7 Best Raymarine Autopilots For Cruising Sailboats That Cruisers Swear By

There’s a moment on a long passage, usually around 3 AM with rain starting to fall, when you realize your autopilot isn’t just a convenience—it’s the most valuable crew member you have. A reliable autopilot transforms cruising from an endurance test into a sustainable lifestyle, letting you rest, navigate, and actually enjoy the journey. But choosing the right one feels like navigating a minefield of specs and acronyms, so let’s cut through the noise.

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Choosing Your Raymarine Autopilot System

An autopilot isn’t a single box; it’s a system with four key parts. You have the control head (the screen you use), the EV-1 sensor core (the magic compass that knows how the boat is moving), the ACU or Actuator Control Unit (the brains and muscle), and the drive unit (the part that physically moves your rudder). Getting the system right means matching the components, especially the ACU and drive, to your boat.

The single most important factor is your boat’s fully-loaded displacement. Not the number on the spec sheet, but what it weighs with full tanks, provisions, and all your gear. This number dictates how powerful your drive unit and ACU need to be. The most common and costly mistake cruisers make is undersizing their autopilot to save a few hundred dollars.

A system that’s perfectly fine for coastal hops will be dangerously underpowered in big following seas offshore. When a 15-foot wave shoves your stern sideways, you need a drive with the raw torque to correct course instantly, not one that struggles and lets the boat broach. Always choose the system rated for the next size up if you’re on the borderline. Your future, sleep-deprived self will thank you.

Raymarine EV-100 Wheel: Top Small Cruiser Pick

If you have a wheel-steered sailboat under about 35 feet and 16,500 pounds, the EV-100 Wheel pilot is your go-to. It’s a brilliant piece of engineering designed for simplicity. The drive unit is a compact, self-contained motor that clamps directly onto your wheel—a "bolt-on" solution you can realistically install in an afternoon.

This system is perfect for coastal cruising, weekend trips, and even light offshore work in fair conditions. It’s quiet, efficient, and integrates seamlessly with Raymarine chartplotters. You get the same advanced EV-1 sensor core as the bigger, more expensive systems, so its ability to hold a course is truly impressive for its size.

However, know its limits. The wheel drive relies on the friction of a belt on your wheel, which can be a point of failure in extreme weather. For serious bluewater passagemaking, most experienced cruisers would recommend a more robust, below-deck system. But for the vast majority of smaller cruisers, the EV-100 Wheel offers an unbeatable combination of performance, price, and ease of installation.

Raymarine EV-100 Tiller: For Tiller-Steered Yachts

Tiller-steered boats have a simple, direct, and wonderfully effective steering system, and they need an autopilot to match. The EV-100 Tiller is designed specifically for them, typically for boats up to 13,200 pounds. It pairs the smart EV-1 sensor with a rugged, cockpit-mounted tiller drive.

The drive is an external electric ram that mounts to the cockpit wall or coaming and attaches to a pin on your tiller. When engaged, it pushes and pulls the tiller to steer the boat. The beauty is in its simplicity. Installation is straightforward, and if it ever fails, you can disconnect it in seconds and take the tiller yourself.

The main tradeoff is that the drive unit is exposed to sun, salt, and rain. While they are built to withstand the elements, they won’t last forever in a harsh marine environment. Many long-distance tiller-boat cruisers carry a complete spare drive unit—they’re small and relatively inexpensive enough to make that a sensible bit of redundancy.

Raymarine ST2000+: The Classic Tiller Workhorse

Before the fancy Evolution series, there was the ST series. The ST2000+ is a legendary piece of gear, a self-contained tiller pilot that has been steering small boats across oceans for decades. Unlike the EV-100, the ST2000+ has all its brains and controls built right into the drive unit itself.

This makes it incredibly simple. You mount it, connect it to 12V power, and you’re done. There’s no separate sensor core or control head to install. It’s less "intelligent" than the EV pilots—it doesn’t learn your boat’s handling characteristics—but it’s famously reliable and sips power, which is a huge deal on a small boat with a limited power budget.

