It doesn't happen often, but sometimes you find yourself with a little extra money. Whether you got a refund check at tax time or you hit the trifecta over the weekend, many of us see a windfall of cash as the perfect time to head over to the local marine electronics shop.

Of course, no one ever has enough money to buy everything they want. So how do you select the perfect navigation package for boat and budget? That was the question Mad Mariner asked me.RaymarineA Raymarine E-120 forms the heart of Jeff's ideal system.

The challenge was to pick the ideal electronics outfit – my opinions only – for budgets ranging from $1,500 to $50,000. At a minimum, they had to include a GPS, chart plotter, depth sounder and VHF radio, as well as all of the antennas, transducers and other accessories necessary to run them. If there was money left over, radar, cameras, entertainment gear and other toys could be added.

The resulting lists are not intended as a buyers guide so much as a collection of ideas that might help you make sense of this stuff and configure your own rig properly when the time comes (see the accompanying table for models and part numbers).

The lists were compiled using street prices, meaning the prices that the average boater could expect to pay, which I gathered by comparison shopping at half a dozen stores and web sites. Sales tax was not included, but you can calculate it yourself based on the state where you live (see links below).

Installation costs are also not included, which may cause some of you to snort. But prices vary dramatically – from $50 to $115 or more an hour – by shop and location, making it extremely difficult to generate accurate estimates. Ultimately, we decided to leave it out rather than provide inaccurate or misleading information.

Before I get on with it, remember that these are just one man's opinions. You'll notice, for example, that I like Raymarine gear. I am drawing on my background as an electronics wholesaler and a marine journalist, who has spent years working with products from all the major manufacturers. I'm certain there are others out there who will disagree with my choices, and have a different set of recommendations altogether. That's just the nature of these things – and it is part of the fun.

Let the arguments begin.

A $1,500 OUTFIT

Let's say your kooky old aunt put a couple of scratchers in your birthday card and, lo and behold, one hit for $1,500. Your 18-foot runabout should get the new Garmin GPSMAP 525S combo GPS Plotter and Sounder. The package includes a dual frequency transom-mount transducer, which will give you great bottom definition in shallow and deep water. The 525S also accepts Garmin's new G2 cartography, which features aerial photos and 3D charts.

This isn't just an entry level machine. Garmin generally incorporates all of the company's sophisticated features across its whole product line and, save for the screen size and some networking capabilities, this unit has everything than its bigger, more expensive cousins have. The 525S has a bright 5-inch VGA screen and an internal GPS antenna (external is available). The unit sells for about $1,099 and offers the best value and sophistication in its class.

For $230, you will also want to get the G2 chart for your specific boating area.

For communications, we're going to add the new IcomM34 floating VHF handheld radio. Why a floating VHF radio hasn't come along until now is beyond me, and this little 5-watt gem is just right for a wet, open boat. The M34 will cost about $170 and tap out your winnings.

I barely made it. The total for the package is $1,499. But you have a rig that allows you to navigate accurately day or night, set and store waypoints, communicate with other boats , find the fish and stay out of trouble.

A $7,000 OUTFIT

Let's say it's tax time and you overpaid this year, so your CPA gives you the good news that Uncle Sam is going to refund $7,000 of your own hard-earned cash. What better way to celebrate than to blow it on a new electronics package for your 28-foot cuddy sportfisher?

First we're going to focus on screen size: the Raymarine C-120 is a 12-inch bright color multifunction display that will serve as the heart of your refurbished helm. There are various accessory components that make the C-120 shine. Raymarine offers the basics along with the display in a discount package, so we'll take advantage of that.

The C-120 System Pack contains the display, a Raystar 125 GPS antenna and a DSM300 fish finder module. This package sells for about $2,600.

The fish finder requires a transducer, so we're going to install the dual-frequency, 600-watt P-79 in-hull adjustable plastic model. The P-79 will run you $100, and it does not require a haul out or a fairing block, which saves some money.

