Frequently asked
Marine autopilot FAQs
Grouped by what you are trying to do. Practical planning answers link to detailed guides, with related reading for each topic.
- Basics
- 6 questions
- Choosing
- 8 questions
- Cost and installation
- 5 questions
- Using it well
- 6 questions
Basics
Basics
What an autopilot is, what it does and what it does not do.
What does a marine autopilot actually do?
It holds a heading, a wind angle or a route by moving the rudder for you. It measures where the bow points, compares that with where you asked it to point, and applies rudder. It does not see other boats, whales, reefs or containers, and it does not keep a lookout.
Do I need an autopilot for coastal sailing in Australia?
Not legally, but almost every cruising yacht and offshore fishing boat has one because it removes the fatigue of hand-steering and frees a crew member to navigate, trim and keep watch. For singlehanded and two-handed sailing it is effectively essential.
What is the difference between a tiller pilot and an autopilot?
A tiller pilot is a small self-contained autopilot for tiller-steered boats, mounted in the cockpit. An autopilot is the general term; most people use it for the below-deck systems with a separate sensor, computer, drive and control head.
Can an autopilot steer to the wind?
Yes, if it receives wind data from a wind sensor. Wind mode holds an angle to the apparent or true wind instead of a compass heading, which keeps the sails set as the wind shifts.
How accurate is an autopilot?
A modern nine-axis system on a balanced boat holds a heading within a degree or two in moderate conditions and steers a straighter course than most humans over an hour. In a big following sea it will wander, and a wheel pilot or tiller pilot wanders more than a below-deck drive.
Does an autopilot work under motor?
Electronic autopilots work under motor and under sail. Windvane self-steering works only under sail because it needs wind.
Choosing
Choosing
Sizing, steering types, brands and what suits Australian boats.
How do I know what size autopilot my boat needs?
Yachts are sized by loaded displacement against the drive's rating, with margin for following seas. Hydraulically steered boats are sized by steering cylinder volume and the hard-over time you want. The autopilot finder on this site walks through it.
Which autopilot brand is best?
None is best for every boat. B&G leads for sailing features, Garmin and Simrad for power boats, Raymarine as the all-rounder with the widest yacht dealer network in Australia, and Furuno for commercial-style reliability. Match the brand to the plotter you already own where you can.
Is the Raymarine EV-100 good enough for offshore sailing?
For coastal passages on a yacht under 7.5 tonnes, yes. For Bass Strait, the Coral Sea or anything shorthanded and overnight, a below-deck system such as the EV-200 with a linear drive is the better tool.
Should I buy a Garmin or a Raymarine for my fishing boat?
If you run a Garmin plotter, the Reactor 40 with Shadow Drive is the natural choice. If you run Raymarine Axiom, the EV-100 Power or EV-150. The Furuno NavPilot 300 is the alternative for heavy outboard boats.
What is a windvane and should I get one?
A wind-powered self-steering gear with no electronics. It suits ocean passages where zero power draw and independence from electronics matter. For coastal cruising an electronic pilot is the better buy; many bluewater boats carry both.
Can I fit an autopilot to a cable-steered outboard boat?
Only with the Navico Outboard Pilot cable-steer pack when available, or by converting to hydraulic steering. Most owners convert.
Do I need a rudder reference transducer?
Raymarine requires one with Type 1 and larger drives and recommends one on hydraulic systems. B&G includes one. Garmin hydraulic packs, Furuno Fantum Feedback and Simrad VRF work without one on suitable boats.
Is a second-hand autopilot worth buying?
A sound below-deck drive is often worth reusing with a new course computer. Old sealed tiller pilots and control heads are riskier. Check compatibility, missing parts and the drive's condition before paying.
Cost and installation
Cost and installation
What autopilots cost in Australia and what installation involves.
How much does a marine autopilot cost in Australia?
Indicatively: tiller pilots $1,150–1,800; above-deck wheel packs $2,900–3,900; hydraulic packs for power boats $2,900–5,800; below-deck systems for yachts $5,900–16,000 with drive; windvanes $6,500–12,500 landed. All before installation. Confirm with a dealer.
How much does installation cost?
Tiller pilots are owner-fitted for the price of a socket. Wheel and hydraulic packs run $800–2,500 in labour. Below-deck systems on yachts without a tiller arm can add $2,000–4,000 of yard time. Get two quotes and ask what is excluded.
Can I install an autopilot myself?
Tiller pilots and wheel pilots, yes. Hydraulic and below-deck systems involve structural mounting, rudder stops, hydraulic bleeding and network wiring; most Australian owners have a yard and an electronics installer do it and take the sea trial themselves.
How long does installation take?
A wheel pilot in half a day, a hydraulic pack in a day, a below-deck system in one to three days depending on the tiller arm and access.
Is a boat-show deal worth waiting for?
Autopilot packs are often at their cheapest at the major shows, and dealers bundle installation. If your timing allows, yes.
Using it well
Using it well
Modes, tuning, alarms and the habits that make a pilot safe.
What is the difference between Auto, Wind, Track and No Drift?
Auto holds a compass heading. Wind holds an angle to the wind. Track follows a route from the plotter and corrects for tide. No Drift holds a course over the ground from where you engaged it, cancelling set without a route.
Why does my autopilot S-turn?