Think of the ST2000+ as the perfect backup or the primary pilot for the minimalist cruiser. It communicates via the older NMEA 0183 protocol, not the newer NMEA 2000, so integrating it with modern chartplotters can be a little clunky. But if you want a tough, simple, and affordable pilot that just plain works, this is it.

Raymarine EV-200 Linear: Mid-Size Bluewater Champ

When you step up to a mid-size cruising boat, from about 35 to 45 feet and up to 24,000 pounds, you enter the world of below-deck autopilots. The EV-200 with a linear drive is the undisputed champion in this category. This is the system you’ll find on the majority of bluewater-capable cruising boats.

A linear drive is a powerful electric ram that mounts below deck and attaches directly to your rudder quadrant or a dedicated tiller arm. This direct connection is far stronger and more reliable than a wheel or external tiller drive. It has the power to hold a course in heavy seas and the stamina to run 24/7 for weeks on end.

Installation is a more significant project. You need solid structural mounting points and clear access to your steering quadrant. But the payoff is immense. This is a true "set it and forget it" system that gives you the confidence to cross oceans. If you’re planning serious offshore cruising, a below-deck linear drive is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.

Raymarine EV-200 Hydraulic: For Hydraulic Steering

Not all boats use cables and quadrants. Many larger or center-cockpit designs use hydraulic steering, which feels smooth at the helm but requires a completely different type of autopilot drive. The EV-200 Hydraulic system is the solution.

Instead of a mechanical drive, this system includes a small, continuously-running hydraulic pump. This pump is plumbed directly into your boat’s existing hydraulic steering lines. The autopilot’s ACU tells the pump which way to send fluid, which in turn moves the main hydraulic ram connected to your rudder.

The critical detail here is matching the pump size (measured in cubic centimeters per minute) to the volume of your boat’s steering ram. A pump that’s too small won’t be able to turn the rudder fast enough in dynamic conditions. A pump that’s too large will be jerky and inefficient. Raymarine offers several pump sizes, and getting this right is key to a well-behaved system.

Raymarine EV-400 Sail: Power for Larger Vessels

Once your boat’s displacement starts creeping over 25,000 pounds and heading towards 45,000 pounds or more, you need more power. The EV-400 Sail package is designed for these larger, heavier vessels. The core difference isn’t just a bigger drive; it’s the ACU-400 at its heart.

The ACU-400 is a more powerful computer with a heavier-duty clutch and motor output, capable of delivering the amperage needed to run the massive linear or hydraulic drives these boats require. It’s built for the high, sustained loads that a 20-ton boat will place on its steering system in a gale. Trying to use a smaller EV-200 system on a boat this size would lead to constant overheating and eventual failure.

This is the system for the serious, go-anywhere cruiser with a 45- to 60-foot boat. It provides the muscle and intelligence needed to steer safely and efficiently in true bluewater conditions, ensuring the pilot is never the weak link in your system.

Raymarine Rotary Drive: For Chain & Cable Systems

Some boats, particularly older designs or those with pedestal steering from manufacturers like Edson, don’t use a quadrant system that’s easy to connect a linear drive to. Instead, they use a chain-and-cable or direct-drive sprocket system. For these boats, the Raymarine Rotary Drive is the perfect below-deck solution.

A rotary drive is essentially a powerful motor and gearbox that mounts below the pedestal and connects directly to the steering shaft via its own chain and sprocket. It’s a clean, powerful, and mechanically simple way to automate this type of steering. It provides all the benefits of a below-deck system—power, reliability, and protection from the elements.

This is often the best choice for classic plastic boats from the 70s and 80s being refit for cruising. It provides a much more robust installation than a wheel pilot without requiring major surgery to install a linear drive. It’s a specific solution for a specific, but common, type of steering.

Ultimately, your autopilot is a critical safety system, right alongside your rigging and your hull integrity. Making the right choice comes down to an honest assessment of your boat’s true weight and your real cruising plans. Investing in a system with power to spare is one of the smartest decisions you can make for a safe, and much more enjoyable, life on the water.