self driving boats

Dave R · 09-18-2019, 08:08 AM

My boat came with auto-pilot and I thought it might be nice on occasion, until I started using it. WOW, it is awesome. I only use it to hold a heading (not to follow a route), but it dramatically improves the boating experience and reduces fatigue on long passages. I hardly touch my wheel at all now and use auto-pilot to steer 98% of the time. When I was transiting the Erie Canal earlier this year, I found it incredibly useful to maintain a perfectly straight course on the long straight sections of the canal. I also got very good at steering with incremental heading degree changes on the auto-pilot push buttons when I went through turns. I don't think I'd ever have a boat without it now.

09-18-2019, 08:08 AM	#11
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 2,985 Thanks: 246 Thanked 744 Times in 444 Posts	My boat came with auto-pilot and I thought it might be nice on occasion, until I started using it. WOW, it is awesome. I only use it to hold a heading (not to follow a route), but it dramatically improves the boating experience and reduces fatigue on long passages. I hardly touch my wheel at all now and use auto-pilot to steer 98% of the time. When I was transiting the Erie Canal earlier this year, I found it incredibly useful to maintain a perfectly straight course on the long straight sections of the canal. I also got very good at steering with incremental heading degree changes on the auto-pilot push buttons when I went through turns. I don't think I'd ever have a boat without it now.