Gain or response is too high for the conditions, or counter rudder is too low. Reduce gain a step on flat water and retest. Adaptive systems reduce this but do not eliminate it.
Should I steer to true or apparent wind?
Apparent upwind on most boats, true downwind and on fast boats. Under spinnaker, always true.
Which alarms should I set?
Off-course, cross-track error, AIS CPA and TCPA, shallow depth, wind shift and low voltage. Set them with the installer and make sure they are audible from the bunk.
How much power does an autopilot use?
Roughly 0.4–1 A for a tiller or wheel pilot, 1–3 A for a below-deck drive on a cruising yacht, 1–2 A for a hydraulic pump on a power boat, and 3–5 A for a racing pilot worked hard. The calculator on this site turns that into amp-hours for a passage.
Can I use the autopilot to cross a bar?
No. Hand-steer every bar crossing. Disengage well outside and re-engage in clear water.
Safety and the law
Safety and the law
Lookout, tethers, overboard risk and what the rules say.
Is it legal to sail with the autopilot on and nobody at the helm?
The law requires a proper lookout at all times, not a hand on the wheel. Someone must be keeping watch and able to take the helm. An empty cockpit is a breach of Rule 5 and of state marine safety law.
What happens if I fall overboard with the autopilot engaged?
The boat keeps going. On a crewed boat it is a man-overboard recovery; on a shorthanded boat it is usually fatal. Tethers and jacklines, clipped on before leaving the companionway, are the answer.
Do the rules differ between Australian states?
The lookout duty comes from the Collision Regulations and is the same everywhere. Licensing, safety equipment and speed rules differ by state.
Can commercial vessels use autopilots?
Yes. Domestic commercial vessels under the NSCV routinely use them; the surveyor assesses steering and override arrangements and the safety management system should set out when the pilot may be engaged.
Are autopilots allowed in Australian yacht racing?
Generally, unless the class rules, notice of race or sailing instructions prohibit them, and two-handed divisions rely on them. Check the current Australian Sailing Special Regulations and the event's documents.
Training and instructors
Training and instructors
Why instruction matters and where to find it.
Why do I need training for an autopilot?
Because the modes, tuning, alarms and integration on a modern system are not obvious, and because the habits that keep a crew safe with a pilot engaged, tethers and lookout above all, are learned by doing them with someone watching.
Who teaches autopilot use in Australia?
The installer who fitted the system, Australian Sailing and RYA affiliated sailing schools, yacht club training programs, private instructors and delivery skippers, and shorthanded racing clinics. Dealers run product demonstrations.
What does autopilot instruction cost?
Indicatively $300–600 for a half-day installer handover on the water, $90–150 an hour for a private instructor, and $1,800–2,600 for a five-day Day Skipper practical that includes pilot use.
What should a good session cover?
The system on your boat, every mode, override from every station, tuning in a seaway, alarms set and tested, lookout and tether habits, power management and a failure drill. You should leave with written settings.
Is there a certificate for autopilot competence?
No formal one in Australia. The competency checklist on this site is a practical standard, and your logbook and settings card are the record.
Maintenance and problems
Maintenance and problems
Keeping it steering and what to do when it stops.
How often should an autopilot be serviced?
Annually: belts and clutches on wheel drives, lubrication and end stops on linear drives, fluid and hoses on hydraulic systems, connectors everywhere, compass calibration checked. A dealer service is indicatively $250–600.
My pilot alarms off-course all the time. What is wrong?
Usually overload: too much sail, weather helm, a slipping belt or a following sea. Reduce sail and rebalance first; then check the drive and supply voltage.
What spares should I carry offshore?
A belt for a wheel pilot, fuses, a spare drive or pump on long passages, a cockpit tiller pilot on a tiller boat, and the settings card so a replacement head can be configured.
Can lightning destroy my autopilot?
Lightning can damage marine electronics, including autopilots. Follow the vessel’s lightning and electrical guidance, avoid handling wiring during a storm, and have affected equipment assessed before relying on it. A stowed spare does not guarantee protection.
Practical planning
Practical planning
The decisions between choosing equipment and relying on it for a passage.
What should a complete installation quote include?
The drive and electronics, mounting work, steering modifications, power and network connections, commissioning and owner instruction. Ask for exclusions and the process for unexpected work in writing.Read the full guide →
What should I say at an autopilot watch handover?
State the active mode, target, next route event, relevant alarms and any unusual steering behaviour. The incoming watch should confirm how to take manual control and explicitly accept the watch.Read the full guide →
Does a second control head give me a backup autopilot?
It may cover a failed display, but normally shares the computer, sensor, power supply and drive. Trace the dependencies before deciding which failures your backup can survive.Read the full guide →
Can I trust a saved route in Track mode?
Review every leg against current information and your boat’s requirements. Understand how the pilot joins the route and handles waypoint transitions before engaging it; a route line is not a safety assessment.Read the full guide →
What should I check on an unfamiliar charter boat?
Ask the operator to demonstrate the active mode, standby and any mechanical release. Confirm permitted use and restrictions, and familiarise everyone who will keep watch.Read the full guide →
What information helps a technician diagnose a fault?
Exact model numbers, software versions, the alarm wording, mode, conditions and recent changes. Record observations separately from your suspected cause, and keep the service and trial history.Read the full guide →