Raymarine RCU-1 Wireless Autopilot Remote Control Kit with WG-1

The Raymarine RCU-1 gives you full command of your Evolution autopilot without being tied to the helm. It's a handheld wireless remote with a bright, sunlight-visible color display and dedicated autopilot buttons, and this kit ships with the WG-1 gateway that makes the whole thing work. Engage the pilot, nudge your heading, check your NMEA 2000 data, all from wherever you happen to be standing on the boat.

Here's how it fits together. The RCU-1 talks to the WG-1 Wireless Gateway over Bluetooth, and the WG-1 wires into your boat's NMEA 2000 or SeaTalk NG backbone. That gateway is required for every install, so don't skip it, and the good news is it's already in the box. Once it's connected, the remote pulls live data straight off the network and shows it on customizable pages. You decide what you want to see. Speed, heading, depth, whatever matters for the run you're on.

The two features that sell most boaters are Point-and-Go and Solo Sailor mode. Point-and-Go lets you set a course change with a simple, intuitive input instead of fiddling with the main control head. Solo Sailor mode is the safety piece. If you're working the foredeck alone and something goes sideways, you've got autopilot control and a localized shutdown right there in your pocket. For anyone who cruises shorthanded or singlehanded offshore, that's real peace of mind.

Range is where it pays to plan your install. The Bluetooth link between the remote and the WG-1 reaches roughly 98 feet, or about 30 meters, in open conditions. Mount the gateway vertically on a bulkhead with a clear forward view and you'll hold that connection across most boats. Tuck it behind a cabin bulkhead on a 40-foot sailboat and the signal can fall off toward the bow, so give it line of sight. On wheel-steered sailboats, mounting the WG-1 near the pedestal base keeps the link solid even when the helm is turned. And near big engines on a hydraulic powerboat, expect the usable range to shrink because of electrical interference, so keep that in mind if you're counting on it back by the transom.

A couple of install notes from the field. Keep the SeaTalk NG spur cable to the gateway short, under a meter from the backbone, or you can chase intermittent dropouts. Power the gateway from the same breaker as the autopilot so the remote doesn't lose its pairing every time you cycle the power. And when you seat the batteries, a little dielectric grease in the compartment keeps moisture out over the long haul.

Compatibility is the one thing to check before you buy. The RCU-1 is built exclusively for Raymarine Evolution autopilots, and it is not compatible with any earlier generation of Raymarine pilot. If you're running an older system, confirm your setup is on current software first. It pairs cleanly with p70 and p70s control heads. A single WG-1 gateway supports up to three RCU-1 remotes, so you can put one at the helm, one in the cockpit, and one below without adding hardware.

Power is simple. Two AA batteries run the remote for up to 30 days of continuous use, helped along by built-in power-saving features, so you're not constantly charging or hunting for a cable. The whole unit is waterproof to IPX7, so spray, rain, and the occasional dunk are no problem. It's happy on powerboats and sailboats alike.

Who's this for? Anyone with a Raymarine Evolution pilot who wants to step away from the helm and still stay in control. Solo sailors, cruising couples, center-console anglers setting lines, trawler owners walking the deck. If your pilot predates the Evolution series, this isn't the remote for you, and that's worth knowing up front. But if you're already running Evolution, the RCU-1 is about as clean an upgrade to your onboard flexibility as you'll find.