![]() ![]() I f they do pick you up they may record the target, mentally, but they are unlikely to do much about it till you are a bit closer as at 20nm they will be totally unsure of what you are and your intentions. I think it unrealistic to depend on a large commercial vessel picking you up on radar at 20nm. All small boat radars are X-band but a larger vessel will usually carry an S-band radar too. X-band is better at shorter ranges and gives a more detailed picture, great for smaller boats and pilotage or busy waters. In simple terms S-band has a longer range and is less susceptible to weather conditions weakening the signal - exactly what a large ship on passage wants. Aside from really lighting up the display this can also be got in dual-band model which could be useful if you are spending a lot of time in open water where ships tend to switch from X -band to S-band. If you think giving a good radar return is important then fit an active transponder such as an Echomax. They won't increase the signature of your boat by any significant amount and it's certainly not (edited) an exaggeration to say to say that a 30 ft yacht may not be visible at 3 miles, even with a radar reflector. Tern's summed it up but I would never rely on being visible on radar if I could avoid it and if I had to I'd definitely not really on the yacht's signature nor a passive radar reflector. Going north is not such a big issue as yachts can get much closer inshore than a commercial ship would risk. Any ships or yachts transmitting the coast try to piggyback on the current, so all going south follow the same passage plan and all going north are closer in shore. On the east coast of Australia we have the East Australian Current running from north to south. I suspect more attention is paid in the English Channel or Singapore Straits than crossing the Pacific. I think a lot depends on how much attention is being paid by the crew on watch and location. Cruise ships are very attentive to small craft - but usually have a much larger ships crew than other large commercial vessels. We had a long chat with them about radar. We knew they were behind us and had spoken to them on VHF as we were on the same passage - so they were specifically looking for us. They were following us down the coast (and passed us ) and picked us up at 16nm. The Spirit of Tasmania, a car ferry, used to run from Sydney to Devenport in Tasmania, the standard route is Melbourne to Tasmania. ![]()
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