Seeker Knowledge
Project
Navigation & Electronics
Active / evolving
The electronics used to navigate and operate Seeker, including radar, AIS, chartplotters, autopilot, communications, weather information, and passage-planning tools.
Featured video
Navigation Electronics - Part 1 - Selecting a System
Published 2021-03-15
Start here for the Navigation & Electronics story.
Starts at 00:04
Videos
Videos follow the project timeline. When Part 1 of a series is reached, the complete series stays together before the timeline resumes.
Components & concepts
- Autopilot Navigation System
- Radar Curated project member; entity page not yet reviewed.
- AIS Curated project member; entity page not yet reviewed.
- Navigation Curated project member; entity page not yet reviewed.
Principles demonstrated
Evidence sources
Sources are ordered by their role and reliability, not by volume.
Journey
- Journey links will be added as the history is reviewed.
Sources and discussion
Primary evidence appears first. Community discussion follows. Outside forums are commentary and may include speculation or inaccuracies.
Primary evidence
Videos
Videos, transcripts, website material, and Doug-authored project posts.
14 additional references are indexed for search.
Primary evidence
Transcripts
Videos, transcripts, website material, and Doug-authored project posts.
Autopilot Part 1 - and lots of other boat stuff
autopilot. The autopilot runs the
Autopilot Part 1 - and lots of other boat stuff
that much for the autopilot but we all
Autopilot Part 1 - and lots of other boat stuff
all the time while the autopilot's on so
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
autopilot to lock that valve that lets
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
when I turn the autopilot on I just got
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
feature in the autopilot. Let's me do
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
it through the autopilot because it has
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
is why on most boats when the autopilot
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
autopilot's on and yeah it can break
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
this boat and use the autopilot you
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
autopilot to turn on that locking
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
engaging the autopilot. It'll do it
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
with the autopilot, they want to lock
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
to flip my switch in time this autopilot
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
the autopilot controller. It's a relay
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
not from the autopilot but just another
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
hot. So basically the autopilot says oh
Autopilot Part 2 - Fireworks
autopilot will just have to feed one
Autopilot - Part 3 - Now just turn it on and see why it doesn't work - Patron Only
autopilot pump on that's the signal out
Autopilot - Part 3 - Now just turn it on and see why it doesn't work
autopilot pump on that's the signal out
Autopilot - Part 3 - Now just turn it on and see why it doesn't work
sailboat autopilot ramp pump and look at
Anchor Winch Rebuild - Part 11 - Capstans & Lead
leaning up against it and the autopilot
Hull Cleaning and a review of PPG ABC3 and Velox Antifouling
the autopilot, so it's time to clean
Autopilot - Part 3 - Now just turn it on and see why it doesn't work - Patron Only
motor for hydraulics for the autopilot,
Autopilot - Part 3 - Now just turn it on and see why it doesn't work - Patron Only
and off from the autopilot or from a
56 additional references are indexed for search.
Community discussion
Facebook discussion
Questions and discussion from the Seeker community. Useful context, but not automatically verified engineering evidence.
Facebook comment
...elay and the one connects to Port the other to Starboard direction. I used them on my autopilot for triggering the pump as well as on the deck crane.
Facebook reply
...you see if the Steering box is free without dismantling anything. And also see if the autopilot is happy when it isn't moving the wheel. I'd even be happy doing this underway.
Commentary
Sailing Anarchy
Public commentary and opinion. It may include speculation, errors, or incomplete information and should not be treated as verified technical evidence.
Sailing Anarchy post #11439 page 572
...ered fool encouraging others like himself, or worse. It was a laugh too, watching the autopilot spin the helm wheel like the clicker wheel on Lets Make A Deal! I wonder how long before that gives up the ghost too!!
Sailing Anarchy post #11467 page 574
...ms that this was the setup, because in this video he can't use hydraulic steering via autopilot and the hydraulic driven winch at the same time suggesting they're fed by the same line: But I think now the Vmac has been unplugged completely and it's not clear t...
Sailing Anarchy post #11469 page 574
...ms that this was the setup, because in this video he can't use hydraulic steering via autopilot and the hydraulic driven winch at the same time suggesting they're fed by the same line: But I think now the Vmac has been unplugged completely and it's not clear t...
Sailing Anarchy post #11808 page 591
...r a knee replacement at age 71. Unlikely the spoked octopus wheel on electrohydraulic autopilot nailed it since there is little need to steer while not underway. All those features will be knee friendly upon her return. Prior to the nuke, an estimate of $15K/y...
Sailing Anarchy post #13205 page 661
...im to livestream his 'Sailing'. Maybe he could connect up Twitch Bit donations to his autopilot. "Twitch Plays Boat Captain"
Sailing Anarchy post #13802 page 691
He had to replace his autopilot with an etch-a-sketch.
