Loose containers at sea - SCARY

Really? Perhaps they should have included a beer can in the QinetiQ tests of radar reflectors!

They found it hard to see many of the commercially available reflectors with a defence standard X Band radar unless they were set up in ideal conditions. If I remember, the 100mm tubular reflector's efficiency dropped to almost zero at one degree of heel.

 

The filters for wave noise will completely blank off a beer can. In weather like that of the video, even those barrels would be hard to see.

 

Who said in those conditions? Gonzo?

Crag

At which distance and what condition?

You CAN see a beer can with a commercial quality Radar in the right conditions.

And of course you cannot see a reflector in others.

Are we kidding a bit?

 

I guess in totally flat water a beer can could be seen with a radar. Are those designed to be sold in Australia?

 

Fanie,

Again, you made burst out laughing.
Cheers, hips!

Thank you.
Sinclair

 

I think what Apex means with conditions is the beer can must be full.
Has anyone tested a full can will actually float. It will pass as a container though because it contains beer.

Of course not.

Sorry Sinclair, this is a serious thread

 

Can some one offer a link that might suggest that a radar --any radar could detect a single beer can at sea.

Who makes this, what model?

 

Yeah, no laughing!

 

How about this SINGLE beer can ?

Do you notice the print error there ? That's 3.75 kl... not 365 ml

 

Because I cruise in an area where there are thousands upon thousands of uncharted and/or drying rocks,reefs,shoals,etc. and a myriad of deadheads (logs floating just under the surface) I did the best thing I could think of.

Got a good depth sounder,and epoxied the transducer on the bow,facing forwards.

You don't get much distance,maybe 200' due to echoes,but better than nothing.

I guess one could rig up a pole to hang down while enroute.

 

Great idea WestVanHan!

 

That is a good idea . I often wondered if that would work.

But it would'nt show a mud bank --would it?

 

Frosty,

Echo sounders:
This thread, read post # 12 from Fanie.

 

Among sailors this is another fear they must not forget.Keeping watch avails little since many containers float is a semisubmerged state.
The containers being moved is astounding,the value can be enormous, and the tracking systems on many containers should provide salvage agencies with some way of catching up with these objects.Adding GPS to the containers would be a good insurance policy for shippers and consumers.

 

I'm sure I wasn't the first to do it,and never saw Fanie's post.

When I did it,9 years ago,there were none on the market-now there's a few special (forward looking) sonars on the market... $$$$.

It picked up stuff I needed to pick up,and worked well once I figured out how to read the screen.

Dunno about mounting it inside,need to be off of centre (thick glass in the bow point) and guess one could build a water box.
My bow was inaccessable.