[Paddlewise] Electronic charts anyone?

Hey Paddlewisers,

How many of you are using electronic charts in conjunction with a GPS unit for kayak navigation?
I've had a Garmin 12 for a couple years but always relied on a paddling buddy to do the pre-trip
waypoint & chart preparations.  I finally took the plunge & bought some software (Ozi Explorer), a
PC-GPS cable, a color printer & waterproof paper, downloaded some BSB charts and have been having
loads of fun getting ready for an upcoming trip in BC.  Still somewhat a novice, so far I've come up
with a few key things to keep in mind:

1)  Generally speaking, one waypoint every 50 feet is adequate for most navigational needs.
2)  This will require approximately 17.4 waypoints for each acre to be covered.
3)  Given #2 above, and that my Garmin 12 holds 500 waypoints, this means that I can only paddle an
area of 28.7 acres, a square area 1118 feet on a side (roughly 0.1864 NM)
4)  Given #3 above, any trip longer than 0.1864 NM is without adequate GPS coverage and is therefore
foolhardy and dangerous.
5)  At a paddling speed of 3.5 Knots, I can paddle from one end of GPS coverage to the other in
about 3.2 minutes.
6)  Given #5 above, I can safely eliminate camping gear, food, water and spare clothing from my
equipment list.  This will save a good deal of money which can then be spent on more software.
7)  If anyone know where to buy a waterproof laptop computer with an integrated tool for cutting
close-cell foam, please let me know.

Craig Olson
Lummi Island, WA


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