Marine Autopilots: Tiller vs Wheel vs Inboard
A tiller pilot pushes a sailboat's tiller, a wheel pilot turns the wheel, and an inboard drive works below deck on larger, heavier boats.
By Andrian ChengContributing writer.
On this page
The short answer
An autopilot holds a boat on a heading so the helm does not need a hand on it. The type you need depends on how your boat is steered and how heavy it is:
- Tiller pilot: a push rod that mounts in the cockpit and moves the tiller. For smaller tiller-steered sailboats.
- Wheel pilot: a motor that clamps to the steering wheel in the cockpit. For wheel-steered sailboats of moderate size.
- Inboard (below-deck) drive: a hydraulic pump, linear drive or rotary drive that works on the steering gear itself. For larger sail and power boats, including hydraulic steering.
Some boats have steer-by-wire steering, where the helm sends electronic signals instead of moving cables or hydraulic fluid. Those need an autopilot made for that system.
The parts of an autopilot system
Raymarine's Evolution systems show how most modern autopilots are put together:
- A sensor and processor that knows the boat's heading.
- An actuator control unit (ACU) that powers the drive, chosen by displacement or steering type.
- A drive unit that physically moves the rudder.
- A control head, the display and buttons at the helm.
Raymarine also sells packs that combine these parts, sized for a boat's size and weight. Some listings on Wiki Shopping are full packs and others are single parts, so check whether the drive and the control head are included.
Tiller vs wheel vs inboard, by the numbers
Raymarine states these limits for its drives (displacement means the boat's laden weight):
| Drive | Steering | Maximum displacement |
|---|---|---|
| Cockpit tiller drive | Tiller, sailboats | 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) |
| Cockpit Mk II wheel drive | Wheel, sailboats | 7,500 kg (16,500 lb) |
| Type 1 linear or rotary drive | Below deck, mechanical | 11,000 kg (24,000 lb) |
| Type 2 rotary drive | Below deck, mechanical | 20,000 kg (44,000 lb) |
Hydraulic pumps are sized by the volume of the steering cylinder instead. Raymarine's range runs from the Type 0.5 pump for 50 to 110cc cylinders up to the Type 3 for 350 to 500cc.
How each type fits on the boat
The tiller drive's fixed end attaches to the gunwale, bench or coaming and the other end to the tiller; it disconnects quickly to stow. Depending on the boat, brackets or pushrod extensions may be needed.
The wheel drive clamps to wheels with 3 to 8 spokes, for steering with 1 to 3.5 turns lock to lock, and a clutch lever switches between autopilot and hand steering.
Inboard drives are fitted below deck and work on the steering gear: a hydraulic pump joins the steering's hydraulic system, while linear and rotary drives move mechanical steering. Raymarine offers an online guide for choosing the drive.
Which one fits you
- Small tiller-steered sailboat: a tiller pilot. On Wiki Shopping, 10 autopilots list tiller steering.
- Wheel-steered sailboat under the wheel drive's limit: a cockpit wheel pilot. 7 autopilots list wheel steering.
- Heavier boat or hydraulic steering: an inboard drive or pump. 12 list hydraulic steering.
- Steer-by-wire boat: a system made for that steering. 9 list steer-by-wire.
How we count
Steering type is read from each autopilot's store listing. The chart counts the 71 marine autopilots listed on Wiki Shopping on October 26, 2026 by the steering type their listing names; listings that do not state one are left out. Counts change as listings are added or removed.
Shop by spec
Marine Autopilots
Hydraulic, Power, Included, Included
EV-150 Power Pilot with p70Rs Control Head, ACU-150, EV1 Sensor Core, EV1 Cabling kit & 1.0L Hydraulic Pump- Product Type: Saw
- Package Quantity: 1
- Country Of Origin: China
- Package Dimensions: 20.066 cms (L) x 43.18 cms (W) x 52.07 cms (H)
Power, Included, EV-100
Raymarine (T70154) Pilot Ev-100 P70R Power Pack, Black- Great Product
Power, EV-200
Raymarine Pilot Ev-200 A/P with P70R No DriveNot included, Included, EV-400
Raymarine Pilot Ev-400 A/P with P70R No Drive