GPS for Pacific NW boating...

[haleyfam280]

Looking for some advice on what to buy for my 280DA? I'll be boating primarily in the Puget Sound with occasional trips to the San Juans and perhaps a bit beyond...
I don't know these waters at all and am not sure what to be aware of!
Looking for help in directing my search for the right GPS unit/system for my size boat and these great waters of the PNW!
Thanks!

2008 280 DA
496 Mag SeaCore

 

[Spot]

I just went through the same search and wanted something that i did not want to mount in my dash ( my260 has a spot at my knees) and something small enough but big enough to get the job done. I bought a Garmin 478c chart plotter that has a few extra bells and whistles in including sattelite weather and optional fish finding transducer.

So far I found that I like it bettter than my Lowarnce lcx113 (way too big for my cruiser) in my other boat, the charts are much better and it does a better job for getting to and from. I used it on a trip from Portland Oregon to Astoria in water that we were not use to traveling. Found fuel with it and resturants while in Astoria as well.

gpsmap 478c

Go from box to boat to dash with the portable and versatile GPSMAP 478. This combination color chartplotter and land navigator comes
preloaded with U.S. marine charts utilizing elements of the latest BlueChart g2 technology, in addition to detailed street-level mapping.
Optional weather and sonar capabilities combined with the ability to conveniently add plug-in data cards, let you easily add more maps and
features making this one incredible GPS navigator for land and sea.From curbside to dockside, the GPSMAP 478 has you covered no
downloads or computer required. Its built-in marine charts utilize the latest BlueChart g2 technology and feature coverage for all U.S. coastal
areas, including Alaska and Hawaii. Our g2 mapping technology offers a smoother, more fluid presentation on your screen.For road trips, the
478 along with its freshwater counterpart, the GPSMAP 378, come preloaded with City Navigator NT detailed street maps for North America
and include automatic routing with voice guidance along with an industry-leading database with more than six million points of interest
including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, marinas, attractions and more. An included marine mount and automotive kit make it a snap to
transfer the unit from boat to car.

 

[The Bill Collector]

Looking for some advice on what to buy for my 280DA? I'll be boating primarily in the Puget Sound with occasional trips to the San Juans and perhaps a bit beyond...
I don't know these waters at all and am not sure what to be aware of!
Looking for help in directing my search for the right GPS unit/system for my size boat and these great waters of the PNW!
Thanks!

2008 280 DA
496 Mag SeaCore

My previous boat was a 1989 300 Weekender and I put a Raymarine C-80 on it. We took it up into the Gulf Islands of Canada and all over Puget Sound. It never let me down once.......

 

[nwboater]

We boat in the same area and got one of the new Lowrance HDS-8 units with sonar. It's kind of big, but I unmount it when I'm not out on the Puget Sound, since we do a lot of boating on Lake WA. The screen is very bright and crisp and I was impressed by the new broadband radar capabilities.

 

[haleyfam280]

Thanks for the advice. Looks like I've got some researching to do!!!

 

[haleyfam280]

By the way, what made you go with the Lowrance over a Raymarine or Garmin system?
I'm not sure what I need, and what I don't need since I'm new to salt water boating. Are their basics that are simply required if going out in the Sound, and other options that are just niceties???
Thanks again for your input!

 

[FourGone]

I'm partial to the Garmin, for a number of reasons, size being the main thing. I have an older (178C) one so cannot get the newer maps with 3D etc. But the Garmin map chip can be updated. Good screen resolution. Good support as well. And because I also try fishing at times (but not much cathcing) I like the dual function sonar/GPS split screen.

I mounted mine below the helm, so as not to clutter the helm and block guages. I also mounted the transducer in the bilge to "shoot through the hull" rather than drill holes below the waterline. And even in our deep West Coast boating area the sonar works well even at speed (except when there is a strong alge bloom).

Hope this helps the decision process.

 

[nwboater]

By the way, what made you go with the Lowrance over a Raymarine or Garmin system?
I'm not sure what I need, and what I don't need since I'm new to salt water boating. Are their basics that are simply required if going out in the Sound, and other options that are just niceties???
Thanks again for your input!

Raymarine and Garmin are both great units....I've owned a Raymarine in the past and I've heard that the Garmin's are probably the easiest to use. I went with the new HDS line for a couple of reasons, but one of the key selling points was their new low-energy broadband radar. We've been up in the San Juans in our old boat (without radar) and have come across bad fog, so I vowed that in our next boat, having a good radar was a must. In all the research I did and the reviews in Boating mag, etc, the Broadband radar from Lowrance tested superior to other brands and with low energy use....I haven't bought the radar, yet, so I'm relying on the reviews. Aside from that, from a spec perspective, it has the most pixel resolution in its class (800 x 600), most compact in size (low profile), so fit better on the dash, has both built-in maps, but also take the latest Navionics cards with 3D, is NMEA 2000 capatible, has built-in high-def sonar, 2 yr warranty and the price point was reasonable. I could not find many folks who actually had the unit to get first hand reports since it has only been recently released, but I figured it stacked up well to the competition. After using it for several trips on Puget Sound, Port Townsend, etc....I really like it...and the screen is super crisp and bright even in direct sunlight.