Servicing Your Wheel-Drive Autopilot

Regular fresh-water flushing and an annual hands-on inspection of your wheel-drive autopilot unit will keep your steering reliable on passages—and save you from hunting ball bearings across the cabin sole

By
Marc Robic
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A Raymarine TS4000+ Autohelm wheel drive unit installed on wheel. (Photo/ Marc Robic)

A reliable autopilot is great to have onboard because it gives you opportunities to rest your arms and/or eat while under way while still keeping an eye on things. So, when something doesn’t feel quite right with the auto pilot system, don’t wait to fix it. Practicing easy, preventative maintenance on a regular basis will prevent costly autopilot repairs—or replacement—later on.

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Marc Robic
Marc caught his love of sailing and all things water from his father from a very young age. He has owned many sailboats in his 40+ years of sailing. An avid do-it-yourselfer and handyman, he builds, modifies, improves and executes all his own repairs. He also enjoys testing, documenting & sharing products and how-to methods with other sailors and boaters. Posting many how to videos on his YouTube channel and Facebook page. He is a member of the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron. Currently, he sails his Catalina 270, Aquaholic 3, out of the Ile-Perrot Yacht Club in Montreal, where Marc spent 16 years as Harbour Master. He is also a regular bareboat yacht charterer, having sailed most of the Caribbean islands. In the winter months, Marc regularly hand builds exact scale models of friends’ boats to give them away in the spring.
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