Stopping by Leland on a foggy day

[sbw1]

 

[Escapade]

Last year we were closing on South Manitou Island and the fog Was bad like 50 feet bad we headed to Frankfort and the next morning it lifted.

 

[sbw1]

There is often lots of fog in the Passage. Interesting place to boat but you need good electronics.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

I was new to radar last year so I made sure it was on every time I was out to kind of get used to what it shows to what I was seeing.
Not sure, but I thought someone said the Coast Guard requires it to be on at all times. Not sure of that statement.

 

[km1125]

I was new to radar last year so I made sure it was on every time I was out to kind of get used to what it shows to what I was seeing.
Not sure, but I thought someone said the Coast Guard requires it to be on at all times. Not sure of that statement.

The rule is something like "Every vessel must use all available means appropriate, including lookout (eyes and ears), radar and radio, to determine if a risk of collision exists."

 

[SeasNT]

I was new to radar last year so I made sure it was on every time I was out to kind of get used to what it shows to what I was seeing.
Not sure, but I thought someone said the Coast Guard requires it to be on at all times. Not sure of that statement.

For some "light" reading a copy of the COLREGS can be be downloaded. The book needs to be on the boat.

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/navigation-rules-amalgamated

§ 83.07

—INLAND— Steering and Sailing Rules

Rule 7

Risk of collision

(a) Every vessel shall use all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions to determine if risk of collision exists. If there is any doubt such risk shall be deemed to exist.

(b) Proper use shall be made of radar equipment if fitted and operational, including long-range scanning to obtain early warning of risk of collision and radar plotting or equivalent systematic observation of detected objects.

 

[sbw1]

We always used it when in the open waters of Lake Michigan. We used the shipping lanes to avoid all the local fishing boats. MARPA is very useful when you approach large ships and determine how to pass them so as to avoid being run over.

 

[sbw1]

I was new to radar last year so I made sure it was on every time I was out to kind of get used to what it shows to what I was seeing.
Not sure, but I thought someone said the Coast Guard requires it to be on at all times. Not sure of that statement.

The USCG would cite you for not using it if you are in an accident. They do not stop you for having it off if all is well.

 

[SeasNT]

The USCG would cite you for not using it if you are in an accident. They do not stop you for having it off if all is well.

Correct. Radar is a big deal with commercial shipping, for us it still a very useful tool in the toolbox at the helm. It still come down to the operator. Even the Navy with more sensors than we can imagine still has collisions.

 

[mrsrobinson]

Motored thru fog once heading into Atlantic City, one of the scariest, most anxious boating experiences of my life.

 

[Creekwood]

My understanding is that your own boat is more visible to other boats radar scanner if your radar is running. Maybe that only applies to old school non digital???

 

[jsed]

I use it whenever i travel. Just a little added insurance...

 

[Henry Boyd]

My recollection from the electronics class I took (taught by a licensed captain) was that it was better to have the radar on standby at all times as that provided instant on whereas off to on involved a warm up period.

I now just use radar all the time. The Axiom touch screen makes it easy to tag targets, and once the target is acquired it posts a vector showing the targets direction. We also have lobster boats to contend with that frequently change direction unexpectedly.

 

[Skybolt]

My understanding is that your own boat is more visible to other boats radar scanner if your radar is running. Maybe that only applies to old school non digital???

Yes, non digital. The old analog would light up a target and the source where the beam hit the boat.

 

[Skybolt]

I see a lot of these post's and people stating they don't use the radar or it on but don't know how to use it.

Radar is only useful if you know how to use it. It should always be on, not because it's a law (and it's not) but so you can get use to and be able to read it when your in pea soup like @sbw1's pics. It can be "fun" to learn and use the cursor to measure distance to targets etc. It will also help relieve tension when in those situations when your at ease using the radar and learn to trust it.

 

[Ericinmich]

I use to store my Tiara (recognized the dash) in Holland and summer it in Cheboygan so made that spring run a few times... always with radar on. One time it was foggy like that or worse, water was like glass and my radar alarm went off with huge target right in front of me, came off plane FAST with heart pounding. Turns out it was a large number of birds that took aflight when they heard me coming towards them. The radar sig was larger than any boat, a huge WTF moment.