Cruising Sailors Forum Archive

Chartplotter question

I added a new Garmin color chartplotter to the IP shortly before we sold it. It worked like a charm, bright display even in daylight. Of course, the plan with getting the "last boat" is that we were going to take a little time and explore the other yacht clubs we have articulations with so a chartplotter might be a nice thing to have. Moving on to the next "last boat", I added a Raymarine color chartplotter to the Hunter last spring, purchased used from another boater in our area. As a side comment, used equipment around here really means lightly used. Besides no salt water and southern sun, our season is only 6 months and most seasons are shorter than that. Anyhow, the Raymarine unit was a disappointment, it is all but impossible to see in direct sun even with daytime mode and max backlighting turned on and just didn't seem as intuitive to operate as the Garmin. It looked great when I installed it under the winter cover but we never bothered to even turn it on during the regular season because I couldn't see the screen. I have an opportunity to buy another used unit, a Garmin 2010 monochrome from another local boater with the Lake Erie chart card for almost free. Anyone use a monochrome unit? Positive or negative?

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