exile, my cpt is the only autopilot on the
boat. the most i've used it is two days nonstop coming back to
florida from the
bahamas. it was in following
wind and seas and it steered flawlessly. i don't do enough long distance sailing to really justify an expensive below decks unit - especially since the cpt works so well.
as for using it as a backup unit. i'm guessing that, if you've got the brackets and
wheel pulley already in place, and a
power outlet in the
cockpit, i'm thinking you could get it out from a locker and put it in place in about 15 minutes, even in a moderate storm.
i'm not sure when jeff bought out the old company, (maybe ten years ago?) but he is just a super guy to work with. he's an
engineer as well as the owner. if you call or
email he will respond personally.
there is now a NEW cpt autopilot! jeff updated the unit from a magnetic
compass to a more modern
fluxgate compass, and has added some useful features. i have the old mag compass unit and am completely satisfied with it, but i'm beginning to lust after the new one...
www.cptautopilot.com