Fast Forward

Thanks to the new Garmin GPSMAP 742xs plotter I recently added to the Betty Jane II’s lower helm station, I’ve experienced an epiphany of sorts. Not only did the nifty little project boost my appreciation for the sophistication of today’s navigational electronics, it did something else: It revealed to me like never before the immense gulf that exists between today’s GPS technology and the GPS technology of yore. I mean, let’s face it, folks—today’s new stuff makes yesteryear’s old stuff seem like cave paintings from the freakin’ Paleolithic Era.

Consider the install itself. The 742, with its internal antenna, was a breeze to set up: All I had to do was secure the bail-mount bracket on the teak panel above the lower I was in business. Plug and play? Yup. Time commitment? Maybe two hours, tops.