T&T: Auto-pilot policy

[Bob McLeran]

Same here (regarding use of the auto-pilot).

We use it even on short runs between daymarks in a narow channel - it's 
nice to be able to turn around and check your "track" against the last 
daymark you just passed, while turning the little dial in your hand to 
change the magnetic course rather than the big steering wheel (which 
then has to be counter-rotated to stay on the new course) - makes it 
much easier to line up and compensate for cross currents. BUT . . . I 
would never trust it to do the captain's/navigator's job and consider it 
foolish to even think of hooking it up electronically to a GPS or chart 
plotter to control the route turn by turn. We always put it in stand-bye 
mode when passing under bridges or close to anything metal - past 
experience (similar to that Rich described) has proven that the magnetic 
influence of nearby metal structures can dramatically affect the 
fluxgate compass.

<><><><><><><><><><><><>Mozilla Thunderbird<><><><><><><><><><>
Bob McLeran and Judy Young                  Manatee Cove Marina
M/V Sanderling                              Patrick Air Force Base
Defever 41 Trawler                          Melbourne, Florida 



On 8/4/2007 11:42 AM, Rich Gano wrote:
> Mine is OLD and doesn't interface with anything but me.  One of the biggest
> favors it ever did for me early on was to unexpectedly command itself into a
> hard right turn.  I have never trusted it since, but I use it a lot.  My
> definition of open water is anywhere I can get to and disengage the pilot
> before the it can get me into trouble or embarass (that's a term we used in
> the Navy to mean getting in the way of another ship and causing its crew any
> concern for collision) another vessel.