Previously published in BWS by Patrick Childress. After nine years at sea, we are proof that a cruising sailboat is a maintenance treadmill. But occasionally there is equipment we replace because newer, better options have come onto the market. Investing in that equipment now can save us grief and expense later. RAYMARINE CHARTPLOTTER AND RADAR      We just upgraded our nine year old navigation system to a new Raymarine, HybridTouch eS128 and Color HD radome (www.raymarine.com). There are so many amazing benefits to this new equipment, it warrants an entire article to tell about it. But briefly, I wanted the larger 12.1 inch screen for easier viewing and better spatial awareness, like what I used to get using paper charts. The machine also has Wi-Fi to connect to the internet to install new software and chart updates. Now we can choose between Navionics, C-Maps and Lighthouse charts, and can display two different chart brands at the same time to get a comparison, since not all chart brands have the same level of detail. Using the new Raymarine high definition DownVision™ depth sounder, depths can be placed and saved directly on our chart programs as we sail the world. These same depth recordings … Continue reading What Worked, What Didn’t Nine Years Later