Marine Autopilots
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Featured Brands
- Ritchie®Navigator™ White Flush Mount Compass (FNW-203)Navigator™ White Flush Mount Compass (FNW-203) 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...4 1/2" CombiDamp Dial with Large NumeralsEasily Installed, Fits 4.75" (12.07 cm) Mounting Hole$435.81
- Ritchie®Navigator™ White Flush Mount Compass (FNW-201)Navigator™ White Flush Mount Compass (FNW-201) 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...4-1/2" PowerDamp Flat Card Dial with Large NumeralsEasily Installed, Fits 4.75" (12.07cm) Mounting Hole$416.20
- Ritchie®RitchieSport™ X-21 Black/Blue Bulkhead Mount Compass (X21BU)RitchieSport™ X-21 Black/Blue Bulkhead Mount Compass (X21BU) 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...2" (5.08cm) Direct Reading DialEasily Installed, Fits Standard 2-1/16" Instrument Hole$56.94
- Ritchie®RitchieSport™ X-21 Black/Blue Bulkhead Mount Compass (X21BB)RitchieSport™ X-21 Black/Blue Bulkhead Mount Compass (X21BB) 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...2" (5.08cm) Direct Reading DialEasily Installed, Fits Standard 2-1/16" Instrument Hole$56.94
- Ritchie®RitchieSport™ X-21 White/White Bulkhead Mount Compass (X21WW)RitchieSport™ X-21 White/White Bulkhead Mount Compass (X21WW) 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...2" (5.08cm) Direct Reading DialEasily Installed, Fits Standard 2-1/16" Instrument Hole$56.94
- Ritchie®SportAbout™ Yellow Kayak Compass with Tie-Down (X-11Y-TD)SportAbout™ Yellow Kayak Compass with Tie-Down (X-11Y-TD) by Ritchie®. Ritchie SportAbout X-11Y compass included with X-TD Tie-down mounting. Whether you're a pro or boating for pleasure, make the most out of your boat and time on the...Easy to Read 2" Direct-Reading DialHardened Steel Pivot and Sapphire Jewel Movement$71.42
- Ritchie®SuperSport™ White Flush Mount Compass (SS-5000W)SuperSport™ White Flush Mount Compass (SS-5000W) by Ritchie®. Developed for and tested on offshore race boats, the SuperSport Series compasses feature the PowerDamp® Plus dial. This dial technology features the PowerDamp® dial skirt...5" PowerDamp Plus, High-Visibility Blue Dial with Extra Large White NumeralsEasily Installed, Fits 6 1/4" (15.88 cm) Mounting Hole$894.70
- Ritchie®Tie Down for Kayaker™ Compasses (K-TD.2)Tie Down for Kayaker™ Compasses by Ritchie®. 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...No Drilling, No Holes in DeckFlexible Pad and Foam Ring Easily Conforms to Deck Shape$39.81
- Ritchie®Unit Cover for BN202 Navigator™ Compass (BN-C)Unit Cover for BN202 Navigator™ Compass (BN-C) by Ritchie®. Protective front cover for Navigator bulkhead mount. Whether you're a pro or boating for pleasure, make the most out of your boat and time on the water! Built with the...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$33.41
- Ritchie®Unit Cover for Globemaster™ Binnacle Mount Compass (GM-5-C)Unit Cover for Globemaster™ Binnacle Mount Compass (GM-5-C) by Ritchie®. Protective cover for Globemaster binnacle models. Whether you're a pro or boating for pleasure, make the most out of your boat and time on the water! Built with...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$64.44
- Ritchie®Unit Cover for Globemaster™ Flush Mount Compass (LL-C)Unit Cover for Globemaster™ Flush Mount Compass (LL-C) by Ritchie®. Protective cover for Globemaster, Super Yacht and SuperSport flush mount compasses (must have low level lighting). Fits: FB-500, SF-500, SS-5000, SS-5000W, SY-500LL,...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$40.20
- Ritchie®Unit Cover for New Style Helmsman™/SuperSport™ Compasses (H-741-C)Unit Cover for New Style Helmsman™/SuperSport™ Compasses (H-741-C) by Ritchie®. Protective cover for old style Helmsman and SuperSport compasses. Fits HB-740, HB-741, HB-845, HF-742, HF-742W, HF-743, HF-743W, HD-744, HD-745,...Engineered to high standardsHigh-grade design delivers extended lifespan$29.67
- Ritchie®Voyager™ Black Bracket Mount Compass (B-80)Voyager™ Black Bracket Mount Compass 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 is...3" PowerDamp Flat DialAdjustable and Removable with Bracket and Thumbscrews$176.59
- Ritchie®Voyager™ Black Flush Mount Compass (RU-90)Voyager™ Black Flush Mount Compass 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 is...High-Visibility Blue 3" Dial with Extra Large NumeralsEasily Installed$151.25
- Ritchie®Voyager™ Wheelmark Black Bracket Mount Compass (B-81-WM)Voyager™ Wheelmark Black Bracket Mount Compass by Ritchie®. The Wheelmark approval is for Lifeboat and Rescue boat compasses. These compasses are also suitable for sailboats, power boats and motor sailing vessels. The -WM suffix...Wheelmark Certification3" CombiDamp Dial$165.51
- Ritchie®Voyager™ White Binnacle/Surface Mount Compass (S-87W)Voyager™ White Binnacle/Surface Mount Compass (S-87W) 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,...3" CombiDamp DialCompact low-profile design$168.95
- Ritchie®X-Port Tactician™ White/Blue Binnacle/Surface Mount Compass (XP-98W)X-Port Tactician™ White/Blue Binnacle/Surface Mount Compass 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...3" CombiDial with Tactical Quadrants show Wind Shifts and HeadersCourseMinder™ Moveable Bezel & Heading Indicator Locks-In Rhumb or Lay Lines$100.07
