Hi Jody -
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<br>Like everyone else who's posted so far, I did a lot of research before dropping the moderate cash to have one of these little wonders. I got hooked on Garmin's products during te Worrell last year, and got even deeper into navigation and PC interfacing this year. My suggestion to anyone shopping for a GPS unit is to get one you can grow into - I quickly found that there were features available on more expensive units that I wanted to be able to use. So when it came time to get one for myself, I spent a little more than I originally planned, but was immediately happy that I had.
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<br>For cat sailing, if you're just a weekender our for a pleasure sail, the basic eTrex units are great - they're pretty accurate, rugged, keep good satelite reception, are an easy size to handle, and the little joystick on the front or the page button on the side quickly take you through the various screens, all of which are user-programmable so you can choose what variables you want to see on any given screen.
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<br>Getting a unit with a map is great, too - a little more cash, but invaluable for those visual-minded people who need to see where they are. This also reduces your dependance on waypoints, as most of the map units already have a lot of nav-aids pre-programmed.
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<br>Regardless of the unit you settle on, I highly recommend getting Garmin's MapSource software - it allows you to manage your waypoints, program routes, upload tracks, and a host of other functions that I found extremely helpful - plus, looking at maps in full color on my computer screen beforehand and afterward really helps in my comprehension (I'm one of those visual thinkers). The "Waterways and Lights" edition is good, but if you only plan on getting one edition (they're about $60 each), I'd recomend the US Roads and Recreation edition - it has some nautical navigation aids, plus a lot of other stuff that make the unit just as versatile on land.
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<br>I decided on the eTrex Vista - it's the top of the line, with an electronic compass that works great for sailing. I'm a moderately-serious racer - I crew a lot, and have recently started skippering - I was able to use the Vista right out of the box with only a few minutes of goofing around with it. There was a two day regatta the weekend I got it - I was able to load the course markers in while I was on the water, and by using VMG and the electronic compass, I could tell immediately which tack or jibe was favored. For the distance race, I pulled the waypoints off MapSource, uploaded them into my Vista, and didn't worry about having to count markers or wandering off course - the "go to" feature, again with the VMG and compass, got me there - it left me free to concentrate more on where the wind was and watching the rest of the fleet rather than trying to find the mark.
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<br>Before buying, I went to West Marine and laid hands on each unit I was considering - I really liked the GPSMAP 76, also (it has tide data and a bigger screen), but the compass on the Vista clinched it for me. Definitely try 'em all out - other manufacturers have very comparable products. You can find killer deals on-line, too - I saved about $80 by ordering from a site called "GPS City."
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<br>Whew - that turned out to be a little long-winded. Hope it helps - good luck.
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<br>John<br><br>