2.6.7 Conclusion – radar detection
The yacht Ouzo (25+ feet in length) was not detected by the radars on board Pride of Bilbao due to a combination of the following:
o The small radar cross section area of the yacht;
o The poor performance of the yacht’s radar reflector;
o The sea conditions;
o The use of auto-clutter suppression combined with an absence of periodic manual adjustment of the clutter controls to search for small targets.
I'm an ex Navy radar technician. I also have an FCC 1st class license with radar endorsement. I would have to "continually" train the radar operators "proper" operation/tuning of the scopes, even though ALL of them went to so-called radar operation school.
Yes, absolutely, a modern radar **WILL** pick up a 25 foot plastic boat if the operators knew what they are doing. The "auto-clutter suppression" is an adjustment on a radar, which eliminates random radar returns caused by waves. However, it WILL detect objects that remain constant, like a 25 foot boat that is bobbing up/down in waves.
Make no mistake... The yacht is most likely at fault by not seeing a large commercial vessel and steering away. A basic receive-only AIS system (today) should avoid this. My AIS system surprises me all the time with alarms, and I'm grateful for it.
