Finder
Boat autopilot finder
Tell the finder how the boat is steered, how heavy it is loaded, what you do with it, what plotter is aboard and what you can spend. It returns up to four systems with the reasons they scored.
How it scores
How the autopilot finder selects a shortlist
Steering
A hard filter. A tiller boat only sees tiller pilots and systems that can drive a tiller arm; a hydraulic boat only sees pumps. Nothing else is worth showing.
Size, loaded
Checked against the drive's rated displacement with margin. Systems within a quarter of their limit are flagged; systems under it are dropped.
Use
Offshore and racing favour below-deck drives and windvanes; fishing favours hydraulic outboard packs with pattern steering; day sailing lets a cockpit unit through.
Plotter brand
A matched brand scores because screen control, one-touch route hand-off and alarm integration work best within a family. Data alone flows between any brands over NMEA 2000.
Budget
Compared with the midpoint of the indicative unit price. A shortlist that ignores budget is not a shortlist, but a budget that cannot reach the boat's drive size is the first thing to revisit.
What is not scored
Rudder-stock access, weather helm, cylinder volume and wiring. These decide the final answer and only an installer who has seen the boat can judge them.
What the finder cannot know
How does the finder choose?
It filters by steering type, checks the drive's rated displacement against your size band, then scores use, plotter brand match and budget fit. The top four are shown with the reasons that scored.
Is the shortlist a recommendation?
It is a starting point for a conversation with an installer who has seen the boat. Loaded displacement, rudder-stock access and cylinder volume all need measuring before anyone commits.
Why does no system match?
Usually because the budget is tight for the size band, or the use and steering type pull apart (for example, offshore use on a small tiller boat). Loosen one answer.