BoatKit’s current autopilot integration reads supported Garmin connection state, operating mode, and target heading over NMEA 2000. Those values can appear as categorized data sources and gauges, or in a helm view beside the chart, vessel heading, wind, and radar.
BoatKit cross-checks live status with the device’s declared NMEA 2000 Autopilot role and its advertised Garmin autopilot transmit/receive support, so a GHC display is not mistaken for the steering controller merely because it emits Garmin proprietary traffic. When more than one real autopilot is observed, the control favors a connected unit with a known controllable mode and lets the operator select another enabled unit by name. Equipment settings can hide unwanted entries or delete offline stale records without exposing internal device IDs.
On compatible installations, an administrator can request engaged or standby state and adjust the target heading from supported BoatKit controls. When BoatKit is broadcasting a valid active route on the autopilot’s network, the same view offers a separate Follow Route action. That Garmin-specific command asks the autopilot to use the vendor-neutral NMEA 2000 route guidance already on the network.
BoatKit route guidance itself is not Garmin-specific. It uses standard NMEA 2000 cross-track and current-leg navigation messages and can be broadcast to every enabled physical NMEA 2000 network by default, including when a reviewed route contains a clearance-warning or unverified segment. If an enabled autopilot reports Track mode near one of those segments, BoatKit can show and transmit a separate informational caution; Track mode alone cannot prove which route source the autopilot is following.
This is an independently implemented NMEA 2000 integration, not a replacement for the autopilot’s approved controls or installation requirements. Helm commands remain for an attentive operator maintaining a proper watch, and compatibility should be confirmed on the equipment aboard.