Marine Autopilots
Featured Brands
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Raymarine®Flat Mount Kit for Element 12 Displays (A80555)Flat Mount Kit for Element 12 Displays (A80555) by Raymarine®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your needs...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$49.36 - Scotty®Quick-Release Mount (367)Quick-Release Mount by Scotty®. Mounting your fish finder has never been easier with this universal fish finder mount. Designed with a multi pattern top plate to fit most popular electronic brands. The perfect mount for your 7? – 9?...Crafted with maximum comfort and functionality in mindPerfect solution for your fishing needs$29.00
- Scotty®Quick-Release Mount Base (368)Quick-Release Mount Base by Scotty®. This top-grade product is expertly made in compliance with stringent industry standards to offer a fusion of a well-balanced design and high level of craftsmanship. Manufactured from industry-leading...The Scotty Universal Sounder / Fish finder Mount uses a new multi pattern universal top plate and the patented Scotty post mount design for quick removal and adjustable rotationSimply fasten your sounder bracket to the top plate, then lock down the sounder mount into your favorite Scotty post mounting system$19.86
- Scotty®Swivel Quick-Release Mount (269)Swivel Quick-Release Mount by Scotty®. Mount Type: Standard Mount. With 241 side/deck mount. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in...Uses the patented Scotty post mount design for quick removal and infinitely adjustable rotationFits or and can be adapted to most fish finder brands including Lowrance, Eagle, Humminbird and Garmin$20.67
- Simrad®Bail Mount with Knobs for AP48 Autopilot (000-14074-001)Bail Mount with Knobs for AP48 Autopilot by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your needs and...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$49.71
- Simrad®Bail Mount with Knobs for GO9/Vulcan 9 Displays (000-13702-001)Bail Mount with Knobs for GO9/Vulcan 9 Displays (000-13702-001) by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$38.41
- Simrad®Bail Mount with Knobs for NSS9 evo³/Zeus³-9 Displays (000-13758-001)Bail Mount with Knobs for NSS9 evo³/Zeus³-9 Displays (000-13758-001) by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$41.80
- Simrad®Flat Mount Kit for GO9/Vulcan 9 Displays (000-13699-001)Flat Mount Kit for GO9/Vulcan 9 Displays (000-13699-001) by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$25.98
- Simrad®Flush Mount Kit for GO7/Vulcan 7 Displays (000-12366-001)Flush Mount Kit for GO7/Vulcan 7 Displays by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your needs and...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$33.89
- Simrad®Trim Piece Cover for GO7/Vulcan 7 Displays (000-14230-001)Trim Piece Cover for GO7/Vulcan 7 Displays (000-14230-001) by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$20.33
- Simrad®Trim Piece Cover for NSS12 evo³/Zeus³-12 Displays (000-13751-001)Trim Piece Cover for NSS12 evo³/Zeus³-12 Displays (000-13751-001) by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$23.72
- Simrad®Unit Cover for GO12 Displays (000-14147-001)Unit Cover for GO12 Displays (000-14147-001) by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your needs and...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$38.41
- Simrad®Unit Cover for GO5 Displays (000-13168-001)Unit Cover for GO5 Displays (000-13168-001) by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your needs and...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$19.20
- Simrad®Unit Cover for GO9 Displays (000-13698-001)Unit Cover for GO9 Displays (000-13698-001) by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your needs and...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$31.63
- Simrad®Unit Cover for NSS12 evo³/Zeus³-12 Displays (000-13742-001)Unit Cover for NSS12 evo³/Zeus³-12 Displays (000-13742-001) by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$45.19
- Simrad®Unit Cover for NSS7 evo³/Zeus³-7 Displays (000-13740-001)Unit Cover for NSS7 evo³/Zeus³-7 Displays (000-13740-001) by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$33.89
- Simrad®Unit Cover for NSS9 evo³/Zeus³-9 Displays (000-13741-001)Unit Cover for NSS9 evo³/Zeus³-9 Displays (000-13741-001) by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$38.41
- Simrad®Unit Cover for RS20 Radios (000-14055-001)Unit Cover for RS20 Radios by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your needs and deliver great...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$25.98
- Standard Horizon®Unit Cover for GX1600/GX1700 Radios (HC1600)Unit Cover for GX1600/GX1700 Radios (HC1600) by Standard Horizon®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$9.57
- T-H Marine®KVD Kong™ Ball Mount (SKLK-KONG-1-DP)KVD Kong™ Ball Mount by T-H Marine®. The KVD KONG electronics mount is an extreme electronics mount. The KONG is the only electronics mount truly designed and built to give a rock solid, no movement mount for the largest and heaviest...Monstrously strongTames the largest beasts of marine electronics$540.26
- T-H Marine®Kong™ Wave Tamer Black Surface Mount Bracket (SKTM-F-BK-DP)Kong™ Wave Tamer Black Surface Mount Bracket (SKTM-F-BK-DP) by T-H Marine®. Built to withstand the roughest conditions, the T-H Marine Kong Wave Tamer provides a stable, elevated platform for your on-board electronics. The original...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$81.29
