Larry wrote:

On your simple installation, I'd like to
recommend the Garmin 76Cx handheld GPS/Chartplotter in its little
snapin mount at your helm. Power is not an issue.

Exactly the one I bought my boatpartner for Christmas. Great minds think
alike.

I hadn't thought of it as a chart plotter but now that you mention it, it
really is.

I bought a micro SD card with my new cell phone last year and got a 1 gig
card because that was all that was on the rack. I've gotten tired of making
crappy looking videos and pictures with the cell phone so I switched. The
GPS is now loaded with every street map from here to Florida and out to
nearly the Misissippi. I went to Washington DC last month and I would still
be driving around in circles if I hadn't taken the GPS along. I thought the
Thunderingly Stupid Agency might get weird about my taking a GPS on the
plane but they were more concerned with confiscating my 1 OZ, factory
sealed, travel size mouthwash bottle because it wasn't in the plastic baggie
that is supposed to slow down a terrorist enough for the cabin crew to jump
on him.

Even when I missed turns, the Garmin just recalculated and gave me a new
line to follow back to my route.

A ten buck card reader writer from Radio Shack makes loading and unloading
the maps faster and easier. The street maps even have the dirt road into my
family's summer cottages so 2 gig card (the largest it will take) should
handle every chart I'll need to get from here to Newfoundland and back.

I bought this unit because it is the same size as the black and white 76 I
also have but my aging eyes need the color. I'd alread built this mount

http://home.maine.rr.com/rlma/Strider0601.htm#gps

for the old one so I didn't shop but it was a good choice.

--
Roger Long