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DLSNFL-1

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I was out on our lake watching fireworks over the fourth and it became clear to me that it would have been useful

to me if I had some sort of help getting back to dock after the sun goes down. Our past boat (run about) 24" draft

always had me worried about losing the lower unit due to some lake obstructions. I knew with the pontoon and a few

daylight trails over new area that I had nothing to fear from the depths lunging up to grab my new pontoon. But that feeling

quickly disappeared when the sun went down and I had no reference except memory and shore lighting. I have a simple Garmin 100 depth finder. What product is out there to hit a button and it remember's my path on the lake, and then can replay

for me to manually follow on the way back at night?
 
I believe the Garmin 431S does.
 
The 431s will leave "breadcrumbs" so you can follow them back to where you started. You just keep the boat icon on the dotted line. It won't do what you want it to do like a automotive GPS because there are no streets. I'm sure there's a unit out there that will bring you back to a location but I'd think it would be pretty pricey.
 
If it's a rare need I might be inclined to just use one of the cheap or free smartphone based nav apps for that.
 
My humminbird shows me my previous paths and I use this feature when driving after dark to stay on the same course between the marina and our cabin. I think most of their GPS models would have this feature, you likely wouldn't need a unit this large or expensive.

IMG_0935.jpg
 
I have a Garmin GPS map 531 We too attended a fireworks show at one of the marinas. Not only did we come back in darkness but it also started raining just before we made it to our dock. The Garmin has two different features for what you want. First is active track. It leaves a dotted line behind you on the screen so all you have to do is turn around and follow it back to where you started. However it keeps all your tracks so it is important to delete all active tracks before you start out so there is no confusion. This is what I used and planned my trip to the fireworks with that in mind giving wide berth to buoys and islands. Second the unit has a button labeled (mark) all you have to do is push that button and it creates a way-point at your current location. Then you label the way-point so you know what it is. Then you can ask the unit to take you to the way-point. It also has most marinas and boat ramps in the memory like points of interest in an auto GPS. My boating friends who attended the fireworks with us were impressed enough that they are getting one for their boat
 
Our car GPS leaves breadcrumbs, and I use it on the boat. I will drive close the danger buoys at the beginning of the season just one time to set the boundaries (via a breadcrumb line) on the GPS. Then if I was ever was out late, I would have another tool to know where to go. Or where not to go.
 
I purchased the 431 mount to get that piece started. The echo 100 is bottom end piece regardless on such a high end boat that I want to change it.

I'm a cancer survivor but sometimes I get a paralyzed cramp in the surgical area, what then? This should help the kids or wife get back safely.
 
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