So You Need A New Autopilot?

Better Boat Electronics
Mar 7, 2019
2 min read

Updated: Apr 1, 2019

Welcome back to the Better Boat Electronics Blog. So you're tired of driving the boat out to the Islamorada Hump manually and you want or need a new Autopilot installation? Here in the Florida Keys there are many advantages to having an autopilot steer the boat for you. Especially with the new tracking software that will keep your boat in safe waters as it follows a route to your destination. Here are some factors to consider.

First, and foremost, is cost. How much is it going to cost you? Well, if you already have an existing system and the pump is good, this will save you about a thousand dollars off the price. If you need everything including the pump, then it's going to cost you around three to four thousand dollars just for the autopilot system itself. And same goes for installation. If I have to plumb a new hydraulic pump into your hydraulic system it's going to cost you more than if we can use the existing one. But the good news is that just because you have one brand of autopilot pump, doesn't mean we can't connect it to another brand's autopilot system. Which leads us to the next question...

What brand of autopilot should I get? So you have two Garmin displays and a Garmin VHF, so obviously you should get a Garmin Autopilot right? Not necessarily. There are other factors to consider other than your obsessive need to have all your electronics bare the same name. How much space do you have for locating the hydraulic pump? The Garmin Smart Pump is actually kind of large and needs a lot more room to mount than say the Raymarine hydraulic pump. And the Raymarine Autopilot will tie into your Garmin system just as smoothly as the Garmin one will. So which one do you get? There is no "best one" necessarily. It depends on what's best for you.

This is where sitting down with a knowledgeable technician can save you a lot of time and money. He or she can determine what your needs are and more importantly, what size pump you need. I can't stress this enough. You can't just put the cheapest autopilot you can find on the boat and expect it to drive the boat properly. The pump must be sized to your motor's steering cylinders and to how those cylinders are plumbed. You need to get in touch with someone like Better Boat Electronics who will take the time to look at your boat, listen to your needs, and find the autopilot that's the best fit for your boat. Come visit us at our website at www.betterboatelectronics.com or email us at info@betterboatelectronics .com for more information.

Remember, if your boat still floats, it can always be better!