Empathy List Archives

BM

Bill Martin

Sun, Oct 14, 2001 3:35 PM

Hello All,

My wife Susan and myself have owned and cruised sail boats, but this summer
we decided to travel the Loop. Toward that end we bought a 42' Present
(a.k.a. CHB) Sun Deck trawler which we've been working on ever since. It
seemed to be in very good condition when we bought it, but somehow the
repair list just keeps exploding outward anyhow. The nature of boats....

The plan (?) is to depart the Sarasota area here in February for the
Loop. Like most plans, this one has already taken a few unexpected twists
and turns, but the February departure still looks reasonable.

Now a question for those of you who have made this trip before. How
necessary (or useful) is radar on this trip? Obviously many people make it
without (including our boat whose previous owners took it around the
Loop). Living in Florida, we've never particularly felt the need for radar
on a boat. In the northern climes we would certainly not set out in poor
visibility with or without radar. I guess the question is how variable is
the weather going to be? Will we get trapped out in bad weather often
enough to justify installing radar? The previous owners of our boat said
that in several trips north over many years they had only once been caught
unexpectedly where they would have appreciated radar (near Boston).

Any other opinions?

Bill Martin
"Telegraph Hill"

Hello All, My wife Susan and myself have owned and cruised sail boats, but this summer we decided to travel the Loop. Toward that end we bought a 42' Present (a.k.a. CHB) Sun Deck trawler which we've been working on ever since. It seemed to be in very good condition when we bought it, but somehow the repair list just keeps exploding outward anyhow. The nature of boats.... The plan (?) is to depart the Sarasota area here in February for the Loop. Like most plans, this one has already taken a few unexpected twists and turns, but the February departure still looks reasonable. Now a question for those of you who have made this trip before. How necessary (or useful) is radar on this trip? Obviously many people make it without (including our boat whose previous owners took it around the Loop). Living in Florida, we've never particularly felt the need for radar on a boat. In the northern climes we would certainly not set out in poor visibility with or without radar. I guess the question is how variable is the weather going to be? Will we get trapped out in bad weather often enough to justify installing radar? The previous owners of our boat said that in several trips north over many years they had only once been caught unexpectedly where they would have appreciated radar (near Boston). Any other opinions? Bill Martin "Telegraph Hill"

B

Bud

Sun, Oct 14, 2001 3:59 PM

Bill - If you get into the Georgian Bay area early enough, you may be able to
use radar to keep tabs on the icebergs.

Bud Stych
Traverse City, MI

Bill Martin wrote:

The plan (?) is to depart the Sarasota area here in February for the
Loop. Like most plans, this one has already taken a few unexpected twists
and turns, but the February departure still looks reasonable.

Now a question for those of you who have made this trip before. How
necessary (or useful) is radar on this trip? Obviously many people make it
without (including our boat whose previous owners took it around the
Loop). Living in Florida, we've never particularly felt the need for radar
on a boat. In the northern climes we would certainly not set out in poor
visibility with or without radar. I guess the question is how variable is
the weather going to be?

Bill - If you get into the Georgian Bay area early enough, you may be able to use radar to keep tabs on the icebergs. Bud Stych Traverse City, MI Bill Martin wrote: > The plan (?) is to depart the Sarasota area here in February for the > Loop. Like most plans, this one has already taken a few unexpected twists > and turns, but the February departure still looks reasonable. > > Now a question for those of you who have made this trip before. How > necessary (or useful) is radar on this trip? Obviously many people make it > without (including our boat whose previous owners took it around the > Loop). Living in Florida, we've never particularly felt the need for radar > on a boat. In the northern climes we would certainly not set out in poor > visibility with or without radar. I guess the question is how variable is > the weather going to be?

MR

Mark Richter

Mon, Oct 15, 2001 2:35 PM

Bill,
We've only done the half of the Loop from Ft. Myers,
FL to Buffalo, NY (several times). At least for this
half of the Loop, I see very little need for Radar.
Fog is rare (in the usual traveling season), and
nearly always occurs in the early morning. We just
wait for the fog to lift before raising anchor.

