Great question from the OP… have not read all the comments, so this has probably already been said:
(to me) … this is a good example of ways in which equipment progress has actually robbed the new sailor of skills that would have naturally evolved without them.
For the
record, most of the trans ocean deliveries I did in the early 70’s was hand steered.
Obviously a following or quartering sea was the most tiring and 2 hours of that was about maximum tolerance for my
delivery crew.
But the key point I am making, is that we taught ourselves how to balance the boat in varying conditions so she would track longer and with a lighter touch on the
helm.
The sailor felt the boat, steered to the conditions and did not follow a fine line
GPS track but the broader spectrum of Astro-Nav. (Assumed Ignorance was indeed bliss)
My
advice is to install a robust auto-pilot, but also spend hours under hand steering conditioning yourself and the boat to a basic fall-back that should never intimidate you.
The best part of that
advice, is that your boat will sail easier, the autopilot will last longer and you will know instantly when you take the helm, if something is wrong.