Radar or AIS to rouse me when in a stupor?

[Chotu]

I'm really hoping this thread goes well. It has the potential to go off the rails.


Background:

I am now single handing. by definition, I have to do overnights occasionally myself. There is no doubt that there will be moments that I’m not alert. I know that’s a huge lightning rod of a topic around here. It stinks, but that is the way it has to work because I don’t currently have a significant other to sail with. That may change any time, but for now I do not.

i’d rather face facts then pretend. There will be times when I am so tired that I’m not doing a great job at watch. They were also be times when I need to make food. Maybe I need to pee. Maybe more than pee.


Strategy:

in order to give myself some extra help, a little kick in the butt if I am not as alert as I should be, I would like to set up a proximity alarm. Ideally, radar and AIS would be the best solution. Both alarms set. My vessels information being transmitted to all those nearby who are looking down into their instruments. however, this is a phased approach because I don’t know if I’m keeping the boat ultimately yet. So it will be one or the other to start with.

Question:

would radar or AIS be better as a proximity alarm for dopey sailors if you could choose only one?

Add on question:

each technology has advantages over the other. Radar can alert you to a drifting boat with no crew on it that you might hit. Also squalls and heads of land. Very nice stuff. AIS can make sure that other crews see you and actually don’t hit you. Also very nice stuff. Which of these additional features would you think are more important in a case where the captain is groggy and maybe not paying enough attention because they are overtired or grabbing dinner?

Before it goes off the rails:

this is a belt and suspenders kind of situation. I believe in good watch keeping. But, a human being on a multiple day watch by definition is not a good watch keeper. So I would prefer to have extra layers of protection beyond just hoping that the human body does a great job. The mind may be willing, but the flesh is weak. So is the mind, actually, once sleep deprived.

[ranger58sb]

Were it me, in that scenario, I think I'd choose radar first.

Many vessels -- and other potential obstacles -- don't transmit AIS.

-Chris

[Sailmonkey]

I would do radar first if sailing near coastal. I found that the AIS made me lazy while costal, and there were several surprises that the radar alerted me to. Lots of fishing boats that provide a decent radar return don’t transmit ais.

[smj]

I agree with the first 2 responses, radar will show so much more.

[andrzej0nl1ne]

I would say have both as AIS transponders are a low cost item these days. Radar is more all enhancing, but if you acquire it you can also have the AIS for little more. That is unless this is a research question of either or.

If so, I've heard it described that AIS can protect you from things that can kill you (big ships), while radar is a nuisance that will alert you to all things. Given what you've spent my vote would be for good radar and an older (cheaper) AIS-B transponder.

[svMarite]

Couldn't agree more with posted comments for a good radar. I singled handed from the Med back to US via the islands. Radar was my friend!
My comment says both is better. Every tool at your disposal should be considered

[mvweebles]

If it's truly one or the other them radar for reasons stated in other posts. But since a GUI/display screen is the most expensive part of the system these days (AIS on VHF display isn't really usable in my opinion), hard to imagine scenario where adding both adds more than several hundred dollars to the overall system.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

If it's truly one or the other them radar for reasons stated in other posts. But since a GUI/display screen is the most expensive part of the system these days (AIS on VHF display isn't really usable in my opinion), hard to imagine scenario where adding both adds more than several hundred dollars to the overall system.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

damn. You think you put everything in the initial post and you never do do you? You always seem to miss something. I forgot to put my configuration in.

I had to buy one of those brand new Raymarine axiom displays. There was no other way to reprogram and download new software for my Raymarine auto pilot without buying one. They got me.

so I have a big fancy display that puts the chart up and radar - side by side, overlays I think, everything. All I have to buy is the physical radar dome. that dome is about twice as much money as the display.

it’s only one or the other right now. It’s a phased approach. As time goes on if I decide to keep the boat, I will get an AIS transponder in addition.

[Chotu]

Radar really seems to be winning out and that was my thought as well. I really like that it can show me things that don’t have an AIS transponder on them.

[jordanbigel]

Ditto - Radar first.

An AIS transponder is close to $800. But I think you could get a receiver for under $200 which would connect to the NMEA2000 bus (which I assume you have to feed your Raymarine display unit) - that will get you other ships on your display, which you can set alarms for. Not as good as a transponder, but better than radar alone.

[rslifkin]

I'd say radar first, preferably one of the better modern tech ones with good target tracking. Then add AIS as a supplement when you can.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

I'd say radar first, preferably one of the better modern tech ones with good target tracking. Then add AIS as a supplement when you can.

cool. I guess that’s what I’ll do. That’s what I was leaning toward anyway I just wanted to make sure it was a good idea.

this is the one I am looking at because I want to keep everything the same brand. I don’t want to have to spend any time working on electronics. I have enough projects already.

https://youtu.be/_Pqpu_WanQg


https://www.raymarine.com/marine-radar/radomes/quantum/


Does that seem like an appropriate unit? Looks pretty good to me. Check out the video. It really seems to do just about everything. I think it can make you breakfast if you select that from the 6th drop down menu on the second screen.

[Bycrick]

Radar first, if you’re willing to take the time to learn how to interpret it. But it requires that you be non-stuperous. If you’re not paying attention, then AIS will work better.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Bycrick

Radar first, if you’re willing to take the time to learn how to interpret it. But it requires that you be non-stuperous. If you’re not paying attention, then AIS will work better.

Fair point.

do all radars have a proximity alarm?

basically what I want to do is keep a proper watch myself. And then have a back up system beyond just myself that will loudly kick me in the butt if I let something get within a certain distance of the boat.

When in open water, if there is a radar Echo within say, 6 miles of the boat, I want it to sound an alarm.

that’s my main use for this radar.

Will it do this?

[Chotu]

Actually, I just answered my own question. Wow. This is amazing stuff. Take a look at this.

https://www.raymarine.com/marine-rad...omes/quantum2/


This Doppler radar essentially does everything AIS does except transmit your location.

This is now a no-brainer of a question. This Doppler radar has everything. The AIS is definitely secondary to this.