GPS Handheld Only, or Chartplotter too?

[Pat Dye]

I just bought a H26 (1996) and will install a 2000 tiller pilot and want to interface with GPS. I want to keep my cockpit as "clean" as possible, with all gadgets as portable as possible. I wonder if it is worth it to clutter the cockpit with a chartplotter unit (Garmin 176c or 168 combo depthfinder unit), mounted starboard side behind the DC panel? Anyone have any ideas/experience? Why not just use the laptop for planning navigation, upload to handheld GPS unit? I don't see the advantage of the chartplotter in such a small boat if a laptop can do the job as well -- what's the point? Anybody mount their gadgets in a temporary or portable fashion on their H26, so when at anchor you can toss them in the cabin and use the full cockpit space with minimal footprint space of the necessary brackets for the gadgets?

 

[Frank Ladd]

I have hand held only

my two GPS units are handheld. only one has the ability to connct to a tiller pilot, but I don't have one installed yet. I like having two small inexpensive GPS so I think I'll always stick to handheld. Most of the time I navigate by site and chart. In fog here in North Carolina I navigate to get up a creek quickly so a powerboater won't hit me. I do very little sailing where I cannot navigate by sight alone.