Which Yacht for ARC/Med use?

[Baddox]

4) How long will the boat be at the other end

hopefully the same length as it was when it left - or do they shrink in the sun

How facetious -

and very funny. That's my kind of answer.

 

[geem]

Autohelm 7000 on an Oyster Lightwave 48. Some other boats were also steering by hand in the first four to five days.

My Raymarine autopilot brain steers via an old Neco drive. We are a 44 ft ketch with deep draft, fin and skeg. The autopilot can steer perfectly in any conditions. She steered across the Atlantic last winter in testing conditions. I would be interested to know why yours couldn't do the same job as mine.

 

[E39mad]

My Raymarine autopilot brain steers via an old Neco drive. We are a 44 ft ketch with deep draft, fin and skeg. The autopilot can steer perfectly in any conditions. She steered across the Atlantic last winter in testing conditions. I would be interested to know why yours couldn't do the same job as mine.

Was not my boat so unsure as to the exact set up of the pilot but all settings were tried! It was the sea state from two directions that caused the issue for many boats plus the Lightwave is a downwind flyer (for a cruising boat) that requires more attention than some. We doing 15 knots down the waves down to 7 on the upside. Crossed in 15 days with purely in-mast main and poled out genoa.