How far is that boat?

[lustyd]

Little tip that I found last year and forgot to post. When anchoring or at anchor and wondering how far a boat is (they always look too close!) just turn on the radar and/or AIS and measure the distance. Absolute game changer. If you have 30m chain out and the radar tells you the boat is 50m away it takes all the worry out of the situation. It's surprising how far things are when you actually measure them instead of guessing. Last weekend we guessed 30m and it was 90m. Obviously bear in mind your radar isn't at the bow, their AIS might be off centre or badly configured, etc. but I find this really useful.

 

[Stemar]

Up to a point.

It'll work for similar boats but, if my cat, drawing 60cm and sitting to the wind in more than a few knots of breeze is 50m from a deep fin boat with little windage and we both have 30m out, a wind over tide situation could get us bumping together.

 

[capnsensible]

Good tip. If you got radar. And if the other boat and you got ais.

 

[justanothersailboat]

I have to admit, not having radar (yet?), I cheat at distance guessing - I carry a cheap (£40ish?) golf rangefinder. Most of the time it's not that useful but every so often it comes in really handy and "am I mooring too close" is definitely one of them.

 

[lustyd]

Good tip. If you got radar. And if the other boat and you got ais.

I do have radar, but it took a surprisingly long time to realise I could do this to check distance in anchorages. Aside from this I’ve only used the radar once in anger, so it makes the investment more worthwhile too

 

[capnsensible]

I do have radar, but it took a surprisingly long time to realise I could do this to check distance in anchorages. Aside from this I’ve only used the radar once in anger, so it makes the investment more worthwhile too

It's certainly a wonderful tool. Modern sets are strsitforward to use as well.
If I'm on a boat with radar I spend a bit of time practising on getting the best out of it in clear conditions before it gets restricted.

I wonder how many leisure vessels with radar actually switch it on?

 

[Robih]

It's certainly a wonderful tool. Modern sets are strsitforward to use as well.
If I'm on a boat with radar I spend a bit of time practising on getting the best out of it in clear conditions before it gets restricted.

I wonder how many leisure vessels with radar actually switch it on?

The modern digital scanners use a lot less juice so I’m much more inclined to use mine now than I was a decade ago. It also has a facility to do a set number of scans every so many minutes (configurable) which is a useful facility when on longer passages, especially using the guard zone function. Any echo in the guard zone can alarm. Great for fishing boats which frequently have AIS not transmitting their position.

 

[jlavery]

It's certainly a wonderful tool. Modern sets are strsitforward to use as well.
If I'm on a boat with radar I spend a bit of time practising on getting the best out of it in clear conditions before it gets restricted.

I wonder how many leisure vessels with radar actually switch it on?

I've practised with mine quite a lot. Was essential crossing Belfast to Campbeltown recently in thick fog and broken AIS. Would have lost a day of delivery trip without it.

 

[jlavery]

I've practised with mine quite a lot. Was essential crossing Belfast to Campbeltown recently in thick fog and broken AIS. Would have lost a day of delivery trip without it.

And under colregs, you should/must use it in poor visibility. As an instructor, we must teach it now, especially if tuition boat has radar. (Meant to discuss it and plotting sheets if not fitted).

 

[lustyd]

Any echo in the guard zone can alarm. Great for fishing boats which frequently have AIS not transmitting their position.

I now prefer to just have it track things and treat everything like AIS targets seeing everything as a tracked object makes it easier to manage and take actions, and I don't get unnecessary alarms if things aren't on a collision course or close to it

 

[dansaskip]

When anchoring or at anchor and wondering how far a boat is (they always look too close!)

Yes I used to find this but I found getting into the dinghy and going for a little row soon altered that perception, amazing how an even slightly lower viewpoint changes things. Still your tip's a good un.

 

[Stingo]

Little tip that I found last year and forgot to post. When anchoring or at anchor and wondering how far a boat is (they always look too close!) just turn on the radar and/or AIS and measure the distance. Absolute game changer. If you have 30m chain out and the radar tells you the boat is 50m away it takes all the worry out of the situation. It's surprising how far things are when you actually measure them instead of guessing. Last weekend we guessed 30m and it was 90m. Obviously bear in mind your radar isn't at the bow, their AIS might be off centre or badly configured, etc. but I find this really useful.

I use one of these Laser Distance Meters. This one is rated to 120 metres, which is good enough for me. I've seen them rated for 300 metres, but at that sort of distance I don't think you need worry.

It's also great for checking if you suspect that that nasty charter boat is dragging towards you.