Here’s a pic of my budget GPS Chartplotter. $300 from eBay. It runs Windows 2K on a ruggedized Pentium III 500 tablet computer left over from some Department of Fish and Wildlife survey or another. (It’s a WalkAbout HH [Hammer Head] 3, FWIW.)

It has a GPS receiver and runs SeaClear GPS chartplotter software well enough. I could easily add a USB DVD reader and some speakers, and that would turn it into the Centennial’s entertainment center as well.

We took the boat out of the water last Sunday, which went well. My parents came out to help, which was their first chance to see her in person. I think they liked her (they certainly said all sorts of nice things).

We only managed to take her out once all year, but that was OK. The real accomplishment was to get everything set up and tested in anticipation of lots of sailing next year (I now know that there is nothing important that needs to be fixed before next season, which is a great feeling).

That said, there is a lot I’d like to accomplish:

• Replace the tragic deck hatch with a small dog-house. This would allow one to stand up after using the biffy to pull one’s trousers up without banging one’s head.

The existing hatch was a very simply constructed one that was, I’m guessing, intended as a place-holder back in 1980. It was never replaced. A dog-house would also make a nice little seat on the deck while underway.

• Replace the porta-potty with a Lavac head — and plumb it in the Great Lakes-legal manner.

This would lower the head seat-height to a normal level, and the Lavac commodes have a reputation for not being smelly (they seal up completely when closed).

• Fix the Shipmate heater. Sadly, it clogged up the last time we used it (and, sadly, we needed it that night). Should be do-able.