[bobetter]

Haha, sorry folks as I seemed to have ruffled a few feathers! I'm not saying that my intention is to pirate software - I'm just trying to find the most economical way of going about this, as well as the possibility of having a system that can be used in other activities (such as hiking, kayaking, etc - using the handheld side of the equation there obviously).

Quite a few of my friends who are fellow boaters that are also trying to enjoy cruising at a minimal cost are the ones who have been pushing Nobeltec, and all of the "sharing" that is involved. These are not people who simply "booze cruise" around the coast. These are people that know the true expense of blue water sailing, and have suggested options that they were exposed to by other blue water sailors on a like-minded budget.

Please, I'm just trying to get a feel for what is involved in suiting my boat up with a respectable navigation system, and figuring out how to pair that with my love of Macs (or to be more blunt, my detest of PCs!) I do not believe that sailing is strictly for the elite, and as such I feel navigation should follow suit. (Heck, until now, most of my navigational experience has been by the use of the stars and a sextant!)

That is one of the reasons why I appreciate the minimal cost of MacENC itself. Everything Apple is so incredibly expensive, so it's refreshing to see that MacENC is actually an affordable option.

I'm sorry if I have offended anyone.

Thanks for coming "clean" George. Unfortunately, pirated SW is a general problem, and in the cruising community (perhaps as a result of sailors' habit of squeezing every possible penny) an accepted way of life. It's gotta stop or soon there will be no motivation for new development. The old adage of "you get what you pay for" really holds true here. The fact that Macs cost a little more maybe is a perfect example. Having said that, when you look at the cost of a Mac coupled with the (low) cost of something like MacENC or GPSNavX, you still come in lower that most Windows solutions.

On final note, a question: I agree that the USB GPS is a good option for MacENC. As far as a GPS on its own however, which make/model would you folks suggest to compliment the Mac setup? As I mentioned earlier, the Colorado is a joke, as you have to be holding it level all the time in order to receive proper information (in this way, I believe that the Colorado should be marketed for either kayakers or hikers, not sailors, as I think most of us would agree that we would rather have the unit in some sort of a stand or holster unit so we can view its information without having to hold it all the time).

Does Garmin make such an animal that can be mounted as well as held when not on the water? Anyone own the 76CSx?

Garmin makes a number of handheld units which could be taken off a boat, any one of the GPSxxx units would work just fine for your application. Using a "headless" USB GPS as a backup would put you in a great position, no pun intended.

Anyways, thanks in advance, and again I apologize for putting anyones knickers in a knot. It was probably my frustration in dealing with boating supplies staff and their lack of product knowledge, thus leading to multiple excursions to the local store for further input, that made my previous posts sound rude.

Happy sailing.

GS

I'd suggest doing your research online rather than at the local store. I think you'll find the info here more accurate than what you'll get at a store and certainly more complete. Having said all this, the bottom line is that there isn't really a "cheap" solution, after all you are trying to protect both your life and a most probably expense investment, your boat.

BTW, what Mac do you have and what systems are already on the boat? Once we have a sense of what your ultimate design goal is, I'm sure the suggestions will come pouring forth..