Wheel pilot · CPT
CPT Autopilot
A simple, powerful above-deck wheel pilot beloved by long-distance cruisers.
- Indicative price
- $4,500–$5,600 unit
- Fitted
- $5,000–$6,800
- Rated for
- Vessels to 14 t
- Editor score
- 53 / 100
The CPT is a mechanical above-deck wheel pilot from a small American maker with a reputation out of proportion to its size. It drives the wheel through a belt and a large sprocket, with a motor strong enough that it competes with below-deck drives on boats up to the low-40-foot range, and it draws less current than most. There is no networking to speak of: a compass, a control box with a rotary knob, and a drive.
Its appeal to Australian bluewater cruisers is that it can be fitted to almost any wheel-steered yacht without a or hydraulics, it steers hard, and every part is understandable and repairable in a Pacific anchorage. The compromises are exposure in the cockpit, no wind steering unless you add an interface, and a look that is more workshop than showroom.
Verdict
CPT Autopilot (wheel pilot) drive sizing
Manufacturer suggests suitability for wheel-steered yachts to around 14,000 kg with a well-balanced rudder; heavy or hard-mouthed boats should confirm with CPT.
Specifications
Autopilot components, voltage and steering modes
- Sensor
- Remote fluxgate compass
- Control
- Simple control box with rotary course knob
- Drive
- Belt-driven wheel sprocket with a powerful motor and clutch
- Voltage
- 12 V DC
- Network
- NMEA 0183 optional interface
- Power draw
- 0.8 A typical, 5 A peak. Notably efficient for the thrust available.
- Steering systems
- Mechanical wheel (cable, chain or rod)
Modes
- Compass hold
- Optional NMEA input for track steering
Features
- Strong, simple, repairable
- Low draw
- Fits most pedestal wheels
- Minimal electronics to fail
For and against
Autopilot strengths and limitations
- Long-distance cruisers trust it
- No hull surgery
- Serviceable anywhere
- Cockpit exposure
- No sophisticated wind or nav modes
- Imported; no Australian dealer
Who fits it
Boats and places where this system is recommended
Australian waters
- Perth, Fremantle and Rottnest → Worth importing for an older wheel-steered cruiser heading to remote WA. It is mechanical, external, repairable with hand tools, and it does not mind being serviced on a beach at Exmouth.
- Hobart and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel → A good fit for the classic wheel-steered fleet. It bolts above deck, it does not require cutting a timber hull for a below-deck ram, and it is mechanically simple enough to keep running in a place where parts take a week to arrive.
Questions
CPT Autopilot (wheel pilot): frequently asked
Can the CPT steer to wind?
Not natively. It is a compass pilot; some owners add an NMEA interface for track steering. Cruisers who want wind steering typically pair it with a windvane for passages.
Alternatives to consider
The systems most often weighed against this one.
- Wheel pilotRaymarine
Raymarine Evolution EV-100 (Tiller, Wheel and Power)
- Indicative
- $2,900–$3,900
- Editor score
- 77
- Below-deck systemRaymarine
Raymarine Evolution EV-200 (Sail and Power)
- Indicative
- $5,900–$7,600
- Editor score
- 80
- Windvane self-steeringHydrovane
Hydrovane Windvane Self-Steering
- Indicative
- $9,000–$12,500
- Editor score
- 60
Head to head
Comparisons featuring this system
Autopilot commissioning and operator training
A $6,800 installation with no handover is a gamble. Half a day on the water with the installer or an instructor covers the modes, the override, the alarms and a failure drill. It is the cheapest safety equipment aboard.