By boat type
Autopilots by boat type
Seven guides, each with Australian examples, the steering and displacement that define the type, sizing rules, recommended systems, what to avoid and an instructor's note.
Tiller-steered yachts
Tiller
Tiller boats are the easiest yachts to fit an autopilot to and the easiest to get wrong. A cockpit tiller pilot goes on in an afternoon and, on flat water, makes a tiller boat…
Examples: Adams 10, Cavalier 28 and 32, Farr 9.2 and Farr 1020, Elliott 7 and 780
Wheel-steered cruising yachts
Mechanical wheel (cable, chain or rod); some hydraulic
This is the biggest single group of yachts in Australia: the 34–46 foot production cruisers that fill marinas from Pittwater to Manly to Fremantle, most of them ex-charter or…
Examples: Beneteau Oceanis 35–46, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349–440, Bavaria Cruiser 37–46, Hanse 385–458
Catamarans and multihulls
Twin rudders linked by a tie bar; mechanical or hydraulic helm
Australia builds and sails more cruising catamarans per head than almost anywhere, and the autopilot conversation on a cat is different. Two rudders, a tie bar, often a hydraulic…
Examples: Seawind 1160, 1260 and 1370, Lightwave 38 and 45, Lagoon 40–450, Fountaine Pajot Lucia to Saona
Trailer boats and outboards
Hydraulic outboard steering; cable steering on smaller boats
Australia's trailer-boat fleet is enormous and the autopilot market for it has matured fast. Ten years ago an autopilot on a 6 m plate boat was exotic; now the Garmin Reactor 40…
Examples: Bar Crusher, Stabicraft, Quintrex and Stacer, Haines Hunter
Planing power cruisers
Hydraulic; some power-assisted or steer-by-wire
Planing cruisers and sportsfishers run hydraulic steering almost without exception, which makes the autopilot choice about pump size, voltage and integration rather than drive…
Examples: Riviera 39–52, Maritimo M50–M64, Caribbean 35–50, Whittley CR
Displacement motor cruisers and trawlers
Hydraulic, often with power steering or solenoid control
Displacement cruisers run for days at 7–9 knots and the autopilot steers almost all of it. Reliability, a stable heading source and the ability to run on 24 V for a week matter…
Examples: Grand Banks, Fleming, Nordhavn, Clipper Motor Yachts
Shorthanded racing yachts
Tiller or wheel; twin rudders common
The two-handed division of the Sydney Hobart and the growth of shorthanded racing in every Australian state have made the autopilot a performance system rather than a convenience.…
Examples: Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200, 3300 and 3600, J/99 and J/111, Beneteau First 36 and Figaro 3, Sydney 36cr
Sizing
Rated displacement by system
Manufacturer displacement ratings for the systems that publish one. Systems sized by pump or drive (Garmin, B&G, Simrad, Furuno) are chosen per boat and are not shown.
- Tiller pilot
- Wheel pilot
- Below-deck
- Windvane
View as a table
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Raymarine ST2000+ Tiller Pilot | 0 t | 4.5 t |
| Pelagic Autopilot | 0 t | 7 t |
| Raymarine Evolution EV-100 | 0 t | 7.5 t |
| Raymarine Evolution EV-200 | 0 t | 11 t |
| Raymarine Evolution EV-150 Hydraulic | 0 t | 12 t |
| CPT Autopilot | 0 t | 14 t |
| Hydrovane Windvane Self-Steering | 0 t | 25 t |
| Windpilot Pacific | 0 t | 30 t |
| Raymarine Evolution EV-400 | 0 t | 35 t |
Frequently asked
How do I know my boat's loaded displacement?
Start with the builder's light displacement, then add tanks, gear, crew and stores. On a 40-foot cruiser that is typically one to two tonnes. Size the drive for that figure with margin.
My boat does not fit one type neatly. Which guide should I read?
Read the one that matches the steering system first, then the one that matches the use. A tiller-steered boat that races shorthanded should read both the tiller and the racing guides.