Radar Reflector

[pjust]

I've just purchased a tubular radar reflector for my Ty. Any suggestions of where to rig it?

[Jim Walsh]

One of the cap shrouds (also known as an "upper"), near the masthead for best visibility.
You can see mine lashed to my starboard cap shroud in the attached photo.

[Steve Laume]

I have had two of them on Raven for a few years. I mounted them on the cap shrouds, right below the spreaders. After viewing them and considering what the boat does when heeled I will be moving them to a location right above the spreaders. The reasoning being, that when the boat is heeled, one of them will be more or less perpendicular to the horizon. The cap shrouds are more vertical, below the spreaders so both of them tend to point in the same direction when heeled. This is great when the boat is flat, not so much when sailing at a 15 or 20 degree angle. Between the two of them I still expect to get a good return when motoring in flat seas. If you just mount one on the starboard side, it will be more effective on a port tack. On starboard it will be pointing more at the sea and the sky.

Do not just put a wire tie on them as I have seen a professional rigger do. I lash mine down with sail twine and so they do not move around and the stuff has good UV resistance so they stay in place for a very long time. Mounting it right above the spreader will add some extra insurance that it will not slide down but the twine holds it very well.

It is good to be seen, Steve.

[bottomscraper]

Do not just put a wire tie on them as I have seen a professional rigger do.

And we use that word "professional" very loosely!

I do use plastic wire ties for a few exterior things (ham radio antenna wire is the only thing I can think of) on Mahalo but all are considered "one season". Generally the black one are far more sunlight resistant than white ones.

Sailing around Maine means sailing in the fog. We have radar and a reflector. I can tell you that some boats are near invisible to radar. We came much too close to an invisible wooden sloop at the mouth of a very foggy Sheepscot a few years back. We also have a mast mounted speaker and use the automatic foghorn feature of our VHF. Depending on where we are and how thick the fog is we also use the VHF (low power) giving our position, course, vessel name, something like:

"Sécurité, sécurité, sécurité this is the sailing yacht Mahalo at the mouth of the Sheepscot near the XYZ buoy at position 44 Degrees 06 Decimal 54 North, 069 Degrees 37 Decimal 28 West traveling at 3 knots on a heading of 095 Magnetic"


Use low power since it really only important for local boaters. Giving a general location like "at the mouth of the Sheepscot near the XYZ buoy" gets people's attention. Exact GPS location, speed and direction are for those who are close and really care.

[pjust]

Thanks all for the good advice!

I can't reach the cap shroud above the spreader until the mast comes down at the end of sailing season, so I've seized the reflector to the shroud just below the portside spreader with some marline. Seems to be holding fine so far. I'll make a more permanent installation next year.

[Brimag]

Hello, just reading your post. I have been rigging for 25 years and have installed many different types of reflectors.Recently I read a very thorough review of most common reflectors.The study showed little or no value in installed reflectors, many factors are involved and most ships will not see your image unless you are at a perfect angle and someone is watching.. I don't have any on my boat.. Just my opinion..

[David Morton]

https://www.ussailing.org/wp-content/up ... -tests.pdf

The test at the above .pdf was conducted on behalf of West Marine at SRI labs in Menlo Park, Ca in 1995. The bottom line was the octahedral aluminum reflectors are quite effective in the "double catch rain" position (see article) and the tubular reflectors are essentially worthless.

David

[Jim Walsh]

https://www.ussailing.org/wp-content/up ... -tests.pdf

The test at the above .pdf was conducted on behalf of West Marine at SRI labs in Menlo Park, Ca in 1995. The bottom line was the octahedral aluminum reflectors are quite effective in the "double catch rain" position (see article) and the tubular reflectors are essentially worthless.

David

I have a Davis radar reflector which I hoist on a halyard on my port side spreader. I hoist it when going to sea and coastwise in thick fog only. Most people are unaware there is a right and wrong way to set it to ensure the best possible results. I have been told I provide an easily discernible radar image when it is in use. The tube style reflector is my insurance policy since it is trouble free and permanently mounted.

[John Stone]

I also use the Davis marine aluminum octagon radar reflector mounted as Jim described—the double rain catcher position. Read the same review of test results.

My reflector was made to take apart but we welded it together in the open position as it was starting to come apart. I only hoist it when going offshore.

We always try to make contact with ships we see at sea and ask if they can see us on radar as well as see our oil lamps if at night. When we can raise them on the radio they always say they see us. I don’t know how well they see us or if they would see us if we did not ask them to check their radar.

I am not particularly comforted by having the reflector up but it seems like the smar thing to do.

[David Morton]

I am not particularly comforted by having the reflector up but it seems like the smar thing to do.

As John says, hardware is no replacement for vigilance. This summer I found myself in very thick fog, maybe 50ft visibility, in a relatively narrow channel on approach to Port Clyde, Maine. I cruise in tandem with my buddy, myself on Danusia and he on his CD28. We both have radar and both were flying Davis radar reflectors high on our spreader halyards as well as blowing the fog horn regularly. I could see the transom of my friend's white dinghy that he towed behind on a short painter, but not his boat ( ) , as I followed directly behind. Suddenly I hear over our personal band radio, "HARD TO PORT!!!". I swing to port without question and only then do I see a skyscraper of a ferry bearing down on my starboard side less than 30 yards away! He was going way too fast for the conditions, no horn, no securite announcement on 16, no attempt to avoid us, and he was never distinct on my radar, nor was he obvious on my friend's radar. Very scary and I cannot explain it except perhaps his radar reflection was superimposed on nearby landmasses. Interestingly, the next day I chatted with a captain who had made that same passage that morning in similar conditions and had the same experience with the same ferry!!!

Bottom line is you always have to play defense.

[Paul D.]

We don't have radar aboard. Just this week returning across Lake Superior from Canada, fog came in, of course, right when we were approaching the main shipping lanes. I called a securite' giving our position, course and speed upon entering them knowing from an AIS app that two upbound ore carriers were going to be coming close. I was contacted by the nearer freighter, the Callaway, and he said he saw me clearly and gave a CPA of one mile with both of us holding present course and speed - all good. If he had not called me and the fog persisted, my plan was to call the Callaway and make a plan together if needed.

I have a Davis octagonal reflector rigged similarly to John Stone's photo above. They work.