Do you have Autopilot?

[lofty]

http://akff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=37108

 

Just read this article and seen the damage done to this guys yak, made me wonder if any club boats run on auto pilot?

Lofty

[great white]

He was a lucky man to survive that.

 

No excuse on the boat. International rules of the road clearly state that you must keep a good lookout at all times.

 

Ref your question, I do not have a proper one , I have found them not to be very good at 20 knots

I just use Dan or Sam when they are available.

 

Charlie

[ospreyman]

in answer to your qustion, No, they are to dangerous there is far to much stuff out there to miss and fishing solo most of the time steering helps me to keep my rule that i dont leave the cabin when motoring

[Maverick Martin]

Wow he was one lucky (?) fella.

 

AWOL has autopilot but is never trusted on its own. AP is a great tool but needs using with care. It can't see obstructions that's the helmsman's job plus it won't make course changes without confirmation from the helmsman.

 

As I said it's a great piece of kit and helps avoid fatigue on longer journeys but it doesn't and nor can it take charge.

 

Martin

[ChrisE]

My fishing boat doesn't have an ap but my yacht does. We do a fair bit of long distance stuff and it isn't possible without one.

 

But absolutely no excuse for not keeping a good lookout in coastal waters. The excuse of the boat yawing under ap in a sea is very poor. Knowing this the skip should have been on the wheel when there's any traffic about.

 

Lucky bloke.

[duncan]

 

But absolutely no excuse for not keeping a good lookout in coastal waters.

interesting that you put that rider in there Chris!

 

definitely don't want to start a tread on the subject but eyeryone makes there own decisions about what constitutes risk - and there's no doubt that many thousands of yachts travel single handed and rely on being the SO vessel, in a range of areas.

 

this skipper was travelling faster, and the area appears to have been more 'inshore', and the abscence appears to have been 30 sec - although he didn't leave the helm...

 

2 bits of good news -

1. that skipper will never leave let his attention wander when at the helm ever again in his life

2. the yak guy seems fine.

 

I admit to being surprised that any vessel (in Aus) can be 'at sea' without the ability to make sound signals (and a handheld foghorn would have been heard) - they have a lot of regulations on going to sea.

 

I'm the auto pilot on Phaeton, but wouldn't go to sea in a yacht without one

[Mike Fox]

Like Chris I have an autohelm and use it regularly, but even on short trips, as a "spare pair of hands".

 

Mine steers a course well within 5

Edited April 19, 2012 by Mike Fox

[ospreyman]

I'm the auto pilot on Phaeton, but wouldn't go to sea in a yacht without one

is that the crux of the matter?

 

yachts down at 5 6 or 8 knots for long passages can live with the risk and adapt accordingly

 

boats at 15 20 25 and 30 knots it is more of an issue, as an example there were 60+ nets laid off sovereign harbour last weekend and the usual thing there marked with a washing up bottle you dont see at speed until they are within a min or so

[Matt]

Dad has the same arrangement as charlie...

 

Its the same as any bit of kit, used appropriatly it can be a usefull aid but shouldnt be blindly relied on- the mark 1 eyeball is still essential! Glad to hear the yakker was unhurt

[duncan]

I'm the auto pilot on Phaeton, but wouldn't go to sea in a yacht without one 

is that the crux of the matter?

 

yachts down at 5 6 or 8 knots for long passages can live with the risk and adapt accordingly

 

boats at 15 20 25 and 30 knots it is more of an issue, as an example there were 60+ nets laid off sovereign harbour last weekend and the usual thing there marked with a washing up bottle you dont see at speed until they are within a min or so

I'm not sure what adapting to a risk means, but my point was that people accept some degree of risk - they frequently think it's only to them but that's another matter!

 

Examples would be single handed yachts on passage, including what I consider coastal waters, where they will work to a sleeping pattern that they perceive to be 'safe' - for example 2hrs at 5knots in relation to what they might hit; relying on other faster parties to avoid them (or just playing the odds). All that really changes between ocean passages and offshore coastal ones is the odds.

 

My comment re not going to sea in a yacht without one comes down tot he need to leave the helm on passage from time to time - it's a necessity. I would still be keeping a watch though.