correcting autopilot overshoot

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Bob,

Per our conversation yesterday, unlike Auto mode which is designed to steer the vessel to a heading specified by the user, Track mode is not designed to steer the vessel to any specific heading. The function of Track mode is to keep the vessel within a corridor surrounding the course line (path of safe navigation) which has been established at the moment that a Go To Cursor / Waypoint or Follow Route. When initially commanded, Track mode will seek to quickly have the vessel join the course line ... depending on the distance which the vessel has moved from the course line prior to commanding the autopilot into Track mode and the direction that the vessel is then heading, the heading commanded by the autopilot to join the track line may differ significantly from the bearing from the vessel's current position to the waypoint/cursor position being navigated to ... again, the autopilot will seek to join the course line as quickly as possible, not steer immediately toward the waypoint / cursor position. The width of the corridor and how aggressively the autopilot will initially attempt to join the course line is determined by the autopilot's Response Level configuration setting. The most narrow corridor and minimum time to initially join the course line (this may also incur the greatest deviation from the vessel's current bearing to waypoint) will be achieved with the Response Level configured to the PERFORMANCE setting.

Accordingly, it is recommended that when engaging track mode that the vessel be maneuvered into close proximity of the course line and be heading in the direction of the waypoint / cursor position prior to engaging Track mode.