The 276c is a dream piece of gear for a chap like myself. If I had the resources you can bet I would sign on for one of those puppies. But , in the meantime I have owned and used a $120. Garmin eTrex hand held unit for a few years. This version is water proof. The eTrex does not compare well to the larger units with maps and such, but it is still a highly functional tool that I would be unhappy to have to do without. If you are not a gps user now and want to spend a little less money that $700 or so, perhaps try one of the many hand helds. If you are doing the San Juan trip with Larry, I am sure you will have a new chart set. That is the main thing IMHO. The hand held will tell you right where you are in numbers, you just have to correlate that to the map if visuals are not clear. You can still plot a course though it is not as easy. You can also do the Hansel and Gretel and leave some breadcrumbs to find your way back. I use the 'GO TO' function every time I sail....the device gives you distances, eta's, current speed, average speed and daily distances etc. Mine will tell me the time of sun up or down....or the time in Bucharest or Alice Springs. The hand held does not wire into the ships juice, but when it comes to my gps I am in favour of the battery world. I use the thing for other trips as well. On my bike, in the bush, M/C or car. I will admit though, that the primary function of my GPS is a very accurate speedometer. Nothing like a 1/10th of a knot readout to trim sail by. A very handy inexpensive piece of gear. There, my support for the entry level electronic devices. Have fun. Cheers, Tim Diebert M17 #369 Puff Kelowna BC, Canada 49 52' 11.18"N 119 29' 13.43"W 1131 ft. elev.