Help me find the best GPS device for my sea voyage to South America

June 8, 2017 9:59 AM

I am going to be traveling from the East Coast to Argentina and back by freighter. I would like a handheld GPS device that will let me determine our location and track our route. I do not need nautical charts, but a map that covers the waters off the east coasts of North and South America is a must. It would be great to be able to upload data from the GPS to my MacBook Pro, but that is not a must.
posted by A. Davey to Technology (3 answers total)

I can't offer information on a GPS, and I don't know if this information will be of any help, but there are (at least) two Web sites that track ships using AIS data: VesselFinder and MarineTraffic.
posted by davcoo at 11:30 AM on June 8, 2017

You could just get a USB GPS receiver for your MacBook.
posted by bricoleur at 12:34 PM on June 8, 2017

There is free GPS software xfor phones and tablets. I use OpenCpn on a PC. I think there may be a version for Apple.

Other than that, the Garmin handhelds are very good. Check the options for charts for where you are going. It's annoying to have the screen and not the charts.
posted by SemiSalt at 1:18 PM on June 8, 2017