Allan Foster posted a blog post

We've just crossed the Atlantic using our Type 2 + SPX 10 autopilot to steer us all the way - it worked very well and never appeared to be under any strain. My concern is the amount of power it uses and as I plan to buy another Rotary Drive to keep on board as a spare I'm wondering if a Type 1 Rotary Drive could  be an alternative than would reduce energy consumption significantly.   Our boat is long keeled and weighs ~13 Tonnes.  The steering is highly geared, so much so that you can always turn the wheel using your little finger whatever the conditions. We find that reducing the response level to 3 helps a little but by entering any lower value we tend to wander excessively when using a 'Wind' course.I guess there are probably two elements to the electricity consumption, the power needed to engage the clutch and the power needed to turn the motor. What are the power ranges of these elements of the respective Rotary Drives and am I being sensible to consider the Type 1 as an alternative? Any thoughts ideas would be appreciated.See More