Efficient steering is important for the reduction of fuel consumption and emissions from ships. To assess and monitor the ship's steering performance, the navigator normally has to check several displays to compare course, heading and rudder angle. Anschütz autopilots bring all this information together in one visualisation, making the actual steering efficiency and parameter settings transparent and very easy to optimise.

Modern Anschütz autopilots offer features that help the navigator to steer the vessel more efficiently through automation, such as Adaptive mode and Course Control mode. By using the optimal autopilot settings for the given situation, efficient steering and, therefore, the lowest possible fuel consumption is achieved.

Such automated functions reduce rudder movements by an average of 25% according to analyses conducted in recent years. In a case study, this translated into potential fuel savings of 4%. However, the key to a well-navigated vessel is still the crew, as any automated system still needs a number of key parameters. With Anschütz autopilots, it is now easy to analyse these key parameters.

Anschütz autopilots have a large touchscreen display on which the Heading and Rudder Plot digitally visualises the steering performance. This unique feature shows the set heading in comparison to the actual heading as well as the corresponding rudder movements in one image.

The better the autopilot is tuned, the faster and more accurately a course change is executed and the less rudder is needed. The less rudder used, the more efficiently the autopilot will steer, using less fuel.

The visualisation of these curves is a great help to the navigator in assessing the efficiency and precision of the autopilot. The operator can immediately see on the Heading and Rudder Plot whether the values are correctly balanced or whether the autopilot parameters need to be adjusted. The autopilot parameters can be accessed at the touch of a finger and the effect of the changing of parameters is directly transparent on the Heading and Rudder Plot.

This graphical representation of the steering behaviour as well as the easy-to-apply parameter settings are among the most important tools for optimising the steering efficiency. In effect, this visualisation is the only way to see how efficiently the ship is steering beyond any automation.

NautoPilot 5000 NX offers shipowners even more features to reduce fuel consumption in addition to the Heading and Rudder Plot.

These are:

• Adaptive ECO mode: less rudder movements
• Course Control: shortest routes, small rudder angles
• Toe Angle: unique function reducing resistance

With these features, shipowners can easily improve the efficiency of their fleet, reduce fuel consumption, costs and emissions, and contribute to an improvement of their Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) rating. However, should the situation require it, navigators can always rely on the high level of precision that is customary with Anschütz autopilots.