SONAR AND FORWARD-LOOKING SOUNDERS
Sonar and forward-looking sounders are often seen as the preserve of those whose primary interest is fishing. However, a huge amount of effort has been invested in these products over the past few years and the latest models can be powerful tools for both cruising and racing yachts. They offer sufficient clarity, for instance, to be able to pick out areas of seagrass and patches of sand in an anchorage.
Much of this improvement is thanks to the availability of CHIRP transducers that, unlike a traditional sonar, can distinguish between multiple targets through scanning using a signal of varying frequency. This enables them to show individual fish, rather than just indicate a shoal, to resolve vegetation growing on the seabed, and distinguish between a sandy/muddy shoreline and a rocky one.
For those of us who spend large periods of time in the Mediterranean during autumn months, when overcast skies or dark evenings can mean anchoring when it’s not possible to see the sea bed, this could be a significant boon. As well as the obvious safety advantage, and convenience of being able to find sand at the first attempt, there’s also a benefit in avoiding damage to environmentally important seagrass beds.
On yachts, we’re most interested in what
