wrote in message
...
| There was, of course, the collision-related death earlier this summer
| after a large (moving at abt. 7 kts) N.Y.C.-based cruise boat crashed
| into a J-105 on its way from Larchmont to Block Island which then sank
| off the coast of Connecticut. Though reports of that incident suggest
| that the collision resulted mostly from the respective crews'
| inattention aggravated by the sailing crew's failure to turn off their
| boat's autopilot when they saw the motor vessel approaching, one
| legitimately might wonder what may have occurred if both (or, for that
| matter, either) of the crews were using radar on that dark night.

Interesting. You'd have to know the bearings and sighting distances
involved. Let's face it. Radar is a big advantage if used correctly. It
opens the way to safe night sailing and offers another fix for confirmation
to chart. I'm not willing to go digital chart/plotter. I do like being able
to track unseen vessels in limited visibility and confirm my location in
relation to objects about me.

Would you consider that if the sailboat crew had a 6 nautical mile warning
time they may have had more reaction time?

CM