Autopilot Navigation
You must use this feature with extreme care on a sailboat. Following a route while under sail can cause an unexpected gybe maneuver. Unattended sails and rigging can be damaged or cause injury to any crew or passengers during an unexpected gybe maneuver.
When you start navigation (Go To, Route To, or Guide To), if you are connected through a NMEA 2000® network to a compatible Garmin® autopilot, you are prompted to engage the autopilot.
When using the autopilot system to follow a route from the chartplotter, observe these
considerations:
- You should take care and reduce speed when approaching a turn an a route. Entering a turn while moving too fast may cause you to overshoot the point and make a wider turn than you intended.
- Due to how the software follows a route on the chartplotter, the system may transition to the next turn in a route sooner than expected. You must remain alert so you can take over if the system makes an unexpected change.
- When using the autopilot system on a sailboat, you should avoid following a route when sailing on Broad Reach or Run. The system automatically steers the boat port or starboard to stay on route, and when sailing downwind, this may result in an unintended gybe as mentioned in the caution above.