these folks who's been running this coast successfully for four or five decades without an autopilot -- in one case a fellow who does the entire Inside Passage still today with only a depth sounder, a compass, a vhf radio, and a full set of charts---than someone with every piece of marine electronics known to man but with but a fraction of the experience and skill set. Or worse, with the belief that having all the electronics makes up for the lack of experience or skills.
The fact a boater does not feel an autopilot is a necessity for how he or she uses their boat does not make them wrong or foolish or dangerous. It only means they don't feel an autopilot is necessary to the way they use their boat.
Eric Henning probably has more real-life, all-weather, all-season experience operating a boat in the waters from Puget Sound on up through SE Alaska than 99 percent of the PNW boaters on this forum. And so far as I know, and certainly with regards to Nomad Willie, he's done it all without an autopilot.
So does that mean he's been doing it wrong all these years? Not in my book. And if he decides to install an autopilot in Willie and start using it, well, that won't be wrong either.