Surprisingly it’s not so much the sophisticated electronics and display that are critical but the selection of a suitable unit to drive the rudder.
The most important decision concerns the boat’s steering system. The autopilot is not a complete system until the drive unit has been chosen. The drive unit transforms the electrical signals from the autopilot into mechanical movements which turn the boat’s rudder, stern drive or outboard motor. The existing type of steering system decides what kind of drive unit the autopilot needs to complement it. Drive units can take up a fair amount of space particularly at the mechanical connection to the rudder. The critical parameter is known as the ‘hard-over time’ which is the time it takes the rudder drive to push the rudder hard over to one extremity. This needs time needs to generally be in the region of 8 to 14 sec.
The boat’s size is rarely a critical issue in the choice of autopilot controller. However for smaller boats, it is natural to think of available space and select an autopilot that occupies the least space. The display is the visible part and often the smallest part. Autopilots may also include a control/junction box, a compass, rudder feedback unit and need connecting to the existing steering system.
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