Is the radar an obsolete equipment?

[Drewnie]

In my humble opinion, I wouldn't leave home without radar. It has many uses but, most importantly, in limited visibility it will give you the positions of vessels that don't carry AIS and can confirm distances with great accuracy of those that do along with rocks, shorelines and navigation buoys. Especially the new digital radar systems. It is very helpful in tracking squalls as well. The newer units don't hog the batteries as much as the older, but then, you can always keep it on standby when anticipating the need for it's use.That said, older units do die eventually, so if you are planning on extended voyaging I would consider an upgrade.

[yttrill]

I have radar with MARPA (manual target acquisition and tracking), but a bad heading sensor. So my radar is useless at finding wooden boats and the angular resolution is hopeless. But the distance resolution is good. At night, radar is excellent combined with eyesight: my eyes find the directory of a boat from navigation lights, the radar tells me the distance. The strength of the signal helps tell the size and construction of the vessel.

The second use is storm detection, especially at night. Radar is fantastic at finding thunderstorms and squalls with rain: things to avoid, or, to take advantage of.

A final possible use in some parts of the world: military vessels don't run AIS. But many do have radar detectors and can locate transmissions. And they're usually large and made of steel so there's a chance you can see them on your radar.

[CarlF]

I'd wonder how many of the "you have to have radar" still don't have an AIS transponder? Since I got mine, my radar has lost about 90% of it's use. A lot of old-time cruisers just "don't get" how much AIS has changed things at night and offshore.

I'm not getting rid of my radar. It's useful at times. But if budget limitations for a new boat meant I couldn't buy one piece of electronic equipment - it would be the radar that got left off. And I've got a 55' boat. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't put it on a small 34' sailboat - a lot of windage and power use for a boat without a lot to spare.

[Cadence]

I grew up with no electronic, circa late 40s on. I would be the last to say any of them don't have a use. My guess the operators ability is more important.

I can't see everything being tied together, it appears one failure could put you back to the 40's.
'

[yttrill]

Originally Posted by CarlF

I'd wonder how many of the "you have to have radar" still don't have an AIS transponder?

I have 24" radar, AIS transponder, backup AIS receiver in radio splitting aerial with backup VHF radio, touch screen plotter integrating radar, and backup plotter running on permanently mounted laptop (as well as a hand held). I also run 7 different electricity generation methods, two banks of batteries, and I'm working on finding the money for a second auto pilot, try to go with crew as a third piloting method, carry backup sails, and have multiple spare spars.

Cruising is all about safety. Safety first, second, and third. And one of the primary rules of safety is to have multiple ways to do things. Choices, redundancy and integration. Command and control.

My radar is usually off. When i think it might be useful I put it on standby. In any potentially dangerous condition, including poor weather, poor vision, fog, congestion, proximity to fishing boats or other traffic in poor conditions, it goes on. Actually I wish I could afford an RDF, thermal imaging unit, and directional sonar (fish finder). And a better direction sensor. I need to work on a remote activated masthead strobe (beats trying to light a flare in a potential collision situation).

[tim821]

Why jettison a piece of gear that works and can only add to your safety? If you sell the boat the radar may be a great asset to the new owner. I sail in San Francisco Bay and would not be without it. I have started out on a clear day only to become totally enveloped by fog. There is a lot of recreational and commercial traffic on the bay. AIS has a delay in showing actual position and I have crossed an outbound container ship in 0 visibility and was grateful for the radar (as well as a horn). As noted it uses no power when off. I frequently turn it on during clear weather to maintain my skill in interpreting the images. It will spot a buoy in the water in fog. I have also used it to teach new sailors how radar works.

[jram]

Keep it!

From practical experience:

Useful as:

1. Double check on GPS during night, fog entry to small harbour in France with mainsail mechanically stuck up. (2009)
2. Use to track and avoid squalls - day and night. Allows you to 'navigate' the weather. (every year, multiple times)
3. The obvious - the unlit fishing vessel on a collision course at 4 am (2015)
4. For when your chart plotter goes wrong and the chart is different from 'rocks'. (2014)
5. Checking the course and speed of the lit vessels you can see (day and night) to determine the best course of action in confined waters...

The list goes on - none of this theory - Radar is just as valuable today as it ever was. Learn how to use it and interpret it and you will enjoy the information it brings.

Oh, yes - I almost forgot. In calm seas when motoring in fog (almost 24hrs) we created a game where, with the radar tuned so we could see the fishing floats on the many pots in the water, we would (apart from avoiding them) use the flashlight to illuminate them. The crew took it in turns to count down and aim the flashlight to exactly where the pot should be and then turn on the flashlight when exactly abeam the boat. Entertaining, educational and kept us awake!

