Dear Steve and Linda, My wife and I finally made the big jump and are sailing around the world. We’re now in Lisbon, Portugal. A friend of ours lent us your book, Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia. It’s wonderful, and we look forward to borrowing it again. We read with great interest your comments about the Alpha 3000 as this is our primary autopilot. (We have no wind vane) So far we’ve had only minor problems which were turned into major problems when the unit was returned to the company for repairs. Mostly due to Barron and now Chris, who refuses to even give out his last name. The company’s mode of operation is beyond my comprehension. We’re wondering if you could give us any input as to what we can do to keep our autopilot working in the best possible fashion without returning it to the factory. Thanking you in advance. Our wishes to you and your family for a Happy Holiday season and your best New Years ever. Harold
Hi Harold: Sorry about your problems with Alpha. Sounds like their business practices have not changed since the time we dealt with them in the mid 1980s. Perhaps our experience, and your more recent run with it, will cause people to check more carefully when they acquire this critical gear. Regards – Steve
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 30, 1999)
