RADAR v. FLIR

[CruisingElvinRay]

+1 on the SiOnyx Aurora.

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[FlyMeAway]

I have FLIR on my R41. I was side-tied to a larger boat for the July 4 2021 fireworks in Roche Harbor, with plans to return home after. There was no moonlight or starlight when the fireworks were over - almost zero visibility. I am sure I could not have safely got out of the crowded harbor without the FLIR. In such tight quarters, mast lights are not helpful. I am now convinced that without FLIR it would have been reckless to plan on navigating in such tight quarters at night.

Having said that, this was the only time for me that this was a must-have situation, but I consider it "paid for" in damages that did not occur that night.I would get it again (or else not travel in such conditions).

I was crew on a boat where a while back where we had to do the same thing, but used radar. The skipper was also a private pilot; he called it "instrument navigation." He never looked up from the plotter screen for the entire 30 minutes it took us to get out of the anchorage, but we made it without a close call (I acted as one of the deck lookouts in case of error).