Radar or no radar?

[Pizzazz]

It depends on how you sail but typically radar is essential. Radar (and sonar) is the only active instrument on the boat that allows you to monitor your surroundings in real time. If all boats carried AIS (like the planes are required to), may be you could do fine with passive radar (AIS). But then there are other things, buoys, birds, etc. plus, in close quarters small craft AIS is typically delayed by up to 30 seconds which could be an issue.

For my type of sailing, I set a radar guard zone ahead of me, set the autopilot and can go below for hours. I would never do this with an AIS alone. Sometimes it is birds that trip the guard zone and this could get annoying but most of the time it is another boat without AIS.

Next, you can track storms, measure the speed of vessels around you, etc. I strongly suggest you install radar. Even if you have to bring back the old analog radar.

[nortonscove]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Radar. Most fishing boats under 65’ don’t have AIS. They can and do lay out over night in these stretches. As one gentleman told me “I don’t want my friends to know where I am fishing, not me Wife.”

I have recently sailed these waters, have crossed Cabot Straights a number of times. I have both AIS and radar and will replace radar if it ever goes bad.

In my mind it’s no question, keep the radar.

This is my feeling about this as well. I've done too much sailing in that area to consider AIS a viable alternative. Too many fishing vessels with this approach. Also seen a good many large cargo vessels not transmitting. Radar was our first go to in fog and at night. That and the fact that we live and sail in and around ice and icebergs that do not have AIS.

[nortonscove]

AIS is to radar what the cell phone is to vhf.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

AIS is to radar what the cell phone is to vhf.

Both really useful in their own way but different things, no point comparing them.

Pity no one's listening.......

[Mediator]

I think we can all agree that radar is a nice thing to have. I use mine for every overnight passage and it greatly helps with situational awareness. However, sometimes we can't afford to have every nice piece of navigational equipment, so then we have to choose what to prioritize.

If I had an extra $1000 to spend on navigational equipment and I was preparing for a bluewater passage, I would purchase a class B AIS transceiver over radar any day. From a safety perspective, I am far less worried about hitting a fishing boat at night or in fog than being run down by a tanker.

Keep in mind that most of the small boats that don't have AIS will not have a good radar signature. I also don't think either radar or AIS (or both) is a substitute for maintaining a constant watch.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Mediator

From a safety perspective, I am far less worried about hitting a fishing boat at night or in fog than being run down by a tanker.

I crewed on a fishing boat once years ago. 90', steel, if I recall 40-50 tons and cruised about 11 kts. I'm pretty sure getting hit by that boat would be about as unpleasant as getting hit by a tanker.

[model 10]

Ours died last season so I'm wondering what to do too. We pretty much used it for tracking squalls and keeping track of land at night. The anchor watch was also pretty nice. I really liked that at night.

[Capt Phil]

As with Boatman61, I cut my teeth in the days of loran and no radar. Never had it on the commercial vessels I worked on in the PNW. So never missed it either fishing or towing logs and barges around, no close calls either!
If the fog in the St Lawrence is anything like the PNW which you can walk ion at times, find a familiar shore and hug it... a decent radar will set youu back several thousand and they are not infaffable. You need to know how they operate. They do have combos that include GPS and plotters. personallye, I would not trust them.
If it is for a single trip, I would pass on it. If you plan on cruising around for several months, it might be a good investment.
Cheers, Phil
.

[davefromoregon]

I’m in the all of the above camp. GPS tells you where you are, RADAR tells you what is around you or at least that there are things around you, and AIS tells you the name of many of those things so you can talk to them. All these make the person who is standing watch more effective.

[sy_gilana]

Get Radar. No need to buy the display unit if you buy one of the modern digital ones, just download the radar plug in, and connect the scanner to your laptop and run OpenCPN.

[skavanag]

I agree with most of the posts that AIS and chartplotters have supplanted many of the primary safety purposes of radar, but it is a good secondary safety tool for fishing boats and smaller vessels. However, it still is the best tool for getting a clear view of squalls and picking a good path through them. I’d keep it for those purposes.

[Leo Ticheli]

Nothing can replace Radar in fog.

Fair winds,
Leo

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

As with Boatman61, I cut my teeth in the days of loran and no radar. Never had it on the commercial vessels I worked on in the PNW. So never missed it either fishing or towing logs and barges around, no close calls either!
If the fog in the St Lawrence is anything like the PNW which you can walk ion at times, find a familiar shore and hug it... a decent radar will set youu back several thousand and they are not infaffable. You need to know how they operate. They do have combos that include GPS and plotters. personallye, I would not trust them.
If it is for a single trip, I would pass on it. If you plan on cruising around for several months, it might be a good investment.
Cheers, Phil
.

Ahh.!!! They'll never get the buzz will they.
Most will probably rush to buy the first successful driverless car.

[Elie]

Radar is a very good and usefull idea. One of the side advantage of radar is its ability to 'see' squalls and weather cells.

[mvweebles]

I have to say, I'm surprised at the percentage of people who believe AIS + Chart plotter is sufficient on a cruiser's forum. Chart plotter tells you what is supposed to be there - radar tells you what is actually there. No different than depth - would anyone trust a chart plotter's stated depths over their vessels actual depth sounder?

I took the attached picture about 15-years ago - somewhere between Acapulco and Huatulco (trawler delivery from Long Beach to Florida). Note the difference between plotter and radar on the right: according to the plotter, vessel is on the beach vs 1nm off. Imagine a moonless night along a deserted light-less coastline. Now imagine the chart plotter is wrong in the other direction......where you think you're on water but you're not.

As far as AIS, it's a great tool, but cruisers often traverse developing countries where an outboard Panga is the most common vessel.

Radar gives reliable information unavailable anywhere else - where the hard stuff actual is. I would hate to chose, but if pressed, no thought required: give me the radar.