The Autosteer in action

Watch the wake behind the boat to see how the Auto steer brings the boat back on course even with a following sea

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Blue Water Countdown by Geoff Pack

"… the Cornish made Auto-Steer, which has received a great deal of favourable comment from those who've used it. Two versions are available, the same head unit, with horizontal-axis vane, operating either a servo-pendulum with tiller lines, (or lines to a wheel drum for wheel steering), or a trim tab on the trailing edge of transom-hung rudders. Other than being beautifully engineered, one of the big advantages of the Auto-Steer is its portability (servo-pendulum unit), it is very simple to remove and stow below. For those who feel that vane gears detract from the looks of their yacht this is a boon, on a more practical level it divorces the fatal attraction that dinghies and vane gears have for each other."

"In April you sent an Auto-Steer unit to me in Auckland. After some headaches with New Zealand customs the unit fitted perfectly. Five and a half thousand miles later in Singapore it is as good as when I fitted it. I found it behaved perfectly in all conditions and was everything I hoped it would be. When I finish the next leg of the circumnavigation (Singapore to the Med.) I plan to write an article for Practical Boat Owner about my varied experience with different self-steering systems. It is good to know that I will be able to finish with a description of the ideal unit for my boat."
Behaved perfectly in all conditions.
David L., Bristol, England.

Beautifully engineered.
James C. Ontario, Canada.

" I have recently returned from a two year voyage to South America in my yacht Iris Mary, fitted with a Trim Tab self steering gear which worked a trim tab which I had fitted before purchasing your gear. The system worked well, and it's best feature was that the worse the conditions became, the more positive was it's control of the boat. It held her running dead downwind under bare poles for 24 hours without a single broach, in the largest seas which we have experienced."
Running dead downwind under bare poles.
Bill J., St. Lucia, West Indies

"My Auto-Steer performed superbly all the way from the UK. The crossing of the Atlantic from Porto Mogan Gran Canaria was a doddle. Even in near calm going down wind at under 2 knots I was able to trust it implicity.

… poled out the genny with a preventer to stabilise the pole and finished the trip without exertion, single handed in fourteen days. The Auto-Steer did all the work Marvellous!"
Auto-Steer did all the work.
Ken E., Anguilla, West Indies

"Your gear worked wonderfully for the first 5600 miles we sailed so far, and we had wind in excess of 50km on several occasions …"
Worked wonderfully.
Rick W., La Palma, Canary Islands.

" We are leaving today for either Cape Verde's or Barbados depending on how things are going. We've had to wait a while for the anticyclone to move from UK! The steering (Auto-Steer) has worked wonderfully and have even passed on your address to other cruising yachts."
Worked wonderfully.
Graeme H., Texas, USA.

" I can not praise your trim tab system too much. Attached to my South Coast One Design (SCOD) it has taken me from England down to the Cape Verde Islands and thence across to the Caribbean. During all the passage making I have probably only hand steered for one day. From running down the trades to weathering a few gales my Auto-Steer has truly been worth two extra crew. Engineering excellence is to be able to achieve a task in the simplest possible manner. The Auto-Steer does exactly this with its simple rugged construction of durable materials. I sometimes observe other steering systems with their shiny intricate watch like mechanisms and wonder how long they may last."

Worth two extra crew.

Originals of these letters may be seen at Hydra Engineering.