Opps.. Auto Pilots.. good or bad?

[GinjaNinja]

With this link and how it happened, what are your views on auto pilot (AP) use. Is it a case of, if your going to sleep, lay to anchor rather than risk it.?

http://www.sail-world.com/UK/Whoops---superyacht-pays-unexpected-visit-to-surfing-beach/86634

 

[Renegade_Master]

although the captain was asleep surely he had someone competent on watch?

 

[guernseyman]

I can't imagine nodding off on a coastal passage - rocks, buoys, bobbers, waypoints, other boats, and course changes all need attention.

On longer legs it is a risk, particularly if single-handing in relatively calm conditions.

 

[SolentPhill]

An auto pilot is only as the good as the person who a, set the waypoints and b, the person on watch. Auto pilots will take you from a to b, and do so better than most skipper/sailor/driver call them what you may (neck on line here) but whilst you dont have to physically steer the boat there are many things you have to watch out for, I can go from my mooring to any local marina without touching the wheel, im 2 miles up a river and its all done for me, but you still have to be on lookout for other boaters and pots etc.

anyone who sets autopilot and goes to sleep deserves all he gets.. totally irresponsible

 

[rubberduck]

My auto pilot takes the stress out of long runs, nothing more, I personally wouldn't allow it to steer without supervision, even for a few seconds.

 

[ccscott49]

My autopilot is in constant use when at sea, saves all the hassle of actually steering for long periods. But and its a big BUT, I will never allow my plotter to control the autopilot, the only interface between auto pilot and plotter, is big old hairyarsed me!

 

[AndieMac]

I will never allow my plotter to control the autopilot, the only interface between auto pilot and plotter, is big old hairyarsed me!

The first time I tried the AP/plotter interface thing, the boat was running in a huge following sea, travelling at 25 knots.
I activated the button to follow the pre-determined route thinking that it would automatically go to the next waypoint, as we had already past the first one, trying to find a better angle across the big seas.
The boat did a hard turn to port, heeled over and veered round 120 deg. to go back to find the first waypoint, throwing unsuspecting crew out of their seats........embarassing much?

 

[ccscott49]

The first time I tried the AP/plotter interface thing, the boat was running in a huge following sea, travelling at 25 knots.
I activated the button to follow the pre-determined route thinking that it would automatically go to the next waypoint, as we had already past the first one, trying to find a better angle across the big seas.
The boat did a hard turn to port, heeled over and veered round 120 deg. to go back to find the first waypoint, throwing unsuspecting crew out of their seats........embarassing much?

My case rests, yer'onour!

 

[Ripster]

The first time I tried the AP/plotter interface thing, the boat was running in a huge following sea, travelling at 25 knots.
I activated the button to follow the pre-determined route thinking that it would automatically go to the next waypoint, as we had already past the first one, trying to find a better angle across the big seas.
The boat did a hard turn to port, heeled over and veered round 120 deg. to go back to find the first waypoint, throwing unsuspecting crew out of their seats........embarassing much?

You do have to keep an eye on things agreed. Before I got used to ours, I was fiddling with the waypoint list to try and get it to ignore a previous one that was too far out (I was cutting the corner!). What I managed to do was to tell it to ignore the next one on. The boat immediately changed course and headed inshore to cross over some land that was in a direct line to the following one!

We tend to use ours in same way as many others just to keep on course in long legs whilst following a route manually.

 

[oceanfroggie]

1. This had nothing to do with auto pilot - instead no lookout or watch
2. Auto pilot is an essential aid on long passages reducing fatigue

I've done a few 14hr passages that would have been impossible to hand steer.