Pelagic Autopilot

Pelagic is a small American company whose autopilot was designed by a Singlehanded Transpac racer for boats that get wet. Instead of putting the compass, computer and motor in one cockpit tube, it splits them: a sealed control box below, a waterproof keypad, and a heavy-duty linear actuator on the tiller that can be submerged and keep working. The actuator is the part that matters. It pushes far harder than a Raymarine or Simrad tiller pilot and does not care about spray.

In Australia it has a following among shorthanded racers in the smaller boats, trailer-sailers doing long coastal passages, and owners of classic tiller-steered yachts who want a serious pilot without cutting the boat about for a below-deck drive. It steers to compass and, with NMEA data, to wind. It is imported rather than distributed, so factor in freight, GST and the exchange rate, and expect to fit it yourself or with a friendly electrician.