Poly Boats and Radar

[Boomi Boy]

Went out wide on a mates rig the other day and due to good bite late in the afternoon we made most of the trip back in the dark. I know we passed a few marks where I have seen small boats anchored and was a bit unhappy with the skippers speed, I reckoned he had to much faith in his radar. It got me thinking about poly boats, which seem to be getting more popular, do they show up on the radar as well as the normal tinnies?

[Crunchy]

or fibreglass for that matter?

[maimai]

All depends on the radar and the dollars are to be spent. Higher end of the market you get guys useing them to find the birds working, so no probs on picking up a small boat

[lethal098]

yes, they will pick up any surface difference/defelction, be it pylon or boat, some will even pick up swells, all depends on the set up on the radar.

cheers Lee

[Boomi Boy]

Thanks guys, never had much to do with radar,

cheers

[TimiBoy]

Mines great in night time bar crossings. Tune it up and it picks out the swell, so you can see the channel. It even sees whales (at least I think that's what it was...)

Cheers,

Tim

[GBC]

Non metallic boats don't return as sharp an echo as metallic ones, but there will be a return of some sort.

I wouldn't recommend any planing boat relying solely on instruments at the speeds they travel.

[bushbeachboy]

Poly boats have plenty of metal on them. Motor, rails, console fittings etc etc, and metal is a good radar reflector. No probs mate.

[Chanlo]

OFF TOPIC:
I was wondering about the radars?
How much do they cost?
How far is there range?

[googarra]

Hi,

I have the Lowrance BR24 Broadband radar fitted up to the HDS 8 unit. I fish a lot at night and up here at Tully Heads there are no markers or lights or other boats around so we are pretty much on our own, no radio coverage, a long way from anyone else.

The range is 24 nautical miles and is never needed for that distance. I keep it in the 2 to 5km range unless it is overlaying onto the chart, it then zooms to suit the chart. This screen shot is when I was heading out, daytime, Dunk Island is behind me and the cigar shaped red 10km in front of me is a freighter in the shipping channel. You get a radar image before you see them

The radar is overlaying onto the chart is is still reflecting off the mountains on Dunk Island

57451

The next screen is much the same spot on the way home, pitch black, overcast, heavy seas. You can clearly see the water disruption behind my boat. The radar is picking up a reflection of the wash. In answer to the question 'will radar pick up a poly boat' yes, without a doubt, the broadband system will pick up floats, sticks, sand banks, pretty much anything that breaks the water surface.

57452

This next screen proves it, it is the same night navigating the narrow Hull River. The mangroves on each side, a few boats anchored against the mangrove on the right, and the boat ramp on the left. This is still running blind, it is a waste of time trying to look away from the screen, see nothing.

Where the red trail line ends is the concrete boat ramp and the all POLY floating pontoon on the nearside and the older steel and concrete pontoon on the far side. The 'red' radar reflection is far more accurate than the chart that could have been estimated and drawn years ago.

57453

This screen is also on the way home that night, it is a very narrow channel, there is next to no water either side of the boat, and only 1.5m under the skeg. A small red speck on the right is a branch sticking out from a sandbar, no very big, but enough to get a reflection.

57454

In answer to the questions,

Radar will certainly pick up a small poly boat.

Are they any good?, Invaluable if fishing at night otherwise they are just a show off toy. Look around you , you will see much more daytime, unless looking for boats a long way away

Are they expensive?, yes. The Lowrance BR24 dome is about $2500, min. It will only connect to a Lowrance HDS unit, the 8", about another $2500. If you want a chart overlay, a Heading sensor, about $600, the chart/map $200.

A conventional radar dome will connect to most units but emits radiation and will make your head look like a cooked chook if too close, that is if you have enough battery power to run it. The broadband emits next to nothing, basiclly harmless and uses little power.

They are great to have, but unless you have a real need for it, a lot of money for a toy to show the mates.

Why did I get it, what price is safety with family and friends on board? It is not uncommon to see huge floating trees up here and travelling at night is a 'fingers crossed' trip without a radar.

Cheers

[cormorant]

Radar can see plenty of stuff but the mark 1 eyball and brain watching it still has to interpret it and take any action.

[Scott79]

Googarra, could a unit like yours pinpoit with accuracy GPS locations of other boats? ie, could anyone with a mid price range radar be marking the spot you are anchored on from a distance? I have always assumed so.

Scott.

[googarra]

Hi,

I have never thought to try that, but yes you can. When the radar overlays onto the chart just move the cursor over to the red dot and mark the spot, hey presto you got it, no more secret spots, or someone is stopped to have a piss maybe. I think one could spend a lot of time chasing other peoples non productive spots.

The radar can be set to leave a white trail behind the reflection for a set time so you know if it is moving, or which way the boat is moving, so it is easy to see if a boat is anchored or not.

I've never tried it up here as there are no other boats, apart from a tinnie or two around the islands.

The most I have seen at once in the last 2 years would have been 2 or 3 on Yamacutta reef on a still day, in the distance. Pointless marking them as they are doing exactly what I am doing, moving around the bommies chasing trout.

I read the forum about people seeing 60 or 70 boats fishing around the same area and it would freak me out, sell the boat.

Cheers

[MEGA'bite]

if you dont have a gryocompass hooked up to your radar then you wont get gps points, if you have auto pilot then you have a gryocompass.

[Scott79]

The most I have seen at once in the last 2 years would have been 2 or 3 on Yamacutta reef on a still day, in the distance.




Spoilt rotten mate...;)