Boaters are in a never-ending search for a high quality chartplotter with good ease of use, and my experience with a Northstar M121 multifunction display/chartplotter last week is something you should know about. Here’s the scoop: a few years back one of my project boats had a Northstar M84 on it, a unit identical to the M 121 except for screen size (the M84 is 8.4″ and the 121 is 12.1 inches.) I was always happy with the performance of that machine, and just as importantly, it was simple to use. So simple, in fact, that I never removed the plastic wrap from the owner’s manual.


Based on my experience, a friend got an M121 for his boat this past fall. Here’s what the unit looks like:


The Northstar M121 chartplotter - one unit that stresses ease of use.

The Northstar M121 chartplotter - one unit that stresses ease of use.


 Last week we went to Norfolk Canyon to deep-drop for tilefish, and in 800′ to 900′ of water, the fishfinding part of this unit kept a steady grip on the bottom and even showed fish at times. But here’s the amazing part: that unit was so darn simple to use that I was able to take the helm and navigate through a winding bay (Wachapreague – they don’t wind any more then this one!) plot our course offshore, and later set in waypoints for different hotspots and then back home – all without any sort of refresher. Even though three or four years had passed since I’d last used one of these things, each and every button push was as intuative and obvious as if I’d been using a Northstar M unit all along.


You’re on the search for a high-quality multifunction unit that has no learning curve required? Go to the store and check one of these things out. Push buttons. Fake navigate, on the spot. I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that you don’t need the owner’s manual for one second, to figure out all the functions you need to navigate from Point A to Point B, find fish, and get back home again.


Written by: Lenny Rudow
With over two decades of experience in marine journalism, Lenny Rudow has contributed to publications including YachtWorld, boats.com, Boating Magazine, Marlin Magazine, Boating World, Saltwater Sportsman, Texas Fish & Game, and many others. Lenny is a graduate of the Westlawn School of Yacht Design, and he has won numerous BWI and OWAA writing awards.