Training
Find an autopilot instructor Australia
There is no directory of autopilot instructors because it is not a recognised specialty. There are six kinds of people who teach it well. Here is how to find them, what to ask and what to pay.
Start with the installer who fitted the system, add a sailing school or private instructor for the habits, and use your club or cruising association for the watchkeeping culture. Two of the three is usually enough; all three is what a crew preparing for Bass Strait or the Coral Sea should aim for.
This site does not list businesses by name. Providers change, and a recommendation that was right last season may not be next. Instead, the state and regional pages describe the local training landscape, and the questions below sort the good from the rest in a five-minute phone call.
Providers
Autopilot instructor and training provider types
Sailing schools
Australian Sailing and RYA affiliated schools in every capital teach autopilot use within keelboat, Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper practical courses, and many will run a private session on your own boat. Ask whether the instructor has offshore miles with a pilot, not just a syllabus.
Related →Marine electronics installers
The installer who fitted the system knows its menus better than anyone. A paid half-day handover on the water after commissioning is the most cost-effective instruction available. Insist on being aboard for the sea trial.
Related →Yacht clubs and cruising associations
Club training officers, cruising divisions and coastal cruising associations run seminars and mentoring. They are strongest on watchkeeping, passage planning and the habits that keep crews safe.
Related →Private instructors
Experienced delivery skippers and independent instructors offer on-board tuition by the hour. Good ones will teach pilot failure drills and tether discipline as part of it. Check references and insurance.
Related →Manufacturer and dealer workshops
Raymarine, Garmin, Navico and Furuno dealers run product evenings and boat-show demonstrations. Useful for menus and features; not a substitute for time on your own boat.
Related →Race training and two-handed clinics
Shorthanded racing clinics run by clubs and specialist coaches teach pilot-driven manoeuvres, true-wind steering and tuning at a level cruisers rarely see. Worth attending even if you never race.
Related →The phone call
Questions to ask an autopilot instructor
- How many offshore miles have you sailed with an autopilot engaged, and on which systems?
- Will you teach on my boat, with my pilot, in a seaway?
- Do you cover tether discipline and a pilot failure drill, not just the menus?
- Can you show me how to tune gain and response and write the settings down?
- Will you explain Wind, Track and No Drift and when each is wrong?
- Do you set the alarms with me and test that they wake me?
- How do you teach the lookout with the pilot engaged?
- What do you do when a crew member cannot disengage the pilot within three seconds?
- Are you insured for instruction on a private vessel?
- What will I be able to do at the end that I could not do at the start?
- A session that never leaves the marina berth
- An instructor who cannot explain apparent versus true wind steering
- No mention of Rule 5 or tethers in the plan
- A demonstration of features instead of practice at the helm
- No written settings or checklist at the end
- Pressure to buy a product rather than learn the one you have
- Installer handover, half day on the water
- $300–600
- Private instructor on your boat, per hour
- $90–150
- Sailing school private session, half day
- $450–800
- RYA Day Skipper practical, 5 days, includes pilot use
- $1,800–2,600
Where you sail
Training by state and region
Questions
Frequently asked
How do I find an autopilot instructor near me?
Start with the installer who fitted the system, then Australian Sailing and RYA affiliated schools in your capital, then your yacht club's training officer. Ask each for an on-water session on your own boat. The state pages on this site describe the local training landscape.
Do sailing schools teach autopilot use?
Yes, within keelboat, Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper practical courses, and many will run a private session focused on your pilot. Depth varies by instructor, so ask about their offshore experience with pilots.
What should a handover session include?
Every mode, override from every station, tuning in a seaway, alarms set and tested, a failure drill, and written settings. Half a day on the water is the minimum.
Is there a certificate for autopilot competence?
No formal one in Australia. Competence shows up in your logbook, your settings card and your crew's habits. The checklist on this site is a practical standard to work to.
Autopilot training options in remote locations
The installer's handover plus the competency checklist plus a season of deliberate practice gets most owners there. Start with the checklist.