There are a few things on a boat you really can’t do without. Rig, sails, kettle – and, if you’re single- or short-handed, or in the habit of offshore passage-making, I’d add self-steering to the list.
In our technological world, the obvious choice is an electronic autopilot. The latest models are gyro stabilised, and switching to auto really is as simple as pressing a button. They can a steer a course, steer to wind or follow a route, and often manage to do so better than a person.
They havetwo major problems, though: battery consumption, and complexity to maintain. Although there’s often more an intelligent user can do to fix faults than the manufacturers would have us believe, doing so under way is nigh impossible.
The alternative, and the choice…
