I see a big price difference between radar ( especially when including the mounting and installation) and that of a simple plotter. Are plotters accurate enough to navigate in to port in fog or is radar the only serious choice for that job. Jim G.
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Different Priorities
Although I believe radar is used more for piloting on the right coast than the left, you can certainly do a good job with a chartplotter and depthfinder finding your way. You just need to appreciate that there can be some differences in charts that bear some caution, but in general, you are good to go. Radar on the other hand, while useful sometimes won't pick up a shallow beach for example. The good news is it helps verify the chartplotter, and more importantly, keeps you advised of traffic around you. So, I'd go with a decent chartplotter first and add radar later if you don't want the whole bite now. There are some excellent integrated plotter/radar units; I tend to like seperate components. Call me old fashioned. Rick D.
Although I believe radar is used more for piloting on the right coast than the left, you can certainly do a good job with a chartplotter and depthfinder finding your way. You just need to appreciate that there can be some differences in charts that bear some caution, but in general, you are good to go. Radar on the other hand, while useful sometimes won't pick up a shallow beach for example. The good news is it helps verify the chartplotter, and more importantly, keeps you advised of traffic around you. So, I'd go with a decent chartplotter first and add radar later if you don't want the whole bite now. There are some excellent integrated plotter/radar units; I tend to like seperate components. Call me old fashioned. Rick D.
Radar vs Plotter
You are talking about two entirely different animals, with a totally different purpose. In the most basic sense, the chartplotter is a navigation tool, and the radar is a safety tool. The radar will not do much for your navigationl, and the plotter will not do you much good in the fog, if another boat is on a collision course with you. Recently did a trip across the Gulf, from Tampa to Houston, and we had a plotter, but no radar. Navagation was never a problem, but off the coast of Louisiana and Texas dodging the oil rigs at night was a little spooky without a radar. I have both on my boat, and wouldn't be without either. If you are in an area with very little fog, and you primarily day sail, then you may not need radar, but if you sail at night, or have much fog, then I would consider radar a must. For navigating new areas, especially if you single hand a lot, then a chart plotter is also a must. Now you have my .02 worth, for whatever it's worth.
You are talking about two entirely different animals, with a totally different purpose. In the most basic sense, the chartplotter is a navigation tool, and the radar is a safety tool. The radar will not do much for your navigationl, and the plotter will not do you much good in the fog, if another boat is on a collision course with you. Recently did a trip across the Gulf, from Tampa to Houston, and we had a plotter, but no radar. Navagation was never a problem, but off the coast of Louisiana and Texas dodging the oil rigs at night was a little spooky without a radar. I have both on my boat, and wouldn't be without either. If you are in an area with very little fog, and you primarily day sail, then you may not need radar, but if you sail at night, or have much fog, then I would consider radar a must. For navigating new areas, especially if you single hand a lot, then a chart plotter is also a must. Now you have my .02 worth, for whatever it's worth.
In the dark, thick of things when visibility isn't
A GPS plotter will be fairly accurate as to where you are, many of us prefer having a secondary one on board as back up. However imagine the fog being fairly thick, or a moonless night with heavy rain and limited visibility, knowing where you are isn't the same as knowing what is out there. My buddy who is a BC Ferries captain is always telling me stories of white fear laden faced skippers of boats being traumatized as his ferry looms out of the fog in a near miss situation. By the way, the latest in on the BC Ferries sinking is in and the reason for the hitting of the Island will make you sick. It seems a newer chart plotter was added and some of the crew didn't know how to operate it very well. They didn't know there were day and night settings. They found the glare from the day settings to be bothersome, so they turned the chart plotter screen off; so their primary means of navigation was off line. Now this still doesn't explain everything as in the old days before chart plotters, boats were still plying those waters and not hitting islands. There was also something about a newer auto pilot being added and training was insufficient around it. Most mid-sized boater owners for some reason feel not compelled to add radar. In fact, the salesman I bought the boat from said - "On that boat?" - when I told him I was adding radar to my Catalina 27. For me it makes a lot of sense as I do a lot of night time sailing, which most of the time means reasonable visibility, but I want to have extra eyes if something does roll in.
A GPS plotter will be fairly accurate as to where you are, many of us prefer having a secondary one on board as back up. However imagine the fog being fairly thick, or a moonless night with heavy rain and limited visibility, knowing where you are isn't the same as knowing what is out there. My buddy who is a BC Ferries captain is always telling me stories of white fear laden faced skippers of boats being traumatized as his ferry looms out of the fog in a near miss situation. By the way, the latest in on the BC Ferries sinking is in and the reason for the hitting of the Island will make you sick. It seems a newer chart plotter was added and some of the crew didn't know how to operate it very well. They didn't know there were day and night settings. They found the glare from the day settings to be bothersome, so they turned the chart plotter screen off; so their primary means of navigation was off line. Now this still doesn't explain everything as in the old days before chart plotters, boats were still plying those waters and not hitting islands. There was also something about a newer auto pilot being added and training was insufficient around it. Most mid-sized boater owners for some reason feel not compelled to add radar. In fact, the salesman I bought the boat from said - "On that boat?" - when I told him I was adding radar to my Catalina 27. For me it makes a lot of sense as I do a lot of night time sailing, which most of the time means reasonable visibility, but I want to have extra eyes if something does roll in.