Because we already have the GPS antenna, we'll need a stainless steel mount for it. Add $20. We also need a Navionics XL9 chart for our cruising area, so that's another $189.

With the GPS plotter and sounder complete, let's add radar. We're going to splurge a little here with your new found money, but radar is the perfect example of getting what you pay for. Raymarine's 4kw Radome is twice the power of the 18-inch version and the $500 difference is well worth it. The Raymarine radar antenna will run you $1,700.GarminGarmin's 525S is a combination GPS and depth sounder. It accepts Garmin's G2 charts, which include arial photos and 3D cartography.

To raise the radar antenna up and make the installation clean, we'll put in a 5-inch PYI Inc. Seaview mount. These aft-leaning, powder-coated aluminum mounts also allow you to hang your anchor light high and behind the dome, so we'll opt for the anchor light bracket too. The mount and light bracket cost $345.

For $600, it's a no-brainer to add the Raymarine SR50 Sirius satellite weather and music receiver. Not only will weather graphics overlay on your chart, but you will be able to control all your satellite tunes from the C-120 display. Your stereo (not included) just needs an auxiliary input, and everything else is included.

The only time steering your boat is fun is the first day you buy it. After that, let an autopilot do the work. You're no less of boater without your hand on the wheel, and a pilot will invariably do a better job than you ever will. Some people also see it as a required piece of safety gear.

To keep the dash looking good and to take advantage of Raymarine's proprietary Seatalk network, we're going to stick with a Raymarine autopilot. The ST6002-Plus system includes a control head, the fluxgate compass and rudder feedback, and a hydraulic pump for boats with a steering ram up to 10.5 cubic inches. The complete pilot should cost $1,150.

There will be some custom hydraulic hoses needed for a clean installation of the pilot pump, which will cost about $100. We'll also interface the pilot with the C-120 display, so you can steer to a set waypoint. You will want to use the C-120's radar overlay and target tracking features as well, which are dependent on a heading from an electronic compass. We'll take that data from the pilot with a simple 1-meter Seatalk cable, which costs about $27.

To cap off the project we'll install a new Icom M304 VHF radio with DSC, which transmits emergency distress calls with coordinates. It won't take up too much space in the dash and has Icom's well-known quality. The cost is $155. Add a good eight-foot Shakespeare fiberglass antenna for $35 and a stainless steel mount for $25 and we are just about done.

The total is $7,046, so I blew the bank a bit. If you skip lunch the week you buy the gear, that should cover it.

A $15,000 OUTFIT

A couple of months ago your son talked you into buying 1,000 shares of his friend's fledgling start-up. When the company's stock shot up to $30 per share, you decided to cash in half of it and deck out the helm of your 36-foot express cruiser.

We're going to stay with the Raymarine line for this boat also. I believe their 12-inch displays and the ability to improve the package with great accessories is too compelling to go anywhere else at this time.

Granted, we are starting to get into a territory where brands like Furuno, Northstar and Garmin's new networked displays should be considered. But if I were to spend new-found money on this boat today, I'd say Raymarine's E-Series are bigger and more intuitive than anything else available right now. Basically, we get more for our money.

Garmin's large units will be a formidable contender. Furuno only has 10.4-inch displays and their user interface leaves much to be desired at this level of their product line. When Furuno's much-anticipated NavNet III series arrives sometime next Fall, with bigger displays and a new user interface, it will absolutely be a player. Finally, Northstar is going through a transition period as it incorporates it's sister-brand, NavMan, into it's line and finds a new identity with a new parent company. I'm not saying they all don't have great products. But for this boat, other manufacturers just can't match the E-Series on price and function.

Your new dash will feature a Raymarine 12-inch E-120 display. E-Series differs from C-Series in that multiple displays can be networked to share the various add-on components, from radar to satellite weather. Because we are limiting our budget, I'm going to stick with a single 12-inch display, but the option to add another later could be useful. The cost is $3,750.

