good handheld gps for boats,which type ?and how to buy a good reliable handheld gps for boat and it would be nice to use in the car as well? will it price under $100?

A good handheld gps for boat depend on where you are, and where you will be going. In rivers, not too big a deal. But if you will be in blue water, either in the ocean, gulf or one of the Great Lakes, I recommend that you talk to a marine dealer first.

Whenever you put the words “Marine Grade” if front of handheld gps, the price goes up. Depending on your boat and the conditions you will use it in, shop around. My Gamin’s have never let me down. You should consider getting two, one for car and one for boat. Most of the car ones are not “Marine Grade”, so they cost less and have more features for the buck. You really do not need all that fancy stuff for out on the water. Unless you plan on going beyond the sight of land, stay with the basic GPS. Try and get one that floats and has a way to tie a lanyard to it. I bought a Mio C220 for the car $150 and it does everything I ask of it. Auto routing, voice, the whole works, but on the water – handheld Garmin gps. Oh, and do yourself a favor, bring extra batteries while on the water.

A garmin gps unit that interfaces to depth finders and has chart plots isn’t a $100 GPS. Is “go back to where you were” really the only goal or do you want things like depth alarms when you’re over a spot that’s more shallow than may be a problem for your boat depending on the current tide? Weather?

Garmin 276C is pretty much the entry level for the “true” Marine models. For crossover use (handheld/car/marine) use, take a look at the Garmin 76C[S]x products. Again, you won’t find them for $100.

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