What is a Tiller pilot and why do I need one?
A tiller pilot is an automatic steering system specially designed for boats whose rudder movement is controlled by a handheld tiller. The system is made up of two electronically connected parts: an electrically-operated hydraulic ram, which generally has one end bolted onto the side of the cockpit area and the other end fixed to the tiller, and a central control unit. By extending and retracting the hydraulic ram, the tiller pilot moves the tiller from side to side to maintain the course programmed by the navigator into the central control unit. Tiller pilots are generally found on smaller sailing boats, especially when being sailed single-handed or with a minimal number of crew, because it frees up a crewmember from continuous tiller duty. In fact, the right tiller pilot correctly installed soon becomes a valued extra crew member. The smaller tiller pilot systems are completely self-contained, with the electronics and compass housed inside the hydraulic ram. These more basic versions