Another reason to go with E-Series is to take advantage of Navionics Platinum charts with great digital charting. Navionics Platinum charts also have aerial harbor photographs and 3D bathymetric contours of the bottom. One chart should cover your cruising area for $299.RaymarineRaymarine's E Series can be networked and support a full-featured helm station, with radar, AIS, satellite weather and premium charting.

As much as I would like to put an open array radar antenna on this boat, I'm going to compromise a bit for the sake of additional toys. The power output of the 4kw Radome is the same as Raymarine's entry-level open array, so we're not giving up anything there, and the addition of some other collision avoidance accessories will be worth the compromise in picture quality due to the length of the antenna. The 4kw Radome costs $1,700.

We're going to add the Raystar 125 GPS antenna and a stainless mount for $315 and the DSM-300 fish finder module for $625 just like we did in the previous package. But on this boat, we are going to install a bronze thru-hull transducer with a water temperature sensor and a fairing block for the best performance underway. The cost is $350.An unobstructed transducer will offer the cleanest picture, while transom mounted transducers are notorious for poor performance due to engine turbulance.

Again, were going to add satellite weather and Sirius radio to the package, though the E-Series requires a slightly different module called the SR100, which allows multiple displays to capture weather data. The cost is $800.

We're also going to add AIS, or Automatic Identification System. AIS is a required transmitter on most commercial vessels, and the Raymarine AIS250 will receive their signal and position them on your plotter or radar screen. Think of it like air traffic control for your boat. The AIS250 will not broadcast your information to other boats, but it will display the other vessel's name, course, speed and the vessel's intended destination on your screen, augmenting your radar. The cost is $895.

AIS requires a standard VHF antenna, which can be shared with the boat's VHF radio. Since it's pulling double duty, I'm going to recommend a higher-quality VHF antenna for this package, and go with the Shakespeare Galaxy 8-foot fiberglass model for $125 and a mount for $25.

To tie all the various Raymarine components together we can't overlook some relatively expensive networking accessories. A Seatalk HS network switch will cost you about $280. The network cables for this package will run $50 each and you will need one for the display, one for the DSM300 sounder module and one for the Sirius Weather station. Total cost: $150.

E-Series displays can accept up to four different video inputs, allowing the captain to keep an eye on the engine room with a closed-circuit camera or watch a DVD at the helm (not while you are navigating). To top off our E-Series package, I'm going to put a Speco CVC627 Day/Night camera in the engine room. These little inexpensive cameras work great in any light and will help you monitor smoke or water while underway. The cost is $199.

I'm going to put the same autopilot in this boat as the last, but because this one is heavier and likely uses a larger hydraulic ram, we have to beef it up a little. The Raymarine ST6002-Plus with the S2 core pack and type 1 hydraulic pump (up to 14 cubic inches) should handle this boat just fine. This will run about $2,600, plus another $100 for the hydraulic hoses and parts.

Now let's add some entertainment to the package. KVH just introduced their TracVision M2 satellite TV receiver, which will give you DirecTV at the dock or at anchor. It's not made for watching TV underway, but once you're on the hook it locks right on. The system comes complete with a compact dome and a single receiver. Installation is a breeze with a single coaxial cable and a 12-volt connection.

We're going to use the TV you already have onboard and we're also going to wire the M2 to another video port on the E-120 display. Now you have satellite TV at the helm, for when it's nice outside but you don't want to miss the big game. The cost is about $2,600.

Finally, we'll install a new VHF radio and use the good Shakespeare antenna we already have installed for the AIS system. The Icom M-304 should work nicely for $155, and pretty much wipe out our budget. The grand total: $14,968.

Tomorrow: Jeff Spends more money, covering $25,000 and $50,000 packages.

 

Jeff McLaren is the National Sales Manager for Seawide Marine Distribution, a wholesaler distributor based in Southern California that works with all major electronics manufacturers. He has produced a series of instructional DVDs on how to use Raymarine navigation gear.