Serenity's instruments were getting a bit antiquated, so she has received an almost complete upgrade. The major component is a new course computer that drives the autopilot. The old autopilot would hold a heading, most of the time. In following seas, it was behind the power curve and could not anticipate or keep up with the affects of waves hitting the stern. Hopefully, this will be rectified. Additionally, the old autopilot could only hold a heading. The new autopilot integrated with the wind and speed instrumentation will be able to follow the wind and alert us when the course has changed beyond a user-defined parameter. Instrumentation at the upper helm was very limited, i.e., speed and depth. With the new RayMarine multi-displays, we will have speed through the water, water depth and temperature, wind - both true and apparent, and engine readings to include RPMs, oil pressure, cooling temperature, amp meter, and transmission oil pressure. Digital engine information from analog gauges and sensors gets a bit tricky. How this is accomplished and information about the Noland Engineering RS11 in later posts.
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