T&T: Autopilots on Auto..Auto..Auto

[Ron Rogers]

It's really a question of when to use an autopilot and when not to. Is it 
actually more dangerous to use the GPS than it is to use a fluxgate compass? 
Where the use of an autopilot is appropriate, I'd rather have the GPS 
guiding it to a waypoint rather than the autopilot responding to a fluxgate 
compass - especially if I'm try to save fuel.

A human must remain on watch and the autopilot allows me to check my course 
over ground and maintain a watch for other vessels visually and on radar. 
Other than in confined waters or in a storm, I find manual steering boring. 
But then, I sailed with an autopilot and devoted my time to trimming sails 
and looking for other vessels under the genoa.

With a new autopilot, I intend to steer with the autopilots knob. If I'm 
running two GPS units, I can keep one with the number of good satellite 
screen up to catch the now rare occasions when the constellation offers too 
few good satellites for a fix. Let's add one more place not to rely upon the 
autopilot linked to GPS - in proximity to any defense installation. They 
often disrupt the accuracy of the GPS signal. Transiting Norfolk I was 
driving on a parallel surface road.

Ron Rogers
A frequent single-hander (not counting the dogs.)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Maurice" <mikem@yachtsdelivered.com>


|I have been meaning to write something about using the GPS to drive the
| autopilot. You may recall that I don't like this mode of operation and
| herewith are some more of my reasons.