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Autopilot

Well...  If I had an autopilot, then what good would I be???

Ha ha.  Just kidding.  That would be nice.  Probably cost as much as the boat.  Or motor at least.
 
I wonder if you could modify what they use in large scale agriculture. I was at a farm expo years ago at msu and they had a GPS unit with a wheel that would steer the tractor. You could sit in it, and it would drive through a programmed course. More fishing time I guess...
 
I believe the Garmin Chartplotter has a mode that will map out/set the course for you.  Of course you still have to steer to stay on course.  Could be helpful at night or to set a course for the channel in not so familiar territory
 
I've seen it for sailboats. Can't imagine it would be that hard to install in a Benni. Of course my lakes only 3-1/2 miles long so I can go from one end to the other without steering as is ... :)
 
Would be great for a cargo ship or commercial craft

BUT

For me 

The fun in owning a boat is driving the boat 

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Ask anyone who comes on the boat

They have to pry me out of the Captain's Chair  :D
 
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Yup me too. Only time I'm not in the seat is if I'm asleep on the front lounge as the wife drives us around the lake.
 
modest auto pilot runs from $3000 and up and kills the fun and usually causes accidents...big boat (38' or better ) and going out to a fixed spot offshore yp fish..40 or 50 miles will save you some gas, but if that's your MO for boating expense is not an issue
 
Next best thing - I have a Minnkota electric trolling motor with I-Pilot.  I record a course around the lake, usually the perfect distance for casting for bass and then replay the course.  It holds the course very well (unless very windy) and you can actually set a "cruise control".  That way even if going into a headwind, the TM will increase its power level to hold the speed.

Not quite what you are looking for, but works great for fishing or those evening cruises around the lake.
 
I had a Raymarine autopilot setup on a big express cruiser. We traveled the Great Lakes a lot, and autopilot was a necessary luxury for those trips. I could program in a course (usually a straight line, or one...maybe two course changes) from point A to point B...set the throttles and just keep watch. I used it for long runs over open water where I'd be holding a fixed course for 30mins or more. Many times, we set a course and kept watch for 1/2 a day while the boat did all the work including steering. It's a great tool for open waters and when coupled with collision avoidance systems, radar, and redundant GPS systems. A full suite of electronics that make autopilot useful run somewhere north of $25,000 for the entry-level level of products. To Gabiano's point - autopilot alone causes lots of boating mishaps.

With that said...I have traveled on Lake Michigan on my Bennington...runs of 30 - 50 miles and have said to my bride...I miss my autopilot.
 
My husband and brother were fishing at least 10 miles out from the Florida Keys, anchored. Here comes a commercial fishing rig aimed right at them! DH & Bro were waving, hollering, scrambling to try & pull anchor as fast as possible when all of a sudden the captain of the vessel noticed and quickly veered away! Obviously the guy was on "auto-pilot"! YIKES! Who'd'a thought even way out in the middle of nowhere you'd get hit, but, yup, came waytooclose!!!  :eek:
 
my point
 
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