CPT Autopilot Operation Manual
© 2018 CPT AUTOPILOT INC.
VERSION 22
PAGE 5 OF 21
Hold the boat steady on desired heading about 30 seconds, engage clutch, then flip to Hold Heading. Keeping
the boat on heading for a longer period before flipping to Hold Heading will allow the pilot to match your
heading more closely.
When toggled to Standby, the pilot is on standby and the motor will not turn. The clutch can now be
disengaged for hand steering.
During the warm-up period the sensor heading will drift. Allow at least 1 minute for the pilot to warm-up
before flipping to Hold Heading, otherwise pilot will respond to drift and correct in one direction once/second
when more than 5-degrees from boat’s heading.
1° and 10° Buttons
The push-buttons allow you to alter the target heading in 1° and 10° increments. The target heading is altered
when the button is released. Pressing and releasing once alters the target heading once, pressing and releasing
twice alters the target heading twice, pressing and releasing three times alters the target heading three times,
etc. The deadband setting will affect how close the boat stays to the target heading. Due to differences between
boats, heading adjustments are not exact; check your ship’s compass after settling on the new heading.
It is easy to lose track when pressing buttons multiple times, and you may overshoot the desired heading if the
boat is slow to respond due to currents or conditions. In these cases flip to Standby and then back to Hold
Heading when the desired heading is reached or flip to Standby and steer to the new heading manually.
A note about the 1° button response:
When you push the 1° button, the new target heading will change by one degree, but you
will not
see an
immediate motor response until the boat strays out of the deadband range. The tightest course-holding is
when the deadband is set to the lowest setting (min), which allows a “dead-range” of about two degrees. If the
bow of the boat strays more than about one degree port or starboard the pilot will take corrective action with
the 1° button; when the boat is within that range there will be no immediate motor response.
Tacking
Tack angles are approximate and will vary from boat to boat based on the magnetic environment and rudder
response. You will have to see which angle works best for your boat. In general, point as high as you can while
keeping good boat speed before tacking. Set deadband low to keep the boat close to the new tack heading.
Simultaneously hold down the 1° and 10° buttons for the direction you wish to tack. Keep both buttons pressed
for five seconds. Release buttons to tack.
Port Tack: Simultaneously press Port 1° and 10° for five seconds and release.
Starboard Tack: Simultaneously press Starboard 1° and 10° for five seconds and release
The rudder control must be properly set and the boat must have adequate speed and rudder response for the
tacking feature to work correctly. Keep an eye on boat response to avoid hitting the rudder stops; flip to
Standby and hand steer if boat does not respond to the tack well or gets caught in irons. Making inadequate
headway, pointing too high, or having unbalanced sails can cause the boat to lose speed and have poor
response to the rudder—go to Standby and disengage the clutch to avoid hitting rudder-stops. If the boat is not
tacking far enough, the tack angle can be increased; if tacking too far the tack angle can be decreased.
Depending on the conditions and the boat’s momentum, the boat may carry slightly past the tack before
correcting to the final heading.
Adjusting the Tack Angle
The autopilot comes from the factory with the Tack Angle set to 100°. The deadband dial shows Tack Angle
settings from 60°-120°. Turn the deadband dial to the desired tack angle. Hold the 10° Port and 10° Starboard
buttons down simultaneously for two seconds then release them. Remember to return the deadband dial to
desired deadband setting afterwards.
