"Jim Woodward" wrote in message I would say
fairly strongly that you can't operate a radar in Cape Cod
Bay and drive the boat at the same time. There are too many targets
-- boats, bouys, fishing floats with reflectors, a few ships, and so
forth.

I'd say that depends entirely on your own individual ability to multitask
and set priority. Frankly, the workload you describe there is very low
compared to what the human brain can cope with when trained and practised
(try flying an airline into fog-bound La Guardia on a Friday night!). Marine
radar is so easy to use (only two dimensions) and boats move relatively
slowly and you can slow down and even stop in a boat.