Solo sailors and short-handed crews are the clear winners with Raymarine’s new RCU-1 Wireless Autopilot Remote Control. Whether trimming sails, adjusting fishing gear or simply moving about the boat, skippers can now steer their Evolution autopilot single-handed, without returning to the helm.
At the heart of the RCU-1 is Point and Go course setting: point the remote toward the direction you want to travel, and the boat follows. Paired with this is Solo Sailor safety mode, a feature that automatically turns the boat into the wind the instant a wearer-overboard event is triggered, a safeguard built specifically with lone sailors in mind.
The handheld unit itself is built for the marine environment, rated IPX7 waterproof and fitted with a sunlight-readable colour display. Dedicated autopilot control buttons sit alongside customisable NMEA 2000 data pages, while power-saving functions help stretch battery life between charges. Raymarine has designed the remote to suit power and sail boats alike.
Behind the scenes, the RCU-1 links to an Evolution autopilot over Bluetooth via Raymarine’s new WG-1 Wireless Gateway, which ties into the boat’s existing NMEA 2000/SeaTalk NG network. Range extends to 30 metres, giving skippers coverage across most of the vessel.
Any Raymarine Evolution autopilot fitted with a WG-1 Wireless Gateway and wired into the NMEA 2000/SeaTalk NG backbone can run the RCU-1. The remote is available now through Lusty and Blundell’s showrooms in Albany, Whangarei and Tauranga, and via its network of marine dealers nationwide.
For product information, contact Lusty and Blundell on (09) 415-8303 or visit www.lusty-blundell.co.nz | https://www.lusty-blundell.co.nz/product-group/16547-raymarine-rcu-1-wireless-autopilot-remote/category/1732-autopilots.
