Radar Beacon Requirements for the Great Lakes

The author discusses the question "Radar Plus What" primarily in the light of navigating problems on the US Great Lakes. Here, we are concerned with the operation of a considerable number of comparatively large vessels in both open and confined waters. In the rivers, in the bays, and in the open lakes at any particular time the navigating officer in charge of a vessel of 10,000 to 20,000 tons of carrying capacity may expect to find within a radius of ten to twenty miles anywhere from five to ten or even more vessels of similar characteristics moving in various directions. This is not the situation facing the officer on a single vessel in the open seas meeting and passing one or possibly two vessels. Rather, there is involved the movement of many vessels of considerable size in the same general area.