- SI-TEX®Vector 200 Surface/Pole Mount Compass with NMEA0183 Connection (VECTOR200-0)Vector 200 Surface/Pole Mount Compass with NMEA0183 Connection (VECTOR200-0) by SI-TEX®. 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...L1 GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSSOptional 30 cm RMS world-wide positioning accuracy with Atlas corrections$1,982.76
- SI-TEX®Vector 200 Surface/Pole Mount Compass with NMEA2000 Connection (VECTOR200-2)Vector 200 Surface/Pole Mount Compass with NMEA2000 Connection (VECTOR200-2) by SI-TEX®. 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...L1 GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSSOptional 30 cm RMS world-wide positioning accuracy with Atlas corrections$1,510.45
- SI-TEX®Vector G1 Surface/Pole Mount Compass (VECTORG1)Vector G1 Surface/Pole Mount Compass by SI-TEX®. 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 is...Small compact all-in-one maintenance free unitFull compatible with MNMEA 2000 or 0183 equipment: Autopilots, Radar, AIS, Plotters, etc$1,926.84
- SI-TEX®Vector G2 Surface/Pole Mount Compass (VECTORG2)Vector G2 Surface/Pole Mount Compass by SI-TEX®. 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 is...Precise 2D heading and positioning dataHeading accuracy of better than 0.5 degrees$2,553.38
- SI-TEX®Vector Pro G1 Surface/Pole Mount Compass (VECTOR PRO G1)Vector Pro G1 Surface/Pole Mount Compass by SI-TEX®. 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...Small compact all-in-one maintenance free unitFully compatible with NMEA 2000 or 0183 equipment: Autopilots, Radar, AIS, Plotters, etc.$2,549.53
- SI-TEX®Vector Pro G2 Surface/Pole Mount Compass (VECTOR PRO G2)Vector Pro G2 Surface/Pole Mount Compass by SI-TEX®. Experience superior navigation from the accurate heading and positioning performance available with the Vector Pro G2 Series GPS Compass. This product is made of high-quality...The rugged enclosure combines GPS’ Crescent Vector board and two multipath-resistant antennas for simple installationThe half-meter length smart antenna mounts easily to a flat surface or pole$3,305.23
- Simrad®HS60 White GPS Antenna/Compass with Surface/Pole Mount (000-12308-001)HS60 White GPS Antenna/Compass with Surface/Pole Mount by Simrad®. The Simrad HS60 GPS compass provides boaters with accurate heading and position data suitable for use with Simrad chartplotters, autopilots, radar, and AIS transponder...Compass and GPS receiver in oneTracks heading, position, heave, roll, and pitch$1,243.00
- Simrad®HS75 Compass (000-15585-001)HS75 Compass by Simrad®. The multi-GNSS HS75 supports GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and QZSS for pinpoint global positioning and heading accuracy. The HS75 offers a powerful combination of simple installation, small form factor, and...Supports all current global GNSS constallations, GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSSSmall form factor$2,802.40
- Simrad®Precision-9 Bulkhead/Surface Mount Compass (000-12607-001)Precision-9 Bulkhead/Surface Mount Compass by Simrad®. The Precision-9 Compass supplies accurate heading and rate-of-turn information to Simrad autopilot, radar and navigation systems over an NMEA2000 connection. With an internal array...Heading, Rate Of Turn (ROT), pitch and roll output over NMEA2000Accurate and reliable solid-state sensor technology$789.87
- Lowrance®Outboard Pilot Cable-Steer Autopilot Kit (000-11749-001)Outboard Pilot Cable-Steer Autopilot Kit by Lowrance®. Includes Computer, Compass. Autopilot pack for Lowrance High Definition System (HDS) displays, providing automatic steering for hydraulic-steer outboard motors. An extra pair of...Steer your outboard motor to a heading, waypoint, route or cursor, with control from your HDS Gen2 displayNew Lowrance SmartSteer™ interface provides control of both your hydraulic-steer outboard motor, as well as the MotorGuide Xi5 Pinpoint electric-steer trolling motor$1,449.00
- Accu-Steer®12V Hydraulic Pump (HRP17-12)12V Hydraulic Pump (HRP17-12) by Accu-Steer®. Fits Cylinder Capacity: 16 - 30 in³. Peak Flow Rate (No Load): 96 in³/min. The Accu-Steer series of hydraulic reversing pump units are designed to interface hydraulic steering systems with...Rugged compact constructionEasy installation$674.72
- Accu-Steer®12V Hydraulic Pump (HRP11-12)12V Hydraulic Pump (HRP11-12) by Accu-Steer®. Fits Cylinder Capacity: 10 - 16 in³. Peak Flow Rate (No Load): 60 in³/min. The Accu-Steer series of hydraulic reversing pump units are designed to interface hydraulic steering systems with...Rugged compact constructionEasy installation$740.33
- Accu-Steer®12V Hydraulic Pump (HRP05-12)12V Hydraulic Pump (HRP05-12) by Accu-Steer®. Fits Cylinder Capacity: 5 - 9 in³. Peak Flow Rate (No Load): 30 in³/min. The Accu-Steer series of hydraulic reversing pump units are designed to interface hydraulic steering systems with...Rugged compact constructionEasy installation$660.95
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.