T&T: Autopilots

[Milt Baker]

Although I've never had a W-H autopilot on my own boats, I have done several 
thousand miles including an Atlantic crossing aboard yachts with W-H autopilots, 
and I can attest to the fact that they do the job well and reliably.  Biggest problem 
with them, as I see it, is that Will Hamm, owner of the company, is pretty much a 
one-man show.  Whenever we had problems, we telephoned Will and he told us 
how to make the necessary adjustments.  Once we had to return an AP for a rebuild, 
and it was returned quickly and working perfectly.

As admirable as that may be, the company has no depth beyond its founder-owner-
manager-chief technician, and the day will come when Will gets too old to continue or 
gets hit by a bus or sells the company or otherwise disappears from the scene.   God 
only knows what will happen to those with W-H autopilots then.  And that's why I 
DIDN'T spec W-H autopilots for my boat.  

For the record, the Simrad AP26 autopilots aboard my boat have worked extremely well.  
Yes, just as well as the W-H pilots I was shipmates with.  And while there are no 
guarantees, I have more confidence in the longevity of Simrad!

One guy's opinion.

--Milt Baker, Nordhavn 47 Bluewater, Southwest Harbor, ME

Bucks 2 wrote:

I have a WH autopilot on my 40 Puget Trawler. I've had/used  several other 
"name brand" units and I would check with WH first. WH will make  your 
system work right with the other equipment you have installed. 
They are a semi-custom unit with a reasonable price. My unit  is 29 years 
old. A few years ago I called to get a remote unit for my, new  to me boat. A 
fellow named Wil Helm (Maybe the W H in the company name????)  called me on 
the phone, knew the model I had, and talked me thru the  process to decide 
what I needed. My unit is not integrated to the chart plotter  or any other 
devise, it simply holds me on a compass course which is  exactly what I 
want.  
As the world turns, an older couple was on my boat at a  rendezvous and 
mentioned that he had gone to school with Wil and talked at  length about how 
they would have no other auto pilot on their boat either.  Another world 
cruising couple has two of WH's systems on their boat. I wish I  remembered the 
web site, but I was impressed with their recommendation also. 
 
As always, your mileage may vary, but for me, WH is the cat's  meow.