I bought it in May 2001 right after they became available and took it sailing on a bareboat charter in Tonga. Very useful for the trip. Since then I've used in in the car driving around town just to figure out all its functions.

The early versions of the firmware had some real problems. Updates are available from Garmin's web site and I recommend them.

I felt bad for a long time that I didn't spend the extra $$ and spring for the Map 76. The more I use the GPS 76, the less I regret the decision. Unless you're driving / sailing / hiking in new areas, the basemap is not worth the extra money. If you want enough detail to be useful, you have to buy one of Garmin's mapping CDs anyway.

If you're not using the GPS 76 on the water, you can use the eTrex Venture worldwide city basemap instead of the marine point of interest basemap (although I'm sure Garmin doesn't officially condone the practice).

Most of the time it's plugged in to the cigarette lighter adapter, so battery use hasn't been a problem.

The RAM mounts work great in the car for attaching the GPS to the windshield with their suction cup mount.

Recommended: Yes