Installation · 4 minute read
Autopilot sea trial log
Build a useful autopilot sea-trial record with boat loading, conditions, calibration results, steering observations, alarms and follow-up work.
A sea-trial log turns a one-off commissioning trip into a reference for future faults and changes. Record the boat, conditions, settings and observations so an installer can distinguish a configuration problem from different loading or weather. It complements the manufacturer’s commissioning procedure; it does not replace it.
Key facts
- Baseline
- Boat configuration and software versions
- Observe
- Both steering directions and normal speeds
- Record
- Conditions alongside every result
- Keep
- An unresolved-work list
Record the boat before the trial
List the installed drive, computer, heading sensor and control head. Add firmware versions, power supply and data sources. Record fuel and water loading, sail configuration and anything unusual about the steering. Photographs of labels and settings reduce transcription errors.
Use the exact product manual for commissioning. Different installations have different prerequisites, and some need a rudder reference or particular calibration sequence. Mark each required step as complete, deferred or unsuccessful rather than using a single general tick.
Write down the test conditions
Log wind, sea state, current, visibility and available sea room. Identify whether a result was under sail or engine and record the speed source. Conditions matter because a calm-water baseline cannot demonstrate how the boat will behave in a following sea.
Choose a suitable trial area with the skipper and installer. Keep navigation and lookout responsibilities separate from recording observations where crew numbers allow. Stop a test if traffic or changing weather makes the area unsuitable.
Record steering response before adjusting settings
Record heading stability, overshoot after a commanded change, drive activity and rudder behaviour. Note whether an issue occurs in both directions or only under a particular load. A repeatable symptom is more useful than saying the pilot feels wrong.
Change one permitted setting at a time, under the installer’s direction, and keep the previous value. If steering resistance, incorrect drive direction or an alarm appears, return to diagnosis rather than masking the problem with more aggressive tuning.
Demonstrate controls and alarms
Record the modes actually tested and any required source data. Include manual takeover, return to standby and the crew’s familiarity with them. Use only manufacturer-approved checks for alarms; do not create an uncontrolled fault to prove a point.
Confirm what remains untested. Wind steering may need conditions that are absent on the day. A route-following demonstration needs a safe reviewed route and an understood waypoint-transition procedure. Describe these limitations in the handover.
Finish with an acceptance record
Separate successful checks from follow-up items. For each unresolved item, assign an owner and next step. Save the final configuration and wiring documentation so later updates or repairs do not erase the baseline.
Repeat relevant checks after steering repairs, sensor relocation or substantial configuration changes. Keep the old record: comparing before and after is often the quickest way to understand why behaviour has changed.
Questions
Frequently asked
Does one trial prove offshore readiness?
No. It shows performance in the tested conditions. Build familiarity progressively and record what has not yet been demonstrated.
Who should keep the log?
Both owner and installer should have a copy. The boat should also carry the relevant operating instructions and final settings.
Should I intentionally disconnect a sensor?
Only when the manufacturer’s test procedure and the supervising technician call for it in controlled conditions. Do not manufacture faults during normal navigation.
When should the trial be repeated?
After changes that can affect steering or data, and whenever unexplained behaviour remains. The installer can specify the appropriate scope.
Practise autopilot operation with an instructor
Habits are learned at the helm with someone watching. The training section explains what a good instructor covers and where to find one in your state.