What this training covers
Radar training teaches much more than switching the display on.
Topics include:
The RYA Radar course is currently listed as a one-day course with no previous experience requirement.
Course names and content vary between schools, and this is a description of the training rather than one school’s syllabus. Check what a particular course actually includes — and on which boat — before booking.
The course in context
Radar training helps you understand what a radar display is showing, what it may miss and how to use it alongside other navigation information. It is especially useful before sailing at night or in restricted visibility. A screen full of returns is not automatically a clear picture of the situation.
Before you start
Introductory courses do not usually require previous radar experience. Basic navigation knowledge helps you connect exercises to real passages. Tell the provider which equipment you use, because controls and display features differ between installations.
Skills you will develop
Interpreting the display
Recognise the relationship between range, bearing and the surrounding scene. Learn why a target may be unclear or absent instead of assuming every hazard will be visible.
Navigation checks
Use radar information to support position and pilotage decisions. Compare it with charts, visual observations and other instruments rather than treating one sensor as infallible.
Tracking movement
Understand the observations used to assess other vessels’ movement. Practice should develop a method rather than encourage decisions from a single glance.
Training and assessment
The RYA’s introductory Radar course is one day and can use classroom exercises or afloat work. Other providers offer different formats. Ask how much practice is included and whether the training uses a simulator or your own equipment.
Questions to ask the school
- Which equipment or simulator is used?
- Will we practise tracking targets?
- Can the training address my installed radar?
Related learning
Where this sits in the schemes
Training like this is taught both as a named certificate within a scheme and as standalone tuition by independent schools. If you want a certificate at the end, start from the scheme; if you only want the skill, an afternoon with a good instructor may serve you better.
Is this the right training for you right now?
Three questions — have you sailed before, what boat do you want to sail, and what is your goal — give you a starting course and the schools that teach it near you.