Mounting Accessories

Fitting autopilot hardware securely

Control head brackets and drive unit mounts need to suit both the specific model and the mounting surface, since a bulkhead, binnacle or console mount each call for a different bracket even for the same control head. Vibration at the mount is worth taking seriously on a drive unit in particular, as a loose or flexing mount transmits noise and wear into the drive mechanism over time rather than staying contained at the bracket.

Below-decks mounting hardware for linear and rotary drives should be fitted to a solid, reinforced point rather than thin fibreglass alone, given the loads a drive unit puts through under autopilot control in a seaway.

Waterproofing at any deck-level penetration, such as a tiller pilot pin mount or exposed cabling, matters as much as the bracket itself, since water ingress at a mounting point is a common route for corrosion into connectors further down the run.