Old Harry
Well-known member
Also what has the OP had on his previous yachts
what VHF to buy /Do I need a radar?
- Thread starter DutchDan
- Start date
DutchDan
Member
Thanks for you reaction.
hi, here's the guy himself. The plotter I have is a B&G zeus3 7 inch.
This year we will stay in Holland, from 2021 we will be sailing in the Meds (mainly Italy / france/ Croatia)
DutchDan
Member
thanks everybody for your helpful input. The boat will be in Holland for the 1st year. in 2021 we hope to permanently be somewhere in Italy as a base. (Near Napoli, Marina di stabia). It's near the Amalfi coast.
The boat is from 2019, it's a demo Beneteau 38.1 performance.
It has a B&Gzeus3 (7 inch) plotter.
The boat is from 2019, it's a demo Beneteau 38.1 performance.
It has a B&Gzeus3 (7 inch) plotter.
pvb
Well-known member
Nice boat, and the Zeus3 is a nice plotter. I'd suggest you get a B&G V60 VHF with integral AIS receiver, this will be plug'n'play. If you want an AIS transceiver, there's the alternative V60-B radio. If you want a handheld wireless remote, there's the H60. Keeping everything B&G will mean it will all interface properly.
differentroads
Active member
VHF features to be looking for are GMDSS, of course (the big red distress button and an internal GPS. I also find my command mic in the cockpit really useful as my radio is installed in the nice dry cabin. A quick and easy way to cancel the half hourly 'pan pan keep a lookout for a small vessel carrying migrants' alarms is more than handy.
AIS is a tool I used a lot on my way down here from Britain and use on longer passages in the Med, particularly near shipping. I got a Vesper standalone unit that should enable me to pick a target and send an mmsi call to it through my VHF. Never managed to work it out though and all but one time, the watch officer of a ship has responded to me when I've called by voice to check intentions. Does anyone have experience of using the pick and send type of feature?
I don't have radar but would find it useful half a dozen times a year in the Med. Fog occurs regularly enough around the Straits of Gibraltar and the Morroccan coast (I've been caught halfway across the Straits in visibility of less than a mile). I've had fog in the Balearics too. And the Galician and Portugese coasts are prone to it (36 hours of dense fog in a 48 hour run from Vigo to Lisbon was a bit nervy. And rounding Cape St Vincent in a pea souper was properly scary.) If I could afford radar I'd fit it in addition to AIS.
pvb
Well-known member
All new VHF radios on sale in Europe are GMDSS.
For this feature to work flawlessly, it's preferable to have the same make of plotter and radio, which is why I suggested a B&G radio. I have a Garmin plotter and radio, and can call an AIS target directly easily.
differentroads
Active member
I'm with you on that, having chosen to go otherwise and now regretting it slightly.
I had thought about buying a VHF with AIS integrated. But the screen was far too small on the Icom I saw and, anyway, I prefer seperate kit as I like to have functions seperate in case of failure losing all functions.
Skylark
Well-known member
Seems strange that a demo boat does not have a VHF radio already installed. Are you buying it from a Beneteau Dealer?
When I bought mine it was a question of selecting which electronic options from within the offerings. I pretty much ticked all of the boxes and the Dealer was especially keen for me to do so. For example, I wanted the (much recommended on here) wireless remote, handheld VHF. I did not have to select which one, the Dealer specified the one compatible with the rest of the kit. Same for AIS B, Radar etc. I also think this is the right route as everything was installed by the Dealer, all in accordance with Beneteau guidelines. Also a good opportunity to negotiate the price. Much of these are Dealer Fit so the fact that the boat is already built is irrelevant.
My advise is to talk to the Dealer and get everything installed before you complete the purchase.
DutchDan
Member
thanks for your reaction. I think i've made a (very) good deal with the Dutch Beneteau dealer. I knew of course on forehand which options were on the boat (Performance pack and many others) and which I had to buy separately. So that was calculated in the price.
Star-Lord
Well-known member
I see plenty of boats with radar that never use them. They are best for bad visibility and especially good for night time sailing. My HD radar even shows AIS targets and at night I usually just have the radar on screen. Using radar once or twice a year may be awkward because it takes getting used to. I have mine on Course Up (when I did the RYA radar course the retired RN Captain instructor insisted on Radar being North Up) so you need to be familiar with it. Radar saved me from ploughing into a unmarked fish farm or something five miles off Porto in Portugal. It was like a yellow line across the screen and this was daylight so I get binoculars out and can't see anything.
The good thing about modern radar is the screen is easier to read (I have out of date HD) and it uses less power but it should be noted with all gadgets running at night radar can still be a significant drain on small battery banks.
You will find Scandinavian sailors love their radar because they have a lot more obstacles to navigate around than many other sailors.
I would say that if you can afford it without blinking get it. And if you are going to be doing regular night passages or sail in a foggy area like Galicia it would be a benefit.
One of the best features of radar is the guard zone that can encircle the whole vessel or just the forward part - this will warn you if a target enters your safe zone which can be set manually - inner and outer zones could be 3nm and 1nm for example.
The good thing about modern radar is the screen is easier to read (I have out of date HD) and it uses less power but it should be noted with all gadgets running at night radar can still be a significant drain on small battery banks.
You will find Scandinavian sailors love their radar because they have a lot more obstacles to navigate around than many other sailors.
I would say that if you can afford it without blinking get it. And if you are going to be doing regular night passages or sail in a foggy area like Galicia it would be a benefit.
One of the best features of radar is the guard zone that can encircle the whole vessel or just the forward part - this will warn you if a target enters your safe zone which can be set manually - inner and outer zones could be 3nm and 1nm for example.
DutchDan
Member
thanks for your reply
yachtbits
Member
Just a technical point, VHF radios feature DSC, digital selective calling which in corporates a distress button. GMDSS is a complete safety system used on commercial vessels that happens to incorporate DSC VHF's.
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System - Wikipedia
As mentioned by others the B&G V60-B will give AIS TX as well and allows DSC calls to be initiated from AIS targets on the plotter.
Alternatively, any B&G VHF will initiate calls from the Zeus if a separate AIS is in the system.
I see absolutely no point whatsoever fitting receive only AIS, just spend the extra so that other vessels can see you as well.
As a footnote, one of my customers lives was saved when he was badly injured whilst fishing solo, he could only call for assistance on his mobile phone, but the Coastguard helicopter flew in directly on his AIS position.
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System - Wikipedia
As mentioned by others the B&G V60-B will give AIS TX as well and allows DSC calls to be initiated from AIS targets on the plotter.
Alternatively, any B&G VHF will initiate calls from the Zeus if a separate AIS is in the system.
I see absolutely no point whatsoever fitting receive only AIS, just spend the extra so that other vessels can see you as well.
As a footnote, one of my customers lives was saved when he was badly injured whilst fishing solo, he could only call for assistance on his mobile phone, but the Coastguard helicopter flew in directly on his AIS position.
DutchDan
Member
thank, very clear!
