Wheel Pilots
Marine Wheel Autopilots for Powerboats
Self-contained wheel autopilots for wheel-steered vessels. Our collection features compact, easy-to-install autopilots from Raymarine, Simrad, and Garmin designed for powerboats and motor yachts.
Complete Autopilot: Part of our Autopilots collection. Compare with cable & rotary drives, inboard pilots, or tiller pilots. Add autopilot controllers. Integrate with GPS chartplotters and marine instruments via NMEA 2000.
What a wheel pilot needs to work
A wheel pilot drives the boat's existing steering wheel directly through a friction or belt drive rather than connecting into the hydraulic or cable steering system itself, which is what makes it comparatively simple to fit on a powerboat compared with an inboard or cable and rotary drive that has to be plumbed or linked into the steering mechanically. That simplicity also means the wheel itself has to turn freely and without excessive friction, since the drive unit is only overcoming the resistance already present in the steering.
Course data comes from a fluxgate compass and, on most current systems, a rate gyro for faster response in following seas, both networked to the autopilot computer over NMEA 2000 alongside GPS and chartplotter data for route following. A dedicated autopilot controller at the helm gives quicker access to course changes and standby than reaching for the chartplotter menu, and is worth adding if the wheel pilot will be used regularly.
