Mark you have a "spare" engine. I know you have the standard two in a cat and you have a generator. Where do you keep the third engine? LOL.

As for welding and fixing. My vane has no gears. We'll maybe you call the pivot one gear. Has all Al under water. Does rotate on a a SS 2" pin about deck level. No I can't weld but I can do all kinds of other jury rigs to it if needed. I under engineered a turning brace and had to fix that offshore 4 years ago. But it was fixed! I doubt I could have fixed something Raymarine underdesigned. As Raymarine seems to have bought all the other Autopilot suppliers out there.

That said the only option you have on the cat is an electronic autopilot; unless you consider taking on crew. So I guess that leaves you with two options. Each boat has it's own demands on their owners.

Ciao