Once, on the Hudson River, the fog rolled in late in
the morning while we were underway. We just pulled
out of the shipping channel and anchored for an hour,
until conditions cleared. This is the only time Radar
would have been good to have in 6 years of full time
cruising.

Mark Richter, Winnie the Pooh, Stuart, FL
46' custom Morgan Troller
presently in Norfolk, VA and southbound

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Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals.
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Bill, We've only done the half of the Loop from Ft. Myers, FL to Buffalo, NY (several times). At least for this half of the Loop, I see very little need for Radar. Fog is rare (in the usual traveling season), and nearly always occurs in the early morning. We just wait for the fog to lift before raising anchor. Once, on the Hudson River, the fog rolled in late in the morning while we were underway. We just pulled out of the shipping channel and anchored for an hour, until conditions cleared. This is the only time Radar would have been good to have in 6 years of full time cruising. Mark Richter, Winnie the Pooh, Stuart, FL 46' custom Morgan Troller presently in Norfolk, VA and southbound __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.com

AJ

Allen Johnson

Tue, Oct 16, 2001 2:24 AM

Now a question for those of you who have made this trip before. How

necessary (or useful) is radar on this trip? <

Hi Bill,

My family and I made the "little loop" last summer:
http://www.alormaria.com/trip2000/welcome.htm
The trip had to be shoe-horned into my daughter's 2 month summer vacation
from middle school. RADAR made it possible to move on days that we would
otherwise not have gone. These were not gut-wrenching do-or-die days, just
rainy and miserable. We were being put behind schedule by the weather (and
this was a really loose schedule). In Florida it thunderstorms at 4:00PM
each afternoon. In the Mid-Atlantic it drizzles for days and days.

RADAR also gave me piece of mind when I had my family on board. I could keep
track of all the boats around me without the need for a dedicated lookout.
For a short-handed husband and wife team it is another silent crewmember.

It is no longer expensive or difficult to install or use. It doesn't even
use much power. I have used it in fog on Barnegat Bay, Cape May and Delaware
Bay. I also used it in downpours on the Rideau Waterway, Ontario and to keep
me within channel markers on the Ottawa River, Quebec. You could certainly
do without it but why?

BTW, RADAR is the only navigation aid that if you have it aboard, you must
have it on and use it to avoid collision. If you choose to go this route,
take a USCGAUX or USPS course or get some training in it's use and practice
using it on good days. It is not just fun, its the law.

Al Johnson
34' Marine Trader "Angelina"

> Now a question for those of you who have made this trip before. How necessary (or useful) is radar on this trip? < Hi Bill, My family and I made the "little loop" last summer: http://www.alormaria.com/trip2000/welcome.htm The trip had to be shoe-horned into my daughter's 2 month summer vacation from middle school. RADAR made it possible to move on days that we would otherwise not have gone. These were not gut-wrenching do-or-die days, just rainy and miserable. We were being put behind schedule by the weather (and this was a really loose schedule). In Florida it thunderstorms at 4:00PM each afternoon. In the Mid-Atlantic it drizzles for days and days. RADAR also gave me piece of mind when I had my family on board. I could keep track of all the boats around me without the need for a dedicated lookout. For a short-handed husband and wife team it is another silent crewmember. It is no longer expensive or difficult to install or use. It doesn't even use much power. I have used it in fog on Barnegat Bay, Cape May and Delaware Bay. I also used it in downpours on the Rideau Waterway, Ontario and to keep me within channel markers on the Ottawa River, Quebec. You could certainly do without it but why? BTW, RADAR is the only navigation aid that if you have it aboard, you must have it on and use it to avoid collision. If you choose to go this route, take a USCGAUX or USPS course or get some training in it's use and practice using it on good days. It is not just fun, its the law. Al Johnson 34' Marine Trader "Angelina"

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