Radar used or not?

The only time I've used it was coming out of Chichester marina on a friend's boat after dark on a moonless night. I wouldn't have wanted to risk going through Itchenor Reach without it! Would I like to have it? Yes, but I've far too many other things to spend a few hundred on first.
 
HenrikH said:
To me, two major downsides are the visual and the performace. The dome looks like a birds nest and disturbes the air flow around the sails. AIS us used by almost all steel ships - the ones that are hard to hit.
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My radar is on a pole at the stern. Whether that offends your eye I don‘t know, but it is practical, reducing weight aloft and as a bonus reducing sea-clutter.

I have used mine a handful of times in anger during the last twenty years but each time it was indispensable. On a couple of occasions I was able to be of assistance to other yachts nearby who had set out without radar. I don’t enjoy anxiety, and radar can convert a stressful experience into something that is almost a pleasure. There are plenty of calm days when one finds oneself motoring on autopilot with nothing to do, which are ideal times for practicing with radar, or playing as my wife calls it.
 
johnalison said:
My radar is on a pole at the stern. Whether that offends your eye I don‘t know, but it is practical, reducing weight aloft and as a bonus reducing sea-clutter.

I have used mine a handful of times in anger during the last twenty years but each time it was indispensable. On a couple of occasions I was able to be of assistance to other yachts nearby who had set out without radar. I don’t enjoy anxiety, and radar can convert a stressful experience into something that is almost a pleasure. There are plenty of calm days when one finds oneself motoring on autopilot with nothing to do, which are ideal times for practicing with radar, or playing as my wife calls it.
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I'm seriously considering fitting radar in my planned upgrade of electronics., so all this discussion is very helpful! I see it as being potentially useful a) in poor visibility, b) to give more information about local weather conditions, c) to help with navigation where shores are low and difficult to distinguish by eye and d) to spot other vessels or objects in the water, especially those that don't transmit AIS. I don't NEED it, but I can see that it is a useful AID. I would have it integrated with AIS and charts on a plotter, to maximize it's synergism with other equally valuable systems.
 
Radar is fitted to my yacht, but have only used it a couple of times to check how to use the basic controls. As an old 1990s designed set it is pretty user UN-friendly and its location down below requires a dedicated member of crew to operate/monitor it. Although I have only ever used one once, a modern set with display linked to a modern chart plotter is much easier to use and understand. With most of my sailing at the moment in the Solent I dont suppose I'd use the modern one either, the days of doing blind pilotage round the Portland training routes on a backwards facing radar with a chinagraph pencil as my only friend are a distant memory.
 
capnsensible said:
Yeah, radar is heaps ahead of AIS. Regular practice and it's a very useful tool. But it does depend on your style of sailing as you,point out.

Familiar waters, daylight hours? Not really necessary. Coastal cruising? Getting in the zone. Especially for those gazillions of boats without AIS. Well offshore or tropical sailing? Dogs doodahs for rainsquall dodging.
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Another issue is that if fitted, Colregs requires its use in reduced visibility. I know a few clubs that don't fit Radar because they're not sure they'll have anyone on board who can use it.
 
AntarcticPilot said:
I'm seriously considering fitting radar in my planned upgrade of electronics., so all this discussion is very helpful! I see it as being potentially useful a) in poor visibility, b) to give more information about local weather conditions, c) to help with navigation where shores are low and difficult to distinguish by eye and d) to spot other vessels or objects in the water, especially those that don't transmit AIS. I don't NEED it, but I can see that it is a useful AID. I would have it integrated with AIS and charts on a plotter, to maximize it's synergism with other equally valuable systems.
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You could have a look at my installation on H4 if you like. I would be happy to give you a demo any time. Mine is based on the e7 and not as new as some but it should give you an idea.
 
johnalison said:
You could have a look at my installation on H4 if you like. I would be happy to give you a demo any time. Mine is based on the e7 and not as new as some but it should give you an idea.
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Thanks - I'll take you up on that sometime. I'm at F25, so not far away! Not sure when I'll be there next, but I'll pm you. I'm looking at the Garmin 1223xsw bundle.
 
RichardS said:
Two of my key requirements are food and water. Do you need me to specify them .... or would you be able to infer them from the fact that I am clearly a human being?

Now, the OP is the owner of a sailing vessel and she is asking about radar and how often people actually use it so it only takes a similar stretch in imagination to infer what she believes her requirements might be.

However, in the context of my phrase "None of that means that AIS won't satisfy the OP's requirements", it is clearly explicit that AIS might, or might not, satisfy the OP's requirements without me needing to specify what those requirements might, or might not, be as I am obviously leaving that assessment up to the OP. ;)

Richard
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How do you know Cheeky Girl is a ‘she’?
 
LadyInBed said:
My radar gets occasional use - fog and approaching rain squalls mainly. It's not the big ships that you need it for, as they have ais, but the little mobos that go out fishing in fog!
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Wansworth said:
Was on watch but as helmsman on a dredger whilst the mate spent his time with his head in the radar,Ihadto call him out as a small craft was close by,he hadn’t picked it up amongst the clutter
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As others have pointed out. There’s a bit in IRPCS about keeping a lookout by all available means.

lustyd said:
Then either you've never sailed the west coast of Scotland or you're never out after dark. Scotland is the perfect place for radar, with steep mountains either side of narrow yet extremely deep lochs. On a dark and cloudy night with no fog and no other boats, radar might be the best way to make your way up a loch that has no street lights or houses on the shores. I've been there, and GPS doesn't quite cut it in terms of confidence at 6kt under sail in pitch black!
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Exactly so. Good point well made.
 
Spirit (of Glenans) said:
It should be noted that if you have a radar you are obliged to use it at night and in bad visibility:
Rule 5 states: Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing as well as by ALL AVAILABLE MEANS appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.
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I wouldn't interpret that as meaning that you had to use it, just that you had to consider it's use if it was available. I can't imagine that "I was looking at Radar" would cut it as an excuse if you mowed down a couple Optimists in perfect visibility. If you were in fog and didn't use it that might be a different story.
 
grumpy_o_g said:
I wouldn't interpret that as meaning that you had to use it, just that you had to consider it's use if it was available. I can't imagine that "I was looking at Radar" would cut it as an excuse if you mowed down a couple Optimists in perfect visibility. If you were in fog and didn't use it that might be a different story.
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I think the idea might be that you look up and out as well as down at the screen?
 
I've actually crewed on a boat where the owner didn't know he had radar. They can help with all the things above but only help - effectively they're yet another input to use with care and consideration but training (even just self-teaching) is essential. For example you may have a distinctive radar return from the shore when you are correctly lined up for approach to your home port - learning that image and how it changes when you are off line can be very helpful. Likewise comparing observed thunderstorms to reality can be very helpful. I amazed how few people know that should take range bearings with a Radar for a precise fix as well. Very helpful piece of kit if you understand it's strengths and limitations and how to use it properly.
 
I'm certainly not disagreeing but one of the things I like about radar and sounder is that they give you real time information, not what someone thought was there some time ago. Trouble is you have to interpret and trust the radar and sonar of course so the real answer is all of them.
 
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