On radar, at closer ranges you do get some target differences between a TANKER and a small boat for the return.

On AIS, on many units you get no distinctions. Some do show the object at scale if the boat transmitting has a Type A unit (and it's data is REALLY set-up properly for length, width, position of transmitter, etc. -- otherwise your sense of the ship will actually be decieving.)

I kind of agree with Larry that when you first look at a radar screen or AIS plotting of (say) New York Harbour, it looks pretty distracting. but that's just a "get-over-it" problem.)

I will also note that in the fog in North Casco Bay, Maine when you couldn't see the front of the boat. There was current at about 2 knots, maybe 5 lobster boats racing back, forth, away, and across us. We were in a not so wide channel with several "spurs" of other channels intersecting it. The radar, not the AIS, was reporting all of this activity.

(The fog had decended instead of the forecast sunshile! There was no way