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Self-Steering

It’s vital to have a good and reliable self-steering system on a cruising boat. Two experienced voyagers share their combined 80 years of experience with autopilots and vane-gears.

11 Self-Steering Vane Gear Installation and Usage Tips

March 22, 2022March 16, 2022 by Colin Speedie

Self steering windvanes have a reputation of being hard to use. Reading these tips can fix that and make us love our windvane.

33 Comments
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Windvane Or Autopilot?

March 16, 2022December 8, 2011 by Colin Speedie

These days every cruiser seems to fit an autopilot, but what’s the case for a vane gear? Or maybe both.

63 Comments
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Q&A: Windvane Or Autopilot?

July 12, 2022May 19, 2007 by John Harries

Do you prefer a windvane or an autopilot for longer passages?

22 Comments
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The True Price of Autopilots & Vane Gears

April 4, 2022April 3, 2022 by John Harries

At first glance, autopilots and vane gears cost about the same, but the reality is more complicated, and important to get right.

62 Comments
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Gear Test—Autopilot

March 16, 2022April 27, 2012 by John Harries

A reliable autopilot comes right after radar as the most important piece of electronic gear We report on how our autopilot handled our 10,000-mile voyage.

54 Comments
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Q&A: Which Autopilot Drive?

July 12, 2022May 19, 2007 by John Harries

Some thoughts on autopilot drive types and reliability.

54 Comments
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Autopilot Installation Problems and Lessons Learned

July 12, 2022May 19, 2007 by John Harries

Lessons learned from a poorly installed autopilot, and how we fixed it.

1 Comment
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Nothing on this website or in direct communications received from us, or in our articles in the media, should be construed to mean or imply that offshore voyaging is anything other than potentially hazardous. Dangers such as, but not limited to, extreme weather, cold, ice, lack of help or assistance, gear failure, grounding, and falling overboard could injure or kill you and wreck your boat. Decisions such as, but not limited to, heading offshore, where you go, and how you equip your boat, are yours and yours alone. The information on this web site is based on what has worked for the authors in the past, but that does not mean it will work for you, or that it is the best, or even a good way for you to do things.