Have the Nikon D80 Love it. Just got the 70 300Vr. Love it. I have been on many boat trips for the lighthouses. I have had some blury pictures using the 300 zoom I had that is why I saved up for this lens. On those boats with the light far away you might not like the result without the VR. Most of the time the boat gets up close and there is no issue. Maybe you could look for a used VR on Ebay.