TOPIC:

Looking to add an auto pilot to our new boat.  It's an 18' Hewescraft with cable steering.  Kicker is tied to the main motor.  A bow mounted trolling motor is not an option for us due to not having the ability to charge batteries where the boat is stored.  Does anyone have an autopilot they'd recommend?  

I have a cable steer - with a Raymarine Sport Pilot, but I don't thing they make them anymore. Raymarines are good APs however. If you have a Hewes, you probably got it at Cal. Marine. It's not too expensive to convert to hydrolic steering and Frank can do that install - either just the steering or steering and AP install, I'd think. If mine conked out, that's what I'd do.  

I have a friend with Lowrance electronics on his boat and has Lowrance Auto Pilot that is controlled through his chart plotter. It works very well for him.  

One thing I will say - you will never, ever regret putting an autopilot on your boat. Mine is running probably 98% of the time, even when I'm sitting at the helm.  

I use a front mount trolling motor and have rigged heavy guage wire from my main engine charging/trolling battery to my trolling motor batteries with a switch. I can hit the switch and have my charging battery charge my trolling motor batteries when I troll. Always charged batteries as long as i am using my main engine.
 

I have a larger boat but it is power assisted cable steering. I went with Si Tex SP 120 a few years ago and its worked well for me.

I have the same boat as Tim. I have a raymarine smart pilot. It works fine but turns the wheel constantly to keep the boat straight and is very loud. I will probably be converting to hydrolic steering.

2nd what BNature said. Calumet Marine Frank Martin excellent source/install. He likes to fish also.
Autopilot will be best first mate you ever have on your boat. Your days of yelling pay attention or where the hell you going will be limited.

I have a Lowrance autopilot it works wonderfully.  I do have hydraulic steering but if you want to keep your cable steering  they make a cable steer unit as well. You must have a Lowrance graph to run the autopilot. If you already run Lowrance , you just patch it into your nmea network.  If you don't, you can get by with running smaller graph dedicated to the AP.

I decided to go with the Lowrance unit.  Hopefully it'll be installed next week while we're on vacation.  

Nice! The best investment you can make in trolling.

Hanks396 wrote:

I decided to go with the Lowrance unit.  Hopefully it'll be installed next week while we're on vacation.  
 

Did you go hydraulic or did you stick with cable steer?

Also remember,  wherever you decide to locate the Point-1,  check the location with a compass to make sure there is no magnetic interference.  Sometimes power cables ,speakers and other stuff will cause compasses to go haywire and if it does your autopilot will not work correctly