In the past few days we have gradually taken over the autopilot to helm ourselves. It’s a case of man vs. machine. My preconceived idea was that auto pilots are so sophisticated that humans can barely match their performance. And it is true that seeing the autopilot move the wheel at high speed and maintaining its heading target consistently when wind increases is a confidence building thought.
THAT said, after a couple disastrous nights when the boat was moving violently due to the brash autopilot corrections (thin sleeping inside a washing machine!) Valery came up with the concept that we ought to do a better job manually, and preserve each other’s sleep. So during the day we each helmed a lot, to gain familiarity with the pattern of boat motions on waves, and degree of correction needed. It is amazing how one learns the skill and manages to steer more smoothly with practice. Human eye and pattern recognition gives us an edge over the autopilot’s gyroscope and compass. Who after a few days practice during the day, which is great fun, btw, Valery, Vincent and i are now steering at night. Val is the he best of the three of us. Here's a picture taken just now, steering in the night, during a squall, with water dripping down his sleeves. Our hero!
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