Can I use an autopilot app for a boat in the UK, and what equipment is required?
I have a 32-foot sailing yacht with wheel steering and an older chartplotter, and I sail mainly around the UK coast. Can I control an autopilot from my tablet, and what equipment would I need beyond the app?
Answer
Yes, you can use an app with a compatible boat autopilot in the UK, but it needs an onboard pilot computer, heading sensor and steering drive to turn the rudder. Check your existing pilot and chartplotter model numbers first: displaying charts or sharing routes over Wi-Fi does not necessarily let an app control the steering.
Check the app's controls
Three different functions are commonly sold as an autopilot app: route planning, repeating a chartplotter screen, and commanding the pilot to engage or change heading. Establish which functions the app supports before buying.
B&G's 2019 catalogue, for example, described its Link app as a virtual second navigation station, while listing the WR10 wireless remote as an accessory for controlling the Triton2 Pilot. A navigation app and a dedicated pilot remote serve different purposes.
A B&G Vulcan display provides autopilot functions when connected to a compatible pilot computer. The system supports only one autopilot computer on its network. App access depends on the display, software version and permitted remote functions; do not assume every helm control will work on a tablet.
For UK coastal sailing, someone must keep watch and be ready to steer. Maintain a proper lookout and keep a physical standby control within immediate reach.
Equipment needed to steer
A complete installation normally needs the following components, though some smaller pilots combine several in one housing:
- Pilot computer: calculates steering corrections and supplies power to the drive. It must suit the boat and steering arrangement.
- Heading sensor: supplies compass heading and, on many systems, rate-of-turn information. Ordinary phone data or GPS course over ground cannot replace the specified heading sensor.
- Steering drive: a tiller actuator, wheel drive, below-deck linear or rotary drive, or hydraulic pump.
- Control head and standby button: provide dependable local controls for engaging the pilot, changing course and returning to hand steering.
- Power and data connections: correctly sized supply cables, circuit protection and the manufacturer's supported network, often NMEA 2000 or SeaTalkng.
- App connection: a supported chartplotter or gateway with Wi-Fi, plus a compatible phone or tablet.
Some installations require a rudder-angle sensor; others make it optional. Steering to a wind angle also requires compatible wind data. Waypoint steering needs a navigation source that supplies the messages the pilot expects.
Drive choice and budget
On a 32-foot wheel-steered yacht, length alone does not determine drive size. Use loaded displacement, steering geometry and the manufacturer's limits. A heavily laden cruiser can exceed the rating of a wheel pilot that otherwise looks suitable.