470 hits wall in Cleveland

Gofirstclass said:
I almost never used the radar during the day when we were on local waters. In fog and/or after dark--ALWAYS.

Take a close look at this first picture below. I was entering the bay where my old yacht club was. I'd been in and out a bazillion times but never in a fog like this. Can you see the levee ahead of me, and the tree that's on it? The levee is only about a boat length in front of me. Now look at photo #2

P1010036.jpg


I took this photo before the one above. The black line extending from the boat is a "Lubber Line". It shows where the boat is pointed. The red line shows the actual course of the boat. They're different because of about a 2kt current that's on my starboard side. The purple blobs are land masses and they're offset a bit because of the delay in the radar sweep. On this pic, look at the corner of the display. My SOG (speed over ground) is .12kts. Just barely creeping ahead. Ya gotta love a good radar display and also knowing what it's showing you.

P1010035.jpg
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Damn! That's some soup.
If it wasn't for that radar and you knowing how to use it.....
 
Mike, I had just passed beneath a tall bridge and couldn't when I went under it,but knew where the bridge towers were so no problem. You're right with your comments. It's kinda like a master carpenter who doesn't have the right tools and knows how to use them. Makes all the diff in the world.
 
I don’t know about the States but in Canada if your charged & convicted with DUI driving a boat then you also lose your drivers license, minimium 2 years plus extremely high insurance rates.
 
northshore said:
It's gotten to be an odd ritual that I'm not sure how it started, but on our boat the captain only gets to drink after the bell rings. The bell doesn't ring until after the lines are on and the shore power is hooked back up.
The only exception to this is for the air show when anchored - 1 beer per hour max and stop when the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels head up.

Not to go all Justice Kavanaugh, but I like beer (and drink alot of it), but I can figure out how to hold off till the ride is over.
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I hear you. Thus I've been spending most of my time tied up to the dock. :)
 
douglee25 said:
Did you have the gain turned up a ton to get something visible at that distance? I have an older Raymarine unit and I'm sure they've advanced quite a bit in the past 25 years, however, I don't believe I could get that type of resolution.
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It was only set at two miles out... it's a newer e97 display with HD Color radar. I think I've dialed it in nicely, but it's leaps and bounds better than the C80 I had in my last boat.
 
I can easily see stuff
douglee25 said:
Did you have the gain turned up a ton to get something visible at that distance? I have an older Raymarine unit and I'm sure they've advanced quite a bit in the past 25 years, however, I don't believe I could get that type of resolution.
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You're right, radar has made huge improvements in the last 25 years.

I can easily see boats on radar like that, too. Well, depends on the boat. Maybe not a little skiff at long range. I don't have to fiddle with the gain either. I could, but the Garmin has some defaults to reduce clutter for rain and waves that works well. Except for that I generally leave it alone. I'm currently running a Fantom 18 solid-state radar. I would prefer a 24" version for noticeably better target separation, but this is what came with the boat.
 
Just a note of caution to keep in the back of your mind.....

If you are ever in a collision (car/boat/truck/etc.) where there is even a slim chance that someone might die as a result of the collision and you have not been drinking, DEMAND that you be taken to a local hospital and have blood drawn for blood alcohol analysis.

Later, when it goes to trial, that removes the possibility that the other party's attorney can cast doubt on your sobriety at the time of the accident. He WILL bring it up if there is no blood test that shows you had a 0.00% BAC.
 
Like Carter, I came up in the Navy but in ships. I figure this summer is my 50th anniversary of using marine surface radars.
I would recommend using only north-up modes on both charts and radar. Once you're used to it, north-up provides a advantages that improve the ability to maintain situational awareness. For example, a radar target (and the shoreline) isn't going to move on the screen when course is changed. This makes it much easier to evaluate relative motion and determine whether the contact is on a collision course. Also, especially when in low-vis, the true picture with respect to current and future course is easier to process.
I imagine it might be hard for folks who are set in their ways (as I certainly am) to make a change but I would recommend giving it a try, especially if new to radar.
 
This is an interesting concept and makes a lot of sense. Do you guys run your chartplotter the same? Or just the radar?
 
mdolesh said:
This is an interesting concept and makes a lot of sense. Do you guys run your chartplotter the same? Or just the radar?
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Yes.

Reduced visibility - can be easy to lose perspective. N up on everything substantially helps me keep track.
 
Interesting. I always run course up. My c80 with chart overlay on is pretty good at picking up boats including kayaks. If I am running on a foggy day or night course up is better IMO. I feel much more oriented to where I am heading and what I am seeing rather than trying to cross reference items on the plotter and my course. But the key thing is to use what you are most comfortable with.
 
I'm with Creekwood. I always used mine with Course Up, even with the Whaler's Garmin Sonar. I couldn't wrap my mind around going sideways on a course chart.
 
I keep mine course up too but really don't use ours. I use it for my SOG and anchor drag so turn it on when we leave the slip but being on the Ohio we have no need for it since we travel the same waters for years...lol. But in our cars I always have mine set to course up
 
firecadet613 said:
Sounds like you're in the area. Post some pics once it's on the hard if you can.
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I am, frequently.

Got some pictures today on the hard and video yesterday of it coming in on bags and in the hoist. They patched the hole on the bottom and raised it and towed it in. Can't really see much. I'll post them later when I get to my computer.
 
What convinced me, was getting caught in a sudden fog event in Charleston area. Was clear when we left the marina on the northside river. Wasn’t far from the breakwater that we were socked in.

Within 4 to five minutes, was difficult to see much more than the bow of the boat.

Very high commercial traffic channel. We were in the middle of the traffic area. AIS was broadcasting so container ships riding the current down could see us, but they couldn’t stop riding a 3-4 knot currrent.

So I am using every tool, trying to find my way out. Very difficult to not get disoriented.

Holding the N heading made a big difference.

Dealing with no visual navigatin points, it was chart plotter and radar. Oh, and the current was was 4-5 knots. So, the boat requires constant adjustment.

I was never worried about hitting a jetty. I was worried about getting hit by a container ship or a work boat that couldn’t stop.

Holding a constant orientation eliminates one variable in a tense situation.
 
That is a good point with reduced visibility. I could definitely see the advantage then.
 
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