My 2 cents
This is a fun thread! Here is my 2 cents worth:
1. We always have paper charts. The first time we were in the North Channel, none of the GPS's on the charter boat (including our own) worked about an hour out of Gore Bay. I don't know why, but suspect that it was just a particular satellite configuration, and the northern latitude. So we reverted to dead reckoning from our last recorded GPS position to avoid some submerged rocks, and the Admiral did a brilliant job of comparing the Islands on the horizon to the chart to find the turn to get into Bear Drop Bay.
2. We already have 2 generations of GPS's aboard, the most recent is the Garmin 76 CS, which has a small color chart plotting screen. So we have rugged and backed up covered.
3. I have the Navionics package on my iPhone. At $20, it was so cheap compared to paper or GPS charts that I could do it out of curiosity! Once the app is downloaded, the data is all on the iPhone - it doesn't need an Internet connection to function while navigating, just the GPS satellites. Frankly, it's a great package. I've been checking it against paper and the charting GPS with the latest updates on our home cruising grounds in the Erie Islands, and have found nothing missing yet. Although they are still building port data, the integration with the phone makes it easy to contact a marina, or make a dinner reservation by phoning right off the chart.
4. We bought a low end PC laptop last year to run the chart package Garmin provided, and connect to the GPS to up and download charts, routes, and tracks. The iPad with Navionics would be a better solution, but would not integrate with the GPS. So we would use an older PC at home for the charts and tracks, etc., and buy the iPad is I could take back the PC. I'll bet a waterproof mounting solution will show up in the coming year. Until then, I would keep the iPad below, the same as we do the PC. And the iPad would be a great solution for taking books along on a long trip. We are planning a 6 week trip to the North Channel this summer. Hmmmmm... Then again, the new PC, and the Campbell Sailor prop are already costing me a new granite counter-top in our kitchen (you do understand Admiral logic, right?) so more thought is required here. Maybe waiting a year is the right tactic.
5. The reason that all of the above are called "navigation aides" is that we always need our Mark 1 eyeballs, and mapping brains to translate any kind of chart into the real world, and actions to maneuver our boat. And many of the most current (paper and electronic) charts are not yet upgraded to GPS accuracy, so that underwater rock may not be accurately plotted, even though the GPS tells us our latitude and longitude within a few feet! And we need local knowledge to know where the sand bar is now, and whether we have enough water to get over it.
Continuously solving the whole navigation, wind, weather, and sail or power issue is one of the big reasons I love sailing. Doing it together is one of the big attractions for both the Admiral and me. I like the new navigation toys, but they will always be just a part of the picture!
Note: all of the above may not be worth 2 cents...
If you have a choice, get some purpose built equipment and have redundant back-ups. Either way, the most important thing is to know your limitations and the limitations of your equipment.