- Ritchie®Helmsman™ Black Bracket Mount Compass (HB741)Helmsman™ Black Bracket Mount Compass (HB741) by Ritchie®. Whether you're a pro or boating for pleasure, make the most out of your boat and time on the water! Built with the highest quality standards and reliability in mind, every...3-3/4" CombiDamp DialAdjustable and Removable with Bracket and Thumbscrews$306.15
- Ritchie®Voyager™ White Flush Mount Compass (F82W)Voyager™ White Flush Mount Compass (F82W) by Ritchie®. Whether you're a pro or boating for pleasure, make the most out of your boat and time on the water! Built with the highest quality standards and reliability in mind, every product...3" PowerDamp Flat DialEasily Installed$191.71
- Simrad®AP44H VRF Hydraulic Autopilot Kit for up to 50' Vessels (000-13562-002)AP44H VRF Hydraulic Autopilot Kit for up to 50' Vessels (000-13562-002) by Simrad®. Includes Computer, Compass, Control Unit, Pump. This complete autopilot pack includes everything you need to upgrade your boat with a Simrad Continuum...Everything you need to build a Simrad autopilot systemIdeal for outboard and I/O boats up to 15 metres (50 feet)$4,066.87
- Simrad®AP44M VRF Hydraulic Autopilot Kit with SteadySteer™ Flow Switch for up to 35' Vessels (000-13291-002)AP44M VRF Hydraulic Autopilot Kit with SteadySteer™ Flow Switch for up to 35' Vessels (000-13291-002) by Simrad®. Includes Computer, Compass, Control Unit, Pump. This complete autopilot pack includes everything you need to upgrade...Everything you need to build a Simrad autopilot systemIdeal for outboard and I/O boats up to 10 metres (35 feet)$3,106.37
- ComNav®10' CCU/ECU Interconnect Cable (31110023)10' CCU/ECU Interconnect Cable by ComNav®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your needs and deliver great...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$176.53
- ComNav®Rotary Rudder Feedback Rebuild Kit (20330009)Rotary Rudder Feedback Rebuild Kit by ComNav®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your needs and deliver...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$211.26
- ComNav®Signal Processing Unit Distribution Box for 1001, 2001 Autopilots (20010001)Signal Processing Unit Distribution Box for 1001, 2001 Autopilots by ComNav®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$856.38
- Simrad®PCB Assembly for SD80 Autopilot Computer (000-10587-001)PCB Assembly for SD80 Autopilot Computer by Simrad®. This product is made of high-quality materials to serve you for years to come. Designed using state-of-the-art technology and with customers in mind. It will meet your needs and...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$1,015.63
- Scanstrut®ROKK Mini Suction Cup Phone Clamp (RLS-509-405)ROKK Mini Suction Cup Phone Clamp by Scanstrut®. The hi-performance system allows you to suction your phone to any rigid, clean, smooth, non-textured surface, it is engineered better for longer lasting grip. The 360 degree aluminium...Phone Clamp Top Plate secures mount for smartphones, handheld GPS and other small devices – ratchet adjustable. Fits devices from 125mm to 220mm 45mm to 95mm (1-3/4”-3-3/4”)360° Body installs your devices instantly onboard. With one reassuring click, your tech is both secured and released$98.53
If you still have not equipped your boat with an autopilot and ask yourself a question if you should do it, the answer is Yes! Like no other navigation device, a properly chosen autopilot can keep your boat on a steady course, giving you a chance to do other important tasks, as well as decrease fuel consumption and minimize helm movements. As a result, you can enjoy a relaxed time afloat without affecting the steering precision.
Though there is a range of different autopilot systems created for various types of boats and featuring a number of basic and more advanced functions, the operation principle remains unchanged. An autopilot is a self-steering device that allows the vessel to hold a steady pre-set course. To cope with the task, the autopilot combines the work of three components: a heading sensor, also referred to as the fluxgate compass, a course computer, and a drive unit. The drive unit can be hydraulically or electrically powered and applies force to the rudder to adjust and maintain the course accurately.
Picking the right autopilot compatible with your boat’s specific parameters requires careful consideration. While boat design, its size and displacement are among the vitally important parameters that should be taken into account when choosing an autopilot system, special attention should always be given to the selection of a drive unit (steering ram). As the drive unit usually takes much space, it should be compatible with the size of your vessel and the type of steering system your boat uses. There are linear (for mechanically-steered boats), rotary (for cable and chain steering systems) and hydraulic (hydraulic steering systems) ram drives.
Another crucial factor is the speed of the autopilot determined by measuring the number of degrees per second of helm correction. The average autopilot speed ranges between 8° and 15° per second. You can also choose between the above-deck and below-deck units, perfectly suited for up to 40‘ sailboats and over 38‘ sailboats and powerboats respectively. However, irrespective of the type of autopilot system, additional consideration may be needed when positioning your control unit, which should preferably be located in a relatively dry place. Controllers may be basic or more sophisticated featuring GPS, sonar, available with a touch-screen display, etc.