A $15,000 OUTFIT

A couple of months ago your son talked you into buying 1,000 shares of his friend's fledgling start-up. When the company's stock shot up to $30 per share, you decided to cash in half of it and deck out the helm of your 36-foot express cruiser.

We're going to stay with the Raymarine line for this boat also. I believe their 12-inch displays and the ability to improve the package with great accessories is too compelling to go anywhere else at this time.

Granted, we are starting to get into a territory where brands like Furuno, Northstar and Garmin's new networked displays should be considered. But if I were to spend new-found money on this boat today, I'd say Raymarine's E-Series are bigger and more intuitive than anything else available right now. Basically, we get more for our money.

Garmin's large units will be a formidable contender. Furuno only has 10.4-inch displays and their user interface leaves much to be desired at this level of their product line. When Furuno's much-anticipated NavNet III series arrives sometime next Fall, with bigger displays and a new user interface, it will absolutely be a player. Finally, Northstar is going through a transition period as it incorporates it's sister-brand, NavMan, into it's line and finds a new identity with a new parent company. I'm not saying they all don't have great products. But for this boat, other manufacturers just can't match the E-Series on price and function.

Your new dash will feature a Raymarine 12-inch E-120 display. E-Series differs from C-Series in that multiple displays can be networked to share the various add-on components, from radar to satellite weather. Because we are limiting our budget, I'm going to stick with a single 12-inch display, but the option to add another later could be useful. The cost is $3,750.

Another reason to go with E-Series is to take advantage of Navionics Platinum charts with great digital charting. Navionics Platinum charts also have aerial harbor photographs and 3D bathymetric contours of the bottom. One chart should cover your cruising area for $299.RaymarineRaymarine's E Series can be networked and support a full-featured helm station, with radar, AIS, satellite weather and premium charting.

As much as I would like to put an open array radar antenna on this boat, I'm going to compromise a bit for the sake of additional toys. The power output of the 4kw Radome is the same as Raymarine's entry-level open array, so we're not giving up anything there, and the addition of some other collision avoidance accessories will be worth the compromise in picture quality due to the length of the antenna. The 4kw Radome costs $1,700.

We're going to add the Raystar 125 GPS antenna and a stainless mount for $315 and the DSM-300 fish finder module for $625 just like we did in the previous package. But on this boat, we are going to install a bronze thru-hull transducer with a water temperature sensor and a fairing block for the best performance underway. The cost is $350.An unobstructed transducer will offer the cleanest picture, while transom mounted transducers are notorious for poor performance due to engine turbulance.

Again, were going to add satellite weather and Sirius radio to the package, though the E-Series requires a slightly different module called the SR100, which allows multiple displays to capture weather data. The cost is $800.

We're also going to add AIS, or Automatic Identification System. AIS is a required transmitter on most commercial vessels, and the Raymarine AIS250 will receive their signal and position them on your plotter or radar screen. Think of it like air traffic control for your boat. The AIS250 will not broadcast your information to other boats, but it will display the other vessel's name, course, speed and the vessel's intended destination on your screen, augmenting your radar. The cost is $895.

AIS requires a standard VHF antenna, which can be shared with the boat's VHF radio. Since it's pulling double duty, I'm going to recommend a higher-quality VHF antenna for this package, and go with the Shakespeare Galaxy 8-foot fiberglass model for $125 and a mount for $25.

To tie all the various Raymarine components together we can't overlook some relatively expensive networking accessories. A Seatalk HS network switch will cost you about $280. The network cables for this package will run $50 each and you will need one for the display, one for the DSM300 sounder module and one for the Sirius Weather station. Total cost: $150.

E-Series displays can accept up to four different video inputs, allowing the captain to keep an eye on the engine room with a closed-circuit camera or watch a DVD at the helm (not while you are navigating). To top off our E-Series package, I'm going to put a Speco CVC627 Day/Night camera in the engine room. These little inexpensive cameras work great in any light and will help you monitor smoke or water while underway. The cost is $199.

I'm going to put the same autopilot in this boat as the last, but because this one is heavier and likely uses a larger hydraulic ram, we have to beef it up a little. The Raymarine ST6002-Plus with the S2 core pack and type 1 hydraulic pump (up to 14 cubic inches) should handle this boat just fine. This will run about $2,600, plus another $100 for the hydraulic hoses and parts.

Now let's add some entertainment to the package. KVH just introduced their TracVision M2 satellite TV receiver, which will give you DirecTV at the dock or at anchor. It's not made for watching TV underway, but once you're on the hook it locks right on. The system comes complete with a compact dome and a single receiver. Installation is a breeze with a single coaxial cable and a 12-volt connection.

We're going to use the TV you already have onboard and we're also going to wire the M2 to another video port on the E-120 display. Now you have satellite TV at the helm, for when it's nice outside but you don't want to miss the big game. The cost is about $2,600.

Finally, we'll install a new VHF radio and use the good Shakespeare antenna we already have installed for the AIS system. The Icom M-304 should work nicely for $155, and pretty much wipe out our budget. The grand total: $14,968.

Tomorrow: Jeff Spends more money, covering $25,000 and $50,000 packages.