Using it well · 4 minute read
Autopilot watch handover checklist
Use a structured autopilot watch handover: active mode, target heading, next waypoint, alarms, steering behaviour and the route back to manual control.
An autopilot handover is a transfer of responsibility for the boat, not just a number on a display. The incoming watch needs to know what the pilot is following, what could change next, and how to take control. Keep the briefing short enough to use every time and specific enough to catch a wrong assumption.
Key facts
- Start with
- Mode and steering target
- Show
- Next route event and nearby hazards
- Confirm
- Standby and manual takeover
- Finish with
- A spoken acceptance of the watch
Hand over the active autopilot mode and target
Say whether the pilot is holding a heading, following a route or steering to wind. Then state the target and its reference. A heading of 090 degrees and a wind angle of 90 degrees can look deceptively similar when someone has just come on deck.
Point to the active mode indication on the controller. If the displayed heading is magnetic while the passage plan uses true bearings, identify that difference. Do not assume that the incoming person uses the same display page as you.
Hand over the next waypoint and manoeuvre
Show the next waypoint, the planned course change and the sea room available. Describe any route prompt that will require acknowledgement and who may accept it. Check the route visually at a useful chart scale rather than reading waypoint names alone.
Mention traffic, fishing activity, weather changes and anything that needs an earlier call to the skipper. A reliable pilot can make the deck feel quiet even as the navigation workload increases. The briefing should make the next decision visible.
Report steering response and changes in conditions
Report recent hunting, unexpected corrections, alarms or changes in drive sound. Explain any sail reduction or trim change made to reduce steering load. If you changed a response setting, give the reason and record the old value.
Watch the boat together briefly before the outgoing watch leaves. The new watch should see what normal steering looks and sounds like in the current conditions. A verbal description is much easier to interpret with that shared reference.
Demonstrate manual takeover at watch handover
Identify the local standby control and any separate mechanical release specified for the drive. A remote control is useful, but the watch must know the fixed controller and the actual steering arrangement. Keep access to the wheel or tiller clear.
If the new watch has not used this installation, complete familiarisation before relying on them. Do not improvise a first lesson near a hazard or during a squall. Bring additional crew on deck when workload exceeds the incoming watch’s experience.
Record the autopilot watch handover
The incoming watch repeats the mode, target, next event and circumstances for calling the skipper. Record time, position and relevant equipment changes. Transfer the watch explicitly so there is no interval in which each person assumes the other is responsible.
Use a short waterproof handover card beside the helm if it helps. Keep it boat-specific and revise it after a confusing handover. The point is a shared picture of the passage, not a long recital that everyone learns to ignore.
Questions
Frequently asked
Do I have to disengage the pilot at every handover?
Not necessarily. Follow the boat’s procedures and conditions; the essential step is that the incoming watch understands the mode and can take over.
What should the log include?
Time, position, active mode, steering target and relevant changes or faults. Include the next navigation event when it helps the next watch.
Can an alarm replace a watch?
No. The watch remains responsible for observing the surroundings and monitoring the boat. Alarms only support that work.
What if the incoming crew member is unsure?
Keep the experienced watch in place and explain the system. Do not transfer responsibility until the person is ready and the watch arrangement is appropriate.
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.