Hi Don, I've used auto pilots (larger boats) when reefing and prefer it over most any other method with exception of a crew. I can say from experience with the Potter 15, it was nearly unsafe to attempt to reef when the winds picked up. It was always better to reef at the dock for fear of getting knocked down and turtled. I did put on a Davis Tiller Tamer which helped a great deal but with the P-15, it was all to easy to lean a little and being "moveable ballast", change the heading, creating myself a problem. Have you installed a tiller tamer on Sweet Dream? It's a quick and innexpensive modification that may be easier to deal with than electric autopilot. A couple weeks ago, I asked Bob Eeg to send me a couple of pics of M-15's (I'll be ordering a new one soon) and one of the pics is of your boat, before being shipped to you. She's georgeous. I'm using her picture as wallpaper on my computer.