Sailing Anarchy post #13887 page 695
Why does the autopilot actuate the wheel? I guess I should not even question it, why expect anything to make sense on the BSO? As I understand it in normal boats (I think mine is pretty normal?) there's a hydraulic ram for the rudder and you actuate it with on...
Sailing Anarchy post #2654 page 133
...Of Cheese) Brent Swain (Origami steel boat guy) Doug (Seeker) Abby (Girl sent off on autopilot around the world, predictably capsized in Southern Ocean winter) The guy that scammed off Facebook and drifted around the Pacific. Old Russian guy, can't recall the...
Sailing Anarchy post #2655 page 133
...Of Cheese) Brent Swain (Origami steel boat guy) Doug (Seeker) Abby (Girl sent off on autopilot around the world, predictably capsized in Southern Ocean winter) The guy that scammed off Facebook and drifted around the Pacific. Old Russian guy, can't recall the...
Sailing Anarchy post #2657 page 133
...Of Cheese) Brent Swain (Origami steel boat guy) Doug (Seeker) Abby (Girl sent off on autopilot around the world, predictably capsized in Southern Ocean winter) The guy that scammed off Facebook and drifted around the Pacific. Old Russian guy, can't recall the...
Sailing Anarchy post #2671 page 134
...Of Cheese) Brent Swain (Origami steel boat guy) Doug (Seeker) Abby (Girl sent off on autopilot around the world, predictably capsized in Southern Ocean winter) The guy that scammed off Facebook and drifted around the Pacific. Old Russian guy, can't recall the...
Sailing Anarchy post #2709 page 136
...Of Cheese) Brent Swain (Origami steel boat guy) Doug (Seeker) Abby (Girl sent off on autopilot around the world, predictably capsized in Southern Ocean winter) The guy that scammed off Facebook and drifted around the Pacific. Old Russian guy, can't recall the...
Sailing Anarchy post #4580 page 229
...cantly, which led to the loss. Concordia had leeward watertight doors open and was on autopilot in an area with unsettled weather. The bridge watch wasn't sufficiently trained so tried bearing away under autopilot instead of turning it off and turning manually...
Sailing Anarchy post #4583 page 230
...cantly, which led to the loss. Concordia had leeward watertight doors open and was on autopilot in an area with unsettled weather. The bridge watch wasn't sufficiently trained so tried bearing away under autopilot instead of turning it off and turning manually...
Sailing Anarchy post #4584 page 230
...cantly, which led to the loss. Concordia had leeward watertight doors open and was on autopilot in an area with unsettled weather. The bridge watch wasn't sufficiently trained so tried bearing away under autopilot instead of turning it off and turning manually...
Sailing Anarchy post #7219 page 361
...y please him as it even has the word"learning" in it for him! Yep, he's working on an autopilot! One pic has a mounting plate for two pumps which appears out and on top of a fuel tank in the other pic.
Sailing Anarchy post #7342 page 368
The autopilot isn’t too loud. I can still hear Doug boasting.
Sailing Anarchy post #7380 page 369
He's trying to control two big-ass DC motors with his autopilot. Those motors pump hydraulic fluid that moves the giant-ass rudder back and forth. The problem is that an autopilot has to turn the motors on and off over and over again to get it "just right." Go...
Sailing Anarchy post #7395 page 370
...would he need 7hp? A human being can apparently easily steer it by hand, why does his autopilot need 7hp?? As someone not at all familiar with hydraulic APs, or hydraulics in general - wouldn't it be more efficient to speed control the DC pumps, rather than ba...
Sailing Anarchy post #7396 page 370
...60 footer with 1/2 hp or less, assuming the boat is reasonably balanced. Steering via autopilot is very different than steering with a big wheel, depending on the type of actuator. My 35' fairly heavy powerboat autopilot steers via a relatively small electric...
Sailing Anarchy post #7397 page 370
So he's home brewing all the controls for an autopilot? Very early autopilots were of the on/off type. Didn't take long before people figured out it is pretty easy to speed control a DC motor. I have no idea why he needs such a big motor. Why "motors"? You usu...
Sailing Anarchy post #7398 page 370
...into a 7hp inductive load could be fun. So he's home brewing all the controls for an autopilot? Very early autopilots were of the on/off type. Didn't take long before people figured out it is pretty easy to speed control a DC motor.
Sailing Anarchy post #7399 page 370
7 HP! That is a PROPULSION engine, not an autopilot drive! That is a fuckup on an enormous scale.
Sailing Anarchy post #7400 page 370
It's a brilliant back-up power unit. If/when the main engine fails, set the autopilot to powerfully waggle the rudder back and forth, thus pushing the BSO towards the scene of the accident.
Sailing Anarchy post #7401 page 371
...pinball? It's a brilliant back-up power unit. If/when the main engine fails, set the autopilot to powerfully waggle the rudder back and forth, thus pushing the BSO towards the scene of the accident.
35 additional references are indexed for search.