Is Autopilot Necessary In PNW?

[ranger58sb]

We were out trolling yesterday... with our AP controller out for repair... and I can say hand steering for 6 hours at 3 kts is a PITA.

-Chris

 

[Steve1.0]

Along the Fl. east coast, situational awareness is vital. There are guys fishing in kayaks 2 miles offshore, sea-turtles and the occasional partially submerged (poorly marked) dredge pipe. None of which show up on radar or AIS. IMHO a properly functioning AP (in heading hold) will steer right to whatever obstacle is just over the horizon. ;-)
As mentioned above, in fog or blinding rain you can't beat it.

 

[TrawlerDavid]

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!

Update- just back from a 6 day cruise to the San Juans. No AP on the boat yet so we hand steered, incuding 2 long days of 6 and 8 hours. The weather was great, so 75% was steering from the bridge. My wife took the helm for several 30 minute periods to give me a break. I did not find hand steering overly tiring, and was able to avoid several logs. So thinking that an AP will be a good upgrade in the future, not having one in no way detracted from our enjoyment or ability to navigate in the San Juans and I enjlyed being at the helm. With the caveat that we had great weather all week.

 

[SteveK]

Thread drift.
My boat has a Benmar 220 original equipment auto pilot. It was wallowing and I was preparing to replace as I prefer to have an AP and avoid hand steering in straight lines.

I read the manual and came across a very simple gain adjustment on the motherboard. There is a rubber plug in a 1/4" hole and with a straight edge tiny screwdriver turned clockwise 1/4 at a time, (I did twice for a half turn) and it works like new holding a straight compass line.
Next I will look at a NMEA 2000 to NMEA 183 and see if the chartplotter can integrate.

 

[TrawlerDavid]

I've always enjoyed hand steering. My day guests do also. Your initial cruising will likely be short and frequent where you don't require it, then as you grow more comfortable and confident, your trips will get longer where it will come in more handy especially during evenings where situational awareness is more challenging.

Install one when you have the time and money, but don't feel pressured or panicked to do so immediately. That list of repairs and upgrades that you've been preparing can prioritize your electronics and such. Personally I would have radar before A/P especially with the rainy crappy winters we have here, although we are now heading into a pleasant Spring and Summer.

Update- I continue to hand steer and it continues to be working well. I find that hand steering results in good situational awareness as always looking back and forth at compass, chart, plotter, and what's in front of me (e.g. logs, crab pots, other boats, large ferries). I can see that on an extended trip in open water an AP would be a convenience and may add one in the future, but have found not having the AP no barrier to the enjoyment of PNW boating.

 

[Mac2]

Update- I continue to hand steer and it continues to be working well. I find that hand steering results in good situational awareness as always looking back and forth at compass, chart, plotter, and what's in front of me (e.g. logs, crab pots, other boats, large ferries). I can see that on an extended trip in open water an AP would be a convenience and may add one in the future, but have found not having the AP no barrier to the enjoyment of PNW boating.

Totally agree. 15 years of hand steering with my Krogen Manatee to the San Juans was never an issue. I think the main difference in AP vs manual steering is the boat. At 7 knots my boat tracked perfectly straight. I only had to make slight adjustments, which gave me plenty of time to check radar, chartplotter and use binos. At seven knots in my current boat (speed limit in ship canal) Im all over the place. I am constantly steering back and forth as the boat wonders. At these speeds a auto pilot is a necessity. At 8-9 knots these issues disappear and the boat tracks like it’s on rails.

 

[ploschiavo]

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!

Is it necessary? No. But when I first bought my Helmsman 38, and actually got underway for the start of the delivery, the autopilot did not work. The delivery captain and I took turns steering for six hours. We were exhausted when a friendly marine electronics tech talked us through the repair. The rest of the trip was quite enjoyable.
P.S. The repair entailed cycling the circuit breaker. Perhaps we both felt much better having the repair being something so simple and… obvious?

 

[sunchaser]

Fog is oh so common in WA and BC. Your working radar keeps track of and advises you as to other vessels, buoys, rocks, land masses, logs sometimes and course adherence. AP is a godsend in these conditions keeping your course corrections to a minimum as you keep a ready eye on the radar.

 

[Slowmo]

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!

I'm falling on the side of nice but not necessary. Much depends on both the responsiveness of the boat to rudder input and to how you cruise. Our average run in the PNW is 2 hours. Within that time even on AP I have to make dozens of manual interventions to avoid debris (logs and crab/shrimp pots are common) in the water and traffic. That said I do have AP and I do use it but I've gone days sometimes without using it. However, I've run boats that refuse to go in a straight line without constant correction (deep V hulls without skegs seem prone to this). Then an AP becomes almost a requirement.

 

[Don G]

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!

When it's foggy is when the autopilot really pays off. Maintaining a course so the targets stay put.

 

[Delta Riverat]

I have one, an old obsolete Robertson. Verified operational during sea test, does not take GPS info, just keeps a steady course. Have old chain/sprocket/cable steering and auto pilot works with hydraulic cylinder to rudders with feedback on rudders and flux gate for direction.

Haven't used it yet. Just going down the river for now.

Have to try it though in a big channel, don't even know how to operate it. Would be good in the future, for that trip to Monterey -

 

[Mako]

@Delta, your’s sounds like one of my old setups. I had a legendary Wood Freeman on cable steering. Dead nuts simple and repairable. Steered from a 5” flat card compass on the bridge.

However, it wasn’t very good compared to any modern AP with a microchip brain. My course was more of a gentle “S.”

Everything is a compromise I suppose.

 

[Portage_Bay]

I have one, an old obsolete Robertson. Verified operational during sea test, does not take GPS info, just keeps a steady course. Have old chain/sprocket/cable steering and auto pilot works with hydraulic cylinder to rudders with feedback on rudders and flux gate for direction.

Haven't used it yet. Just going down the river for now.

Have to try it though in a big channel, don't even know how to operate it. Would be good in the future, for that trip to Monterey -

Which obsolete Robertson do you have? I've got a very old Robertson AP100. Works OK. Nothing like the new stuff.

 

[Endeavor GB 32]

<<I'd also recommend dumping the cable steering for either a hydraulic or steer by wire option.>> I must respectfully disagree with this. Of the 7 marina-size boats we have owned, 4 were Grand Banks and 3 of those had (have!) cable steering. The only steering failure among the 7 boats was one with hydraulic steering, fluid got low, upper helm quit responding.
Current 32 GB has cable steering, came with and old but functional CamNav autopilot. Worked but could not interface to follow a route. ComNav factory support was superb, I upgraded to a newer CPU and control head, used the existing compass and drive (hydraulic drive in lazarette.) Muy fantastico! I then added a second control head on the flybrige. We use the AP almost all of the time once we're out of the marina. Cruising the San Juans is so much more fun with the AP. Good luck and enjoy your beautiful new GB!! 36 sedan is an awesome boat.
Regards,
Scott

 

[Delta Riverat]

Which obsolete Robertson do you have? I've got a very old Robertson AP100. Works OK. Nothing like the new stuff.

Yes, that's the one! Very big rugged looking panel on the lower helm and also had a small hand unit on the fly, but that was non-op.