We’ve been hearing about GPS in personal vehicles for a few years now - more & more manufacturers are offering built in GPS as an option to car buyers, and you can also buy a GPS as your local electronics store and install it on your own. For me personally, I’ve got a good sense of direction. I pay attention to the direction I’m headed in, I look for landmarks, and I eyeball street signs. That probably explains why I get so easily disorientated when we’re out on the water. When you’re boating or enjoying a day on a personal watercraft, there typically aren’t landmarks, or signs telling you which way the marina is. You’ve got to pay attention to nautical charts and the shoreline and buoys to figure out how to get from point A to point B on the water.

GPS technology is now being used to provide boats with marine navigation made easy! Planning a trip from Tampa down to Key West in your cabin cruiser? Stow your nautical charts and use NavQuest.com to plan your trip. Simply input information about your vessel, where you’ll be starting, and where you hope to end, and NavQuest.com will provide you with a custom trip plan that you can email to yourself or export to your marine GPS. The site also provides information on marine conditions, trip checklists, points of interest, and up to date marine charts. You’ll be able to easily find places to stop along the way, or sights to see with the points of interest locater. Download marine charts or check the radar before planning a day on the water to ensure a safe & fun time for all. This won’t get me behind the wheel of a boat anytime soon, but it make me feel safer about being directionally challenged on the water!