Going RADAR!

This weekend, I'm just gonna duct-tape(?) the antenna to the dodger or something, but I'd appreciate suggestions on where to mount on a 36ft sailboat. Mast? Or separate mast on the stern? Or should I get a "radar arch" and mount my VHF antenna, GPS antenna, radar, and solar panels on it?

Also, where should I mount the display? I steer Far Cove from all over the cockpit, rarely from behind the wheel, so a pedastal mount may not be the best (maybe OK if it swivels...). And I'd have to remove it when I'm leaving the boat. Or maybe under the dodger?

Lloyd Sumpter "Far Cove" Catalina 36 http://www.bcboatnet.org/

I talked to the engineers at Furuno and they assured me that unless you stuck your nose to the radome for an unreasonable length of time, no harm would result. Bear in mind, however, we are talking a low power Radar like the 1623..... with big units, all bets are off. You'll be microwaved..... and the more fluid a part of the body holds, the more likely damage will occur and the more severe the damage, if any. Eyes are probably the very first to go...

With that thought in mind.... I worry more about large Radar units on other boats and ships.

Also, once you install Radar, you are obliged to use it under COLREGS Rule 7, then Rule 6. It doesn't, however, supercede the requirement for a visual lookout under Rule 5. Rule 19 implies that one should rely more heavily on Radar in regions of restricted visibility.

....."it has been held that failure to effectively use radar is a statutory violation....." http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=9th&navby=case&no=9636053

I seem to recall reading in one of manuals (can't remember which system) that there is a programmable blanking system whereby the beam is not pulsed whenever the transmitter arm was pointing in a particular direction, +/- a few degrees. I my case I didn't need to use this feature since both radars are mounted well above any deck area that a person might interupt the beam, but I've seen other installations where it is obvious that people are getting zapped. My brother's boat was one of them, but now he's happy he can't have any more kids.

Eisboch

I have a tiller, so I mounted the display on a 1 foot square of Starboard that I can plunk down on the seat beside me. You also want the display close at all times because you will be needing to make adjustments on a continual basis. I have the cables coming up from inside a cockpit locker. I can move the display wherever I want it by feeding out more cable from the locker. When not in use, the display goes into the locked locker. I made a bracket that it slides into on the wall of the locker.

I mounted the antenna on an 8 foot edson post at the stern. That puts it several feet over my head. I'm not in the path of the beam until I'm halfway to the bow of the boat. Putting the antenna higher, like mounted on the mast, puts it up too high for seeing close objects. It will be looking right over them. The stern mount seems just right. I deal with fog frequently, and I also sail in heavy rain (Hey, if you don't like water, you really should find another hobby!) and at night.

I practice often during good visibility. I can sail into my harbor, find the channel, make the tight 90 degree turn between the two close rocks and make my way up the river to my slip on instruments only. Commodore Joe Redcloud©

With all due respect to Commodore Redcloud, this is not true unless you are trying to spot something 20 feet away. I have my new Furuno mounted on a mast bracket about 25 feet above the water which gives excellent range at a distance, and goes down to about 50 ft close in. I am very pleased with the overall performance.

My old boat had the radar about 10 feet above water and I always regarded range as marginal even though it had a bigger scanner than the new one.

Lloyd Sumpter "Far Cove" Catalina 36 http://www.bcboatnet.org/

The display should be mounted at the main helm area. All your electronics should be mounted in a central area. All displays should be removable and taken off the boat when you leave.

How do you steer the boat from "all over the cockpit, rarely behind the wheel.."???