[capt lar]

Electronics are expensive and depreciate quickly. It is a hard swallow for many, including me.
Where we play, we have shoal waters, ledges, fog and heavy commercial traffic. I have been using smaller chart plotters for years and I would definitely have a small one rather than none. We have a small handheld WestMarine 276C. It is a great tool ($800). It was our only GPS going from Long Island to Buzzards Bay and it quickly told us when currents were setting us. We saved a lot of time making early corrections which helped us make our home port just before dark. It works well in bright light, but can be moved around as desired. We mounted it's holding bracket at the helm, but can pop it free as needed. That also means both of us can stay on deck. 2 pairs of eyes in shipping channels is a good thing. We will keep it when we sell the boat.
Once we had the boat home we added a larger plotter that could have radar added. These goodies are not needed most of the time, but are invaluable from time to time. The expandable Raymarine is below for chart work and plotting to paper charts. I find having a second plotter at the chart table is a great tool, and the larger screen is a real luxury. I believe the GPS is our most important piece of electronics, and having a fixed unit as a primary and the hand held as "back-up" was worth the cost. I think the question you ask yourself is "if we drop the hand held (we have - twice !) and it craps out, are we comfortable without a plotter. We were not.
I would also tell you that whenever I go off on someone else's boat, the "back-up" WM goes with me along with the handheld VHF.

Larry