[Yachting newbie]

The plus side on owning your own vessel is, you can outfit whatever chartplotter, radar, GPS system on your vessel. However, if I go the chartering route, I noticed not many vessels in the chartering market comes equipped with these fancy gargets. Or is there any portable system you can buy and bring onboard the vessel you charter?

[AMG]

Chartering a yacht usually means a crewed yacht and most such yachts have all the gadgets you will need. If you are talking about renting a boat, sometimes called bareboat charter, it can of course vary depending on size and cost. You can always bring a handheld GPS/chartplotter onboard if it shouldn´t come with the yacht.

[Yachting newbie]

that one can move from boat to boat if you are bareboating?

[AMG]

You almost made me create a photoshop picture of yourself carrying a radar around..

In theory, yes you could, but not in reality. You better look for a boat with radar fitted if you think you will need it.

[Yachting newbie]

But seriously, if I am to use a trawler in the 34' - 42' range, cruise within sight of the coastline, occasionally crossing sea say the Long Island Sound or Gulf of Maine, trying not to sail at night, do I really need a radar?

[AMG]

With a plotter and some caution, you don´t need a radar. It is only fog that can stop you. But I think most trawlers in this range has got it already. Modern systems are combining chart plotter (GPS) with a radar on the same screen why they could be fitted even in very small boats.

[KCook]

Err, your typical charter / bareboat operator does NOT want his boat a risk. He will equip his boat with whatever is reasonable for the typical use in his market. If your plan is to sail off on a great voyage of discovery with his bareboat, then the existing equipment will certainly be lacking. And on learning of your plans he will certainly cancel your charter.

Short version .... don't worry about this.

Kelly