I am around computers and software all day long, and have found that
the PC intrudes upon my sailing hobby more than I desire. In the end,
my laptop sits on the boat unused. I took it off a few weeks ago, just
so it doesn't take up storage space.

.... and it was very well connected. I have an adapter that converts
the voltage up from 12v to 19v (so no inverter needed), i have a
Raymarine high speed hub so I can connect to my ray marine instruments
via ethernet, I have RNS 6.0 that lets me see all my instruments
including radar from my laptop (never went thru the effort to install
it), and I have my Garmin MapTech software and maps that are on my
desktop computer at home.

Reality is that my Maptech software is highly used at home, never on
the boat. It's great, in fact superior to all my raymarine software,
for planning my trips. But once I am on the boat, my raymarine E-80
plotter seems to enhance my sailing (granted it's right at my helm and
nav station, well mounted in the way of nothing, without any mouse or
keypads covered in my crew's personal items) where my PC just get's in
the way and invades my sailing hobby.

My advise ... be sure the laptop has a real use on your boat before you
go through any effort to integrate it. Add if you can, instead get a
chartplotter from Raymarine or Garmin, or others.