[ikebartlett]

I wouldn’t sail at night without it. I have missed hitting many an unlit bouy and one floating tree. Coming into poorly lit harbors , especially those with new construction activities is so less stressful, in fact I use Radar, Chart plotter and the latest satellite image

[cblurton]

Originally Posted by Annie in WA

Cheeck out David Burch’s book on radar. Great info on how useful it is.

Burch's Book on Amazon

[James Mackey]

It depends where you sail. Radar will show storm cells where heavy lightning is as well as pouring rain. You can then try to try missing the worse.
Very useful in this situation

[waterdog]

Here’s a trail of our breadcrumbs on our chart plotter as we anchored on the west side of Isla San Francisco.

Radar tells you where you are relative to land. Your gps tells you where you are relative to where the people that surveyed thought they were.

Pick the technology you would like to use as you pull into this wide open anchorage at night. One or two of a dozen boats may still have their ais on. Half of them might have anchor lights.

[Jimmy4]

Those who have it, appreciate it.
Those who don’t still admit that there is monetary value in selling even a used radar unit because radar is useful.
Do you carry a spare anchor or flares but not use them often? (Probably). You probably carry many things you only use when you really need it... radar is one of those things. Keep the radar (you already own it) and now learn how to use it. Trust the rest of us... if you practiced using it, this blog wouldn’t even be a question. And your wife (or gf) will forgive you for not making the boat more “aesthetic” when you steer her clear of a major thunderhead. If you hate manuals, YouTube has wonderful tutorials on how to use radar.

[Wolfgang.Schau]

Originally Posted by ggeorgiev

Hello everyone,

My child dream is half way in - did purchase a Sefarer 34 last summer, put some work to restore it, and hopefully next summer it will be on the water. One question I can not firmly decide is if it's worth to keep the radar (JRC 1800) or to remove it. Aesthetically the boat will be better without, and I am not sure what advantage it adds.

A GPS knows every rock, the AIS will know every ship, except small ones, and as a friend put it, I have better chance of winning the lottery than hitting a small vessel. So what the radar is for? And it's power hungry.

Opinions welcome!
Thanks, George

Does your GPS know a Boye being a drift? Does a floating container have AIS?
Not even half of the vessales out there have AIS. How on earth could you think you can rely on GPS and AIS.
If you once get caught in thick sea fog, you will love your Radar. I sailed through the Staten Island bridge and just over sudden sea fog moved in. I could not see the pilons, I could not see the bridge at all. After I have been right underneath, I could hear it, still not see it, being surrounded by lots a vessels blowing their horns. Radar saved us. For me it is a must even before GPS and AIS.

[ajchan]

I use my radar to be an extra pair of eyes, especially at night. There are lots of small unlit fishing boats out there and my radar gives me a heads up.

I’m not overly worried about using radar to find rocks but it is very useful locating buoys in limited visibility. There are many instances where the mark is nowhere near its charted position. I was feeling my way into a marina one night when the radar showed a large obstruction in my path. It turned out to be a very large skeleton bouy that had drifted off station into the middle of the channel.

My favorite use of radar is to help navigate around squalls. We have been able to see and avoid some serious thunderstorms by navigating around the worst areas of precip. By day it is usually possible to steer around visually, but at night it is almost impossible to do without radar.

We have radar and I wouldn’t want to cruise in a boat without it as it adds a layer of safety.

Addison

[dhr]

So I am a retired Naval Flight Officer. Eg I was taught to use old analog radars and used them for many years. I also had a cape dory that I sailed up and down the east coast and to Bahamas. It had - an Adf
compass and log. I might have put up with the weight aloft but no way I had the boat bucks for a radar.

So to your question an observation. If your existing Radar is an old analog one like I just removed last year from my boat there are two issues.

1 you can’t just turn it on, especially in some weather and expect it to do anything but distract you. If you keep it on the boat you need to get competent with it.

2. As noted if you have a radar and don’t use it or use it badly in an incident it will be a contributing factor to the collision.

Now the good news is you can get a new 3g or 4g radar that can be an overlay or not to your chart plotter. And they are wonderful. Low power, wonder de clutter almost instant on. Much easier learning curve. I would say that where you really want one is coastal or inland waters. Twice this year roaming about daylight it removed a lot of stress. Once from fog and the other driving rain in a small channel. AIS does not help ( I have it )

If you are going to Champlain, learn to use it or stay at anchor when the rain squalls blow through. But I will have mine on to avoid the rocks up there.