Need Help for Chatplotter

needshelp · #1 (**permalink**) 11-24-2010

Hi I would like to buy a GPS chartplotter for someone as a Christmas gift but I know nothing about sailing. I would like to be able to buy one for around $500 or less. It would be for a sail boat that is 27feet. The sail boat is used around Shedica New Brunswick Canada. I realize after looking around that I may have to buy maps for it too....so I would want one I guess for PEI, NS and NB. Any suggestions on what would be a good system to buy and where the best place to buy one would be?
Any help would be great.

eherlihy · #2 (**permalink**) 11-24-2010

Garmin GPSmap 440 - should fit your budget, and comes WITH ALL THE CHARTS PRE-LOADED!

bljones · #3 (**permalink**) 11-24-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by eherlihy

Garmin GPSmap 440 - should fit your budget, and comes WITH ALL THE CHARTS PRE-LOADED!

NOT FOR CANADA!

needshelp · #4 (**permalink**) 11-24-2010

When I looked up the Garmin GPSmap 440 it doesn't show maps for Canada plus it also says it is no longer made.

Any other suggestions?

bljones · #5 (**permalink**) 11-24-2010

This may be the best value in Canada, because the Navionics gold maps are preloaded- no chip to buy. 5" colour screen and a depth sounder included.

Elite-5G [LOW-ELITE5G] - $660.00$649.99 : Radioworld

The cheapest Garmin with a 5" screen is the 531, at $565, plus the chart cost.

Frankly, I wouldn't look at a chartplotter with a screen smaller than 5".

sailingdog · #6 (**permalink**) 11-24-2010

Unfortunately, the Canadian charts are not included with any chartplotters that I know of. The US ones can be since they're in the public domain, so the companies can use them with out paying for them..

bljones · #7 (**permalink**) 11-24-2010

See my post above, SD. New product this year, preloaded for Canada.

From the brochure:

"Elite Gold models feature special
Navionics® microSD cartography with
coastal coverage of U.S. and Canada, plus
Great Lakes, Alaska, Hawaii, Bahamas and
over 125 major Canadian lakes"

EJO · #8 (**permalink**) 11-24-2010

I wish somebody would buy me such a nice gift for X-mas, Hannekuh, Sinterklaas, or whatever during this Holiday season. I still can't synchronize my old Garmin 162 with the new map source package I bought for it. So some times I'm sailing over land instead of water, luckily I know where I am at that time, which is on the water.
Use a regular paper chart, a compass, a clock, and a speed indicator and with visual indicators you pretty much know where you are.

sailingdog · #9 (**permalink**) 11-24-2010

Very cool.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bljones

See my post above, SD. New product this year, preloaded for Canada.

From the brochure:

"Elite Gold models feature special
Navionics® microSD cartography with
coastal coverage of U.S. and Canada, plus
Great Lakes, Alaska, Hawaii, Bahamas and
over 125 major Canadian lakes"

QuickMick · #10 (**permalink**) 11-24-2010

ive got a handheld lowrance, and my dock mate has the beefed up version similar to the one above which i have gotten to play with. both are good durable units. waypoints easy to mark. depending how techno savvy he is some of the gui's are not very intuitive. ie to look at sun/moon calculations you have to go into like four sub menus. overall im pleased w/mine as he is with his.

btw--thats very nice of you...if your 'santas list' is running short, lemme know and ill send you my wish list!!