Gladiator Customer Quotes

It was nice seeing all of you at the Miami Boat Show. I purposely came over to your booth to let you know how thrilled I am with the "Gladiator." A lot of my time spent on the water is solo, and I find that now I can do many things while I let the Gladiator run the boat. I can now attend to "tuning" my live baits while slow trolling. One of the major plusses is that with a reverse mode I can now put the stern into a fast current and literally hold the boat in one position. This is extremely helpful while fishing for bait and maintaining my position over the school. Without the Gladiator I would constantly have to reposition the boat and make continuous drifts. This of course saves me a lot of time. I can truly say comparatively speaking that this auto pilot out performs the Simrad AP-11. I can say this because the AP-11 now sits in a box in my garage. I was on my third or fourth feedback arm, and now I don't have to worry or think about having to replace them.

Thanks again,
Warren Blanck
Warrin' Piece Fishing Team

Captain Bouncer Smith
http://www.captbouncer.com/

Captain Bouncer Smith, Florida

"The Gladiator does it all. The Gladiator holds my boat in position as I back troll for bait or over a wreck. With the Gladiator I troll into the wind on one engine while kite fishing. My mate better watch out, the Gladiator frees me up to do his work. The Gladiator, this crewman does it all! Captain Bouncer Smith with 35 years on his license."

Shining Star Fishing Adventure's First Fishing Event with World Renown Professional Fisherman, Capt. Bouncer Smith

Capt. Bouncer Smith donated his time, boat and services for a day of fishing excitement that 13 year old Maria Gonzalez will always cherish.

http://www.shiningstarchild.org/

Shining Star Fishing Adventures is accepting trip applications and granting a once-in-a-lifetime all inclusive South Florida fishing adventure to children with chronic medical illnesses and children with physical disabilities living with social and economic disparities. This fishing adventure can improve and stimulate the child’s quality of life, enhance the child’s hope and impact the child’s recovery by their memories of the compassionate and caring experience they receive on the water from this great outdoor adventure.

Robert L. Stallings, III. 38-foot Fountain

Dear Mr. Dorland:

I am a partner with Mike Deichmann in a 38-foot Fountain Cruise/Fish Boat. I wanted to write and thank you for the autopilot that you graciously gave to Mike that was installed on our boat. I just returned last week from a trip to Elbow Key in the Bahamas and your equipment performed flawlessly. Even with maximum waves of 8 to 10 feet crossing the Gulf Stream and speeds varying from 18 to 35 knots I never had to touch the wheel. I fly a Citation Excel and your autopilot performs just as good as the one in the aircraft.

Sincerely,

Buddy Stallings

Gary S. & Linda Sobala, Bend OR.

Peter, Robert and Doug,

Thank you Peter, Robert and Doug. All of you at TR-1 Autopilots have gone above and beyond in providing an excellent product, superior customer service help and advice. A special thanks to Peter for all of his help!

We are looking forward to cruising in a few months and using our pilot. So far on a few short shake down runs it has exceeded our expectations.

Thank You,

Gary & Linda

Damen Wilson, Florida, 27' Contender with 225 Yamaha four stroke outboards:

"The TR-1 is designed for fishermen. I'm able to fish with multiple lines out without a problem. The No Rudder Feedback was very important to me because of the fact they fail, and with outboards, you were not able to tilt your motors up fully. The TR-1 interfaces beautifully with my Nav-Net system with radar overlay, and the autopilot sticks to the right course and never has problems with rough sea conditions. The Shadow Drive makes it easy for instant course changes, which keeps me in constant control. The customer support from TR-1 is outstanding."

Tom Schmidt Sr., South Carolina. 26' Glacier Bay Catamaran with twin Yamaha outboards.

"Installation and setup was easy. The Shadow Drive feature makes it simple to change heading whether I'm fishing, or need it to make a quick heading change. The boat stays going straight while fishing, and that's important to keep lines from getting tangled, especially when you have as many as 6 lines in the water at the same time. The Man Overboard button gives me the peace of mind of knowing I will be able to use this feature quickly and simply. Other autopilots are very complex to use, they would loose themselves in heavy seas, and had to turn knobs and press too many buttons to make them work."

Mark & Wendy Rubbert

My wife and I purchased the second Gladiator Autopilot system that Nautamatic sold, and they asked us for a recommendation. The short version is, BUY!!! The long version contains a lot more. Our boat is a 31' twin diesel waterjet powered aluminum catamaran with an outboard kicker (think fast fisherman). It has hydraulic steering with twin helms, and two selector valves. With this setup we can steer either the main jets or the kicker from the helms, and so can the Gladiator! This works because the Gladiator doesn't require rudder position feedback like the other systems. After a full year of use we are completely satisfied, It works trolling, at full speed, in calm or rough water, every time ( I hate to admit it, but the Gladiator steers better than I can). Anyone can over-ride it instantly by simply turning the helm---very important safety feature. It is very easy to use, and the company offers excellent service. The Gladiator is a must-have for us, and will be on every boat we buy in the future.

Sincerely,

Mark and Wendy Rubbert

31' Catamaran with Twin Diesel Jets!

Jim Lyle, Florida

"I went to the Miami 2002 Boat Show specifically looking for an autopilot that could handle my 26' sport catamaran with twin Yamaha outboards. After talking with several manufactures I decided on the TR-1 Gladiator with no rudder feedback transducers. The company showed how easy it was to install and setup the Gladiator. The performance has exceeded all my expectations. The customer service from this company is exceptional."

Steve Phillips, Charleston South Carolina, 58" Sea Island Sport Fisher "Dixie Rig"

"In any sea condition, you can set the Gladiator and count on it, whether it's following seas, beam seas or head seas, the TR-1 holds an exact course. No other autopilot I've owned has precision like the Gladiator. Looking back at my wake it is amazingly straight, without even a slight S curve, whether at trolling speed or full throttle. The man overboard feature gives me a sense of security knowing that with one press of a button the Gladiator does a precise Williamson maneuver."

Joe Ziccardi Islip, N. Y. 31' Contender with Twin Yamaha 250 HP 4-Strokes

"I didn't believe the TR-1 Gladiator could out perform other autopilots I've owned. It's unbelievable! With it's unique features and especially the fishing maneuvers, I'm able to enjoy my time on the water and actually increased my catch."

Bob Vorhees, New Jersey, Contender boat with twin Yamaha outboards: "I like the simplicity of the autopilot. The Shadow Drive allows me to instantly override the pilot at the helm without disengaging the autopilot. Step turns, GPS interface, and no rudder feedback makes this system truly a must have for any fisherman."

10-18-2004

Hi this is Norm Vitue and I just thought that I Would let you know how I feel about my auto pilots that I have installed on my 24ft Seasport. I first started out with one of your original TR-1 units and was very happy with it and when the 2nd unit was available Up graded to it, again with great results. This year a gladiator was installed and has really increased my boating pleasure. I would like to compliment you for very good after sales help and support from your staff who helped me to solve a few adjustment problems along the way. Many thanks to Pete and Trevor for their assistance.I have recommended your product to many people and would be happy to be used as a reference should the need arise. Many thanks to all........ Norm Vitue

Customer Testimonials