apples and bananas
The 2 instruments are totally different in function. The GPS Chartplotter will show you where you are on the chart. The radar will show you what's there on the water that you may not see in the dark of night or thick fog. If You share your cruising waters with other boats, ships, ferries, tugs, barges ... your radar can be a lifesaver. Here on San Francisco Bay and along the coast of California, I prefer radar and a simple gps combined with my paper charts.
The 2 instruments are totally different in function. The GPS Chartplotter will show you where you are on the chart. The radar will show you what's there on the water that you may not see in the dark of night or thick fog. If You share your cruising waters with other boats, ships, ferries, tugs, barges ... your radar can be a lifesaver. Here on San Francisco Bay and along the coast of California, I prefer radar and a simple gps combined with my paper charts.
radar/chartplotter - what are you going to do
As most said above the are totally different in use - i have a raymarine radar/chartplotter and rarely use the radar except when i go to blue water - here in miami there are just too many small boats to turn the radar on - however just did an overnight sail back from key west in heavy commerical traffic and the radar was very useful in finding the traffic, plotting it's course,speed and closest approach - that way we stayed out of their way - we also set up an alarm around the boat at 8nm so anything that comes within that range we get an alarm - as we sail short handed we can be down below getting coffee or checking paper charts (yes i always carry paper and check them constantly) if someone gets within 8nm the alarm goes off - at 15-18k it does not take long for a big boat to cover 8nm so the question is what are you going to do with the boat - if you are going out at night or in fog or in heavy commericial lanes radar might make sense otherwise you will find it not really worth it and after a while stop using it chuck
As most said above the are totally different in use - i have a raymarine radar/chartplotter and rarely use the radar except when i go to blue water - here in miami there are just too many small boats to turn the radar on - however just did an overnight sail back from key west in heavy commerical traffic and the radar was very useful in finding the traffic, plotting it's course,speed and closest approach - that way we stayed out of their way - we also set up an alarm around the boat at 8nm so anything that comes within that range we get an alarm - as we sail short handed we can be down below getting coffee or checking paper charts (yes i always carry paper and check them constantly) if someone gets within 8nm the alarm goes off - at 15-18k it does not take long for a big boat to cover 8nm so the question is what are you going to do with the boat - if you are going out at night or in fog or in heavy commericial lanes radar might make sense otherwise you will find it not really worth it and after a while stop using it chuck
Re: Radar vs. Plotter
To answer your question, a chartplotter will guide you back to your harbor in the fog, whereas a radar is used for collision avoidance in the fog and will tell you if there are other vessels near you. You could use your radar for navigation, but you would have to interpret the echo returns and compare them with a chart to determine where you are. A GPS chartplotter shows you exactly where you are and how close to your destination you are. The COLREGS require you to generate a sound (i.e., a foghorn or bell) if you are sailing in fog. You are also required to with adequate lookouts and sail no faster than you can safely avoid a collision in limited visibility. The USCG considers radar to be a collision avoidance tool. Technically, you should be operating the radar whenever you are underway; in good weather or bad, day or night, it doesn't matter. Having a radar onboard puts more responsibility for collision avoidance on the captain. A radar changes your legal standing from a liability standpoint if you are in a collision with another vessel without radar. Fair Winds, Clyde USCG Auxiliary Article on radar http://www.auxguidanceskills.info/press/radar.html
To answer your question, a chartplotter will guide you back to your harbor in the fog, whereas a radar is used for collision avoidance in the fog and will tell you if there are other vessels near you. You could use your radar for navigation, but you would have to interpret the echo returns and compare them with a chart to determine where you are. A GPS chartplotter shows you exactly where you are and how close to your destination you are. The COLREGS require you to generate a sound (i.e., a foghorn or bell) if you are sailing in fog. You are also required to with adequate lookouts and sail no faster than you can safely avoid a collision in limited visibility. The USCG considers radar to be a collision avoidance tool. Technically, you should be operating the radar whenever you are underway; in good weather or bad, day or night, it doesn't matter. Having a radar onboard puts more responsibility for collision avoidance on the captain. A radar changes your legal standing from a liability standpoint if you are in a collision with another vessel without radar. Fair Winds, Clyde USCG Auxiliary Article on radar http://www.auxguidanceskills.info/press/radar.html
Thanks for replies
Thanks to everybody for the replies to my radar/plotter question. They clarified the whole subject for me. Thanks again. Jim G.
Thanks to everybody for the replies to my radar/plotter question. They clarified the whole subject for me. Thanks again. Jim G.
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