Want To Buy: Freaking Radar!

[Sailormantx]

Originally Posted by NOMN

So, the radar + AIS transponder/receiver would be the best option for getting some extended sleep.

There is no " extended sleep" singlehanding! You lay down 10/30 min with an alarm every chance you get. Sleep all the time but you never really sleep. Learn to use all your equipment well, be careful, learn when not to sleep, route yourself outside of major traffic lanes,etc. Be vigilant to the point of paranoia and you will probably do ok, but there are no guarantees! If you cant handle the added risk factor inherent in singlehanding, don't do it.

[Teknav]

Hiya Nomn! Would you please remind your audience how big your boat is? How do you intend to supply the power needed to all your toys? You really need to study up on seamanship fundamentals and practice hands-on sailing. Heed to the advice given to you by many Old Salts; know your boat basics first, before investing in toys. Everyone wishes you well to your adventures.

Mauritz

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by NOMN

So, the radar + AIS transponder/receiver would be the best option for getting some extended sleep.

Most small boats don't have AIS either. Radar will give better coverage than AIS but AIS won't hurt.

[NOMN]

I am! I am! And, uhh, I heard of many cruisers who rely on their radar for sleep, that's why I thought it was okay!

[Sand crab]

Radar on a 26' Cape Dory. Big bucks on a little boat.

[John A]

Originally Posted by NOMN

I am! I am! And, uhh, I heard of many cruisers who rely on their radar for sleep, that's why I thought it was okay!

Now you know why we long term singlehandlers stay awake to dodge these "cruisers" who are belowdeck sound asleep hoping their radar will save their lives.

[sailpower]

Radar is absolutely essential.

How else would you know it is raining?

[bobconnie]

Young fella ya better start saving up on sleep now! Cus you will get damn little when ya single hand! Radar for a wake up! I know folks do it but I also know of 3 or 4 boats in just the last couple of years that hit stuff includeing a big ass rock on the way down to Mexico coast, when they were on a electronic sleep mode! Running on a chart plotter and radar ! a sleep below ! all hands lost ! So learn to sleep in little sperts and save your long sleep for daytimes ! Just my 2 cents

[NOMN]

Okay guys, I have another idea.

You know depthsounders, well, couldn't I *in theory* use one to point straight basically ahead underwater so it can detect floating shipping containers and sleeping whales or the hulls of other ships!? It should be able to reach 500-1000 ft, no? Then alarm me, plenty of time to get out of the way.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by NOMN

Okay guys, I have another idea.

You know depthsounders, well, couldn't I *in theory* use one to point straight basically ahead underwater so it can detect floating shipping containers and sleeping whales or the hulls of other ships!? It should be able to reach 500-1000 ft, no? Then alarm me, plenty of time to get out of the way.

In theory yes. In practice, no.

Even a unit designed as a forward looking sonar to point ahead of the boat, due to the angle of the transducer and how shallow a container floats in the water, you will probably have about 3 seconds warning before you ram the container.

The problem is they don't look straight ahead, they look forward but at a down angle. Look at the geometry of the situation. In a typical sailboat the lowest you can mount the transducer in the hull will be at most 2-3' below the water. In any waves at all if you point the transducer straight ahead it will spend at least half the time pointing up in the air and the rest of the time looking at water turbulence of the bottom of the waves. So the only way they can work is to point at a down angle.

Unless you are in a very big boat that sits deep in the water so you could mount the transducer about 10-20' down the angles just don't work.

[NOMN]

Dangit! Alright, I guess the radar will be enough to alert me then.

And yes, most of my sleeping will be done during the day.

[woff]

Wot's your hurry, chances are you will be mostly day sailing short hops and rarely doing days or weeks non stop. A sensible precaution you can take are collision bulkheads or a steel boat. Dangerous sports are about minimizing the risk and taking unnecessary risk is just stupid. Learn the rules PPP and KISS. It is often possible to find additional crew for longer passages on this site. Also you may meet another boat going your way with extra hands. Keeping a watch is essential another practice that may bring your dream to an abrupt end is farmers and landowners felling or cutting trees into rivers where the next storm carries then out to sea. Two or three cubic feet of wood floating at the surface will hole most boats.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by NOMN

Okay guys, I have another idea.

You know depthsounders, well, couldn't I *in theory* use one to point straight basically ahead underwater so it can detect floating shipping containers and sleeping whales or the hulls of other ships!? It should be able to reach 500-1000 ft, no? Then alarm me, plenty of time to get out of the way.

No No No

[gah964]

I use radar to sleep I would not do it with out it is correct to only sleep for 30min or I wait for no wind turn the rudder hard left then sleep adrift I can sleep two hrs that way.only outside of shipping lanes that is.

[Piglet]

What is the PPP rule? I'm guessing prepare, plan and something?


NOM, I thoroughly enjoy your threads and I'm hoping you have the best of luck.