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RYA Radar

1 days 150 Max 12 students

A one-day course giving you an understanding of radar as an aid to navigation and collision avoidance.



Upcoming Course Dates

Course location

Cruising boats increasingly have radar on board. The International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea state that if you have a radar, you must know how to use it.

Radar is probably the most versatile of all electronic navigation aids, but the best results are only obtained when you know how to use all the functions correctly. It is not an all seeing eye, and can easily mislead those who do not understand its controls, allow for its limitations, or interpret its picture.

The RYA Radar course starts from basics by looking at the way a radar set works and then goes on to demonstrate how the different adjustments and features available affect the working of the set. Other subjects covered include target definition, radar reflectors, types of radar displays, radar plotting and the use of radar for navigation and collision avoidance. At the end of the course students are awarded with an RYA Radar course certificate.

The course can be conducted ashore using RYA approved software, or afloat on an authorised vessel.

The aim of the course is to teach students to use small boat Radar to assist decision-making in navigation, pilotage and collision avoidance.

1. Switching on and setting up

  • Adjusting brilliance, contrast, gain, range and tuning

2. Refining the picture

  • Adjust the sea clutter and rain clutter controls to suit prevailing conditions Head up, North up mode

3. Understanding the picture

  • The factors affecting the clarity of the visual image

4. Radar reflectors

  • Understanding what affects the received image

5. Fixing position by radar

  • Plot the vessel's position. Use of VRM and EBL

6. Pilotage by radar

  • Understands how to prepare a simple pilotage plan including use of clearing ranges

7. Collision avoidance

  • Understands how to determine the risk of collision with another vessel
  • CPA, course and speed
  • The existence of automatic radar plotting aids (ARPA & MARPA)
  • The implications of IRPCS when in restricted visibility

  • Duration: 1 day
  • Minimum age: None

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