Jack Erbes wrote:
Andy Saunders wrote:

I have some experience with GPS units in auto's. Does the marine
units work the same?

No.

Can you put a destination in the unit and it will show you the
way like the one in an auto or do you have to manually put in the
waypoints and then select each as you proceed toward a destination?

Two part question, the answers are no and yes respectively. Except
that you can create a route (a number of waypoints in a specific
sequence) and the chart plotter will help you proceed to them in that
order.

I just purchased
a boat with a Garman 2006C GPS. (I haven't taken possession of the
boat at this point).

That unit "wakes up" with a basemap that will show you about where you
are but it does not have sufficient detail for navigation. That
basemap is described here, note that the description makes no mention
of the basemap having any buoys, lights, or other navaids on it.
http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap2006/#

The detailed charts you need for navigation have to be put on Garmin
Data Cards, those are then read by the 2006 and you get detailed
charting. The Data Cards are a proprietary storage medium, sort of
like a CF or SD memory card.

You can buy preprogrammed Data Cards with charting for a given region
(the expensive way to do it). The more economical (but complex and
technical for some) way to get charting data is to buy a Garmin
BlueChart CD with chart data, blank data cards, a data card
programmer, and load the data cards using a PC.

When you buy the BlueChart CD, data for one region of your choice can
be unlocked and used. If you want to add more regions you pay more to
unlock those.

If your boat was well equipped and being used, it may come with a data
card or two for the region where it was used. Or it may even come
with a BlueChart CD, a data card, and a Garmin Data Card programmer.

This page and the links from it will help you figure it all out, don't
feel bad if it all seems a little complicated.

http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap2006/#

Don't forget, you now own a hole in the water. Your key
responsibility as a boat owner is to keep throwing money into the
hole to keep Garmin and a number of other businesses and industries
solvent. :)

Have fun!

Jack

I think my advice would be to sell the 2006C, and buy an Etrex with the
money, then use Oziexplorer on a laptop. That way, his hole in the water
will get smaller, not bigger, and his navigation setup will be infinitely
easier to use.

Dennis.