Small Boat Radar

[paulburn]

Bless you, such optimism! Best of luck in your travels.

Thanks !
But do you agree that most sailing boats don't have radar - that owners have made the same cost/benefit decision ?

 

[paulburn]

I would say radar these days is not heavy or unsightly but I suppose it is a matter of opinion. In terms of power use I only use it sparingly in thick fog but I believe it is essential safety equipment.
I will give you the example from last season.: Thick fog in the river Fal at 0600 when we needed to leave to catch the tide. We could have delayed the trip until the next day but that would have meant my crew heading home from Falmouth and leaving me to get the boat back to Plymouth on my own. We were moored a few miles up the river Fal and had to transit to the entrance in thick fog. Once we were a few miles offshore the fog lifted and the radar was switched off. If we had just used AIS and GPS I have no doubt we would have hit one of the many moored boats or racing buoys or some other object that does not use active AIS. The radar picked up absolutely everything including seagulls on the water ahead. Brilliant.

If you are not experienced at using it all you need to do is practice on days when there is no fog and you can identify the contacts on screen as real objects visually so you know for the future what an object looks like on the screen. My plotter allows you to have an overlay of the radar so you can tick off the charted buoys on the radar. Quite a few buoys are not exactly where they are charted to be so the radar helps to show their exact position.

That's interesting, sounds like it made a big difference.

 

[paulburn]

Does radar help avoid lobster pots at night ? Or are they too low/small in the water amongst waves ?

 

[mainsail1]

Thanks !
But do you agree that most sailing boats don't have radar - that owners have made the same cost/benefit decision ?

If you are talking about yachts over, say 30feet. No, I don't think I would agree from what I have seen in Marinas but I have not done a survey.
Anyway, if you ever cross the Channel you are likely to hit a thick fog bank at some stage and rest assured there will be vessels in that fog that don't have active AIS, not to mention buoys and lobster pots.

 

[mainsail1]

Does radar help avoid lobster pots at night ? Or are they too low/small in the water amongst waves ?

Yes, a properly set up radar will show lobster pots at up to a mile and, as I said, even seagulls at a few hundred meters.

 

[pvb]

Do they ? I would have thought they both have the same overriding raison d'être - to allow you to avoid hitting other stuff in poor visibility.

You obviously don't understand the crucial difference. With AIS, you can only detect stuff which is transmitting AIS (and many don't). With radar, you can detect almost everything. In poor visibility, there's no comparison.

 

[pvb]

Thanks !
But do you agree that most sailing boats don't have radar - that owners have made the same cost/benefit decision ?

Many boats don't have radar, just as many boats don't have AIS. It doesn't mean the owners have made any cost/benefit decision.

 

[Uricanejack]

Thank you for saying it first! A decent size chartplotter (backed up with say depthsounder to check) is so easy to use. IIRC, once you fit a radar the law requires you to know how to operate it fully.

As far as I know you can by a boat power or sail as long as its only for pleasure use there no law in the UK requiring you to know how to operate it. Radar or not would make no difference.

 

[paulburn]

You obviously don't understand the crucial difference. With AIS, you can only detect stuff which is transmitting AIS (and many don't). With radar, you can detect almost everything. In poor visibility, there's no comparison.

I agree that AIS and radar are different - of course they are ! They have many differences !

But radar and AIS/GPS are both used to help avoid stuff in poor visibility - that is why it is reasonable and sensible to compare them - I've done so and made the decision that AIS/GPS is the way to go for me - some will choose radar, others radar and AIS.

But I stand by the statement that most marina boats nowadays don't have radar - it's become more of a niche thing.

 

[pvb]

But I stand by the statement that most marina boats nowadays don't have radar - it's become more of a niche thing.

Perhaps it depends on your marina. I'd say the majority of boats in the marina I use have radar. Radar isn't a "niche thing" at all, today's radars are easier to use and more effective than ever before. Plus most people tend to choose to use radar on a chartplotter, which has huge benefits.

 

[paulburn]

Perhaps it depends on your marina. I'd say the majority of boats in the marina I use have radar. Radar isn't a "niche thing" at all, today's radars are easier to use and more effective than ever before. Plus most people tend to choose to use radar on a chartplotter, which has huge benefits.

Yes, maybe I'm wrong - I should probably have a look around at other boats' radars - particularly if the technology's moved on. But I think the differing perspective may be partly due to boat size - I've got a narrow hulled old 32 foot boat - whereas I guess nowadays that's considered small - and the expense/weight of radar easier to justify on bigger boats.

 

[prv]

Have a look at when a lot of charts were drawn then go and plot your cm accuracy on one GPS is not infallible and occasionally gives odd results or non at all.

I think you're agreeing with me

Pete

 

[prv]

I think most people have AIS these days so little problem ?

Can't imagine why you think that. I don't have any figures at all, but around here I'd guess less than 20% of leisure vessels transmit AIS.

I also disagree that "most" yachts don't have radar. Of course many don't, maybe it's 50/50 - but not "most".

Pete

 

[doug748]

"Would it be overkill to have a radar fitted on a 26' boat?"
Lodds


There are significant downsides to radar on a small boat some of which have been mentioned. Many of these shortcomings do not arise with other choices or bigger boats so the decision is easier. It is getting there though and in the coming years we shall have to see.

This type of question often decays to a rambling argument between two factions both peddling a version of the truth. Treat multiple posters as one view, regardless, and take it from there.

As a gadget lover I suspect you have made your choice, reef early and don't put the scanner up the mast. All the best with it.

 

[GrahamM376]

But I stand by the statement that most marina boats nowadays don't have radar

"Most" boats in marinas don't venture very far and only go out for a potter in nice weather and daylight.

 

[paulburn]

"Most" boats in marinas don't venture very far and only go out for a potter in nice weather and daylight.

Agree. But I expect most offshore/long distance boats under 33 feet also don't have radar (total guess here !) - the OP is discussing small boats.

 

[paulburn]

Can't imagine why you think that. I don't have any figures at all, but around here I'd guess less than 20% of leisure vessels transmit AIS.

I also disagree that "most" yachts don't have radar. Of course many don't, maybe it's 50/50 - but not "most".

Pete

OK - rant time !

Personally, I think it's reckless and irresponsible not to have AIS. Why risk the safety of your crew and other boats when you can have it fitted so cheaply ? Like immunization, the benefit comes from the 'herd' effect of everyone taking part, not to do so is anti-public spirited.

Hopefully, it won't be long before all commercial boats, including fishing, are legally required to use AIS.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

OK - rant time !

Personally, I think it's reckless and irresponsible not to have AIS. Why risk the safety of your crew and other boats when you can have it fitted so cheaply ? Like immunization, the benefit comes from the 'herd' effect of everyone taking part, not to do so is anti-public spirited.

Hopefully, it won't be long before all commercial boats, including fishing, are legally required to use AIS.

Regardless of the advantages of AIS and it can be of considerable use, read the post the OP is discussing sailing at night and in fog not collision avoidance with other ships, AIS is of no use at all for pilotage.

 

[paulburn]

Regardless of the advantages of AIS and it can be of considerable use, read the post the OP is discussing sailing at night and in fog not collision avoidance with other ships, AIS is of no use at all for pilotage.

Agree, the OP was. But posts naturally meander through other related subjects....

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Agree, the OP was. But posts naturally meander through other related subjects....

Ahh Fred drift