Radar on a speedboat, is it worth it? MARPA?

[officer_alex]

I am just about to buy my first boat, a Fletcher 17GTS Arrowstreak. It's got a good hull and engine but I want to upgrade it and properly kit it out.

I was going to equip the boat with a Simrad NSS7 Sport ECDIS which I can connect a 3G radar too. I come from the shipping world so using radar is something I use everyday and I would rather have one than not have one.

However on a boat of 17 feet is it really worth having a radar.

Secondly does anyone know if MARPA devices support EBLs and VRMs?

 

[kashurst]

Although very useful on a boat I don't think you will be able to mount the radar high enough to be of any practical use. All the radars I have used on pleasure boats have EBLs and VRMs.

 

[prv]

Secondly does anyone know if MARPA devices support EBLs and VRMs?

I would expect any radar available today to have at least one EBL and VRM available, probably multiple.

I don't have the experience to judge for myself, but people who seem to know their stuff have not been very complementary about MARPA. Certainly when I tried it out on my new-to-me Raymarine set I wasn't very impressed - I targetted a beacon post with a reflector on top, and the MARPA caption had it moving around at several knots despite the fact that we were tied up to a pontoon at the time.

Radar on a 17' speedboat would be unusual to the point of being eccentric. Can't comment on how well it would work. Where were you planning to mount it?

Pete

 

[Kawasaki]

I am just about to buy my first boat, a Fletcher 17GTS Arrowstreak. It's got a good hull and engine but I want to upgrade it and properly kit it out.

I was going to equip the boat with a Simrad NSS7 Sport ECDIS which I can connect a 3G radar too. I come from the shipping world so using radar is something I use everyday and I would rather have one than not have one.

However on a boat of 17 feet is it really worth having a radar.

Secondly does anyone know if MARPA devices support EBLs and VRMs?

Good question Ossiffer!
If I was equipping a boat I would like a compass a vhf and a radar as my first bit of electronics
Compass, (snot electronic) to know where you are going and coming back!
vhf if you need to shout for help
Radar if it gets foggy or dark so you know who is gonna hit you and where you are etc
However on a 17 footer ish you aint gonna stray to far normally , although in decent weather conditions why not?
Lets look at this sensibly
A planing hull Fletcher 17GTS Arrowstreak
I would equipe as so

Compass
VHF
Basic Plotter/Garmin Gadgett (I like Garmin)
Plus the usual safety bits and bobs
A Radar really consumes a lot of leccy
A Fletcher Arrowstreak etc won't provide the leccy you would need to power one for very long, especially if the engine were not running
That is your Achilies Heal, if you aint got a Giant Size Batt to power it!

 

[officer_alex]

Thanks for the responses.
I was planning to attach the radar to a pole which I was going to fit to the Stbd side.
I know some people go in convoys of small boats and cover fairly significant distances. I know a couple of guys who single handedly went from Southend to Southampton in a 17ft speed boat.
Whilst having a radar is a bit of a luxury it is my preferred method of position fixing in coastal areas.

I was going to go with a Simrad NS700 sport ECDIS with the Simrad 3G radar. The power consumption of the radar is: 18W (Typ.) @ 13.8Vdc (Power Consumption Standby:2W (Typ.) @ 13.8Vdc – only 150ma) - See more at: http://www.simrad-yachting.com/en/P...oadband-Radar-en-us.aspx#sthash.H0c8P06l.dpuf

Do you think a couple of these would be powerful enough?
http://www.advancedbatterysupplies.co.uk/numaxdualterminal120ampleisurebattery.html

 

[cryan]

You could run a radar but it would be of little use. Far more use to fit a radar reflector so others can see you. At the speeds you'll be going the jumping and jolting will make it quite difficult to concentrate on a small radar screen. Anyway matey, your best to just rely on your eyesight- Good eyesight is afterall a Decky's only redeeming feature! Lol!