Autopilot Power Consumption

[Intentional Drifter]

Thank you, all, for your comments and feedback. It took me awhile to get the exact model numbers that Lagoon is specifying for the boat, but it is a type 2 linear drive on a ST6001, so it sounds similar to Elusive's.

In answering the question for the energy budget, it looks like a conservative plan would be to allow for about 65 per day at the top end, knowing that most days (assuming mild to moderate conditions and a balanced boat) will be much less.

Again, thank you. I keep learning things, and that is, after all, one of the attractions for doing this.

ID

[Strygaldwir]

WE have an ST6001 with S2g corepack and linear drive. We are on a Privilege 37 catamaran. The ST6001 gives you 9 levels of responsiveness. The lower level responds slower and actuates the drive a lot less. The upper levels respond almost instantly to course deviaions caused by wind or current. If you set your "response" level at 1, the autopilot seems like it only responds every 15 or 10 seconds or so. At level 9 it seems like it is constantly correcting.

I tried looking at the energy consumption while I was sailing. I had the "response" set at 3. It seemed like on average it was about 2 amps per hour. It is difficult to say for certain because I have solar panels and wind generators that were giving me variable input and refrigeration, music, fans and heads going during the 3 hours I was at pure sail. Sailing on a catamaran requires a lot less rudder and corrections than a monohull. I have had the autopilot fall into standby and not notice for 15 minutes because the boat was holding course. Heavy winds and seas change that equation, but any really heavy seas I am at the helm anyway.

You'll probably find the autopilot is less of an energy consumer than other things on the boat. You may find you motor sail a lot more than you expected! That has been one of my biggest surprises!

Keith