The 7" display on Furuno's 1712—our overall top pick—has clearly labeled function buttons and a simple cursor pad; it offered the best menu navigation and system control among the units we tested.

For almost any vessel over 20 feet there are three groups of marine electronics that are valuable to have on board, not only for efficient navigation, but also for safety. Collectively, these systems not only serve to protect your investment, but might also save your life. They are, respectively, devices for communication, location, and collision avoidance.

In the first product group, the top item is a VHF radio. Every vessel should have a fixed-mount, 25-watt VHF, as well as a handheld VHF as a backup. In the second group—location devices—the top gadget is a GPS. All sailboats of this ilk should have a fixed-mount GPS unit, and a handheld GPS as…