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A single upgrade can change the way you move through the water. We just installed a below-deck autopilot and walk through what it means for safety, stamina, and real backup when steering cables or hydraulics fail. From the bypass pin to the rudder feedback sensor, we get hands-on with the hardware and talk about keeping linkages clean, joints aligned, and fuses easy to reach when the sea is bouncing and decisions need to be quick.

We also demystify how a Garmin marine network talks alongside a NMEA 2000 backbone and even plays nice with a Raymarine drive. Think of it like two classrooms with a shared hallway: radar, sonar, SiriusXM, and chartplotters on one side; heading sensors, ECU, and drive control on the other. Then we share the calibration routine that avoids hunting and overcorrection—run the setup wizard, carve big circles in both directions in moderate conditions, and set a mid-level response so the unit stays sharp when winds build.

Routing and weather drive the rest of the game plan. With a storm threading Jamaica and the Bahamas while a cold front presses across Florida, timing is everything. We weigh a sheltered stop at Cedar Key, a calmer push to Tarpon Springs, and when to choose the ICW over the Gulf. There’s practical seamanship throughout: seven-to-one or ten-to-one scope when it pipes up, a second anchor for pet-friendly nights, and the unglamorous but crucial logbook entries that insurance adjusters and the Coast Guard will ask for if your screens go dark. We touch on Hydrovane and other self-steering options, lobster and stone crab pot fields, king tides, and how local knowledge can shave hours without adding risk.

If you sail coastal miles, want clearer electronics integration, or need a smarter approach to anchoring and weather windows, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a skipper who needs a redundancy nudge, and leave a review with your best calibration tip or Gulf Coast shortcut—we’ll feature our favorites next time.

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SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

SALTY PODCAST is LIVE every Wed at 6pm Central and is all about the love of sailing!
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST: https://tinyurl.com/SaltyPodcastPlaylist
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GEAR FEATURED IN MY UPCOMING VIDEOS:
🛟 Boat Fenders → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S1PXKKR
⚓ Dock Lines → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS4BNYR9
🧽 Exterior Cleaning Kit → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL533KR7