I was only responding to his statements. It is a good thing we aren't in his cruising circle - we are so far removed from his "real cruiser" catechism that I am happy not to cause him apoplexy.

I agree that personal discussions give different perspectives than websites, but Evans and Beth spend several paragraphs describing in detail their experiences with AP and vanes, and place these descriptions in specific categories. It would be difficult to believe that they actually meant something else, or that I read into it more than they intended.

And we got a bit far from the original topic. Again, I CAN'T fit or use a windvane on our boat. If we didn't have a catamaran, it is very unlikely that we would own a monohull that could use a windvane safely, if at all. Does this mean we should not be out cruising, or that only those types of boats that can use windvanes should be used for cruising?

The answer, of course, is no. There are robust and equally valid options for these boats. Options that are as rugged and fixable in general usage as windvanes. Catastrophic failure modes are common to both types of self-steering (we got hit by lighting and Hawk lost two rudder assemblies - problems which left both boats without self-steering until port could be made). Both types of self-steering have compromises and advantages (an AP can adjust for current and leeway but uses a lot of juice when the going is tough. A vane needs wind and has a hard time steering in variable wind/wave conditions, but can steer forever without using the batteries).

I am beginning to suspect that most of the negative comments regarding AP's, particularly those coming from people who predominantly use vanes, are based on experiences with tillerpilots and wheelpilots. I agree that vanes steer better than those and that people using them are often waiting in ports for replacement/repair of them. Those types of autopilots are for occasional usage on smaller boats in protected conditions. I rarely hear anyone with correctly installed below deck pilots complain about them or always be waiting for repair/replacement. Except for those with Raymarine ones

And it isn't just the "newer generation" of pilots that are performing well. Robertson, WH, Alpha, and many more have made robust, trouble-free AP's for decades. None of the fishing boats in the North Sea or Bering Straits are using windvanes, and a couple of those boats have experienced conditions even tougher than the South Pacific for months on end, year after year, without problems using the same systems installed in well-found cruising boats. I wouldn't call them "hacks --dreamers--motorers talkers and incompetents".

At least not to their face.

Mark