NORTH Atlantic Autopilot FAILURE - Sailing to ICELAND [EP 201]
10 July 2023 · 27 min · 59K views
What this video covers
The Raymarine autopilot on the 45-ft sloop *Millennial Falcon* failed during a North Atlantic passage toward Iceland, leaving the crew reliant on their Hydrovane self-steering system.12:40 The autopilot drive unit suffered a mechanical failure, which the crew initially diagnosed as a total loss.13:22 After confirming the Hydrovane was operational—following a repair to a loose bolt that had caused a persistent clicking noise—the crew debated whether to divert to Horta in the Azores for repairs or continue the 1,500-mile journey.15:19 They opted to continue toward Iceland, relying on the Hydrovane for primary steering.7:52 Adam later fabricated a temporary repair for the autopilot using an aluminum backing plate provided by Hydrovane.26:42 By reconnecting the drive arm to the steering quadrant to complete the feedback loop, he restored the autopilot to limited functionality for light-duty use in calm conditions.26:13 The crew reached a milestone of 20,000 total miles sailed during the transit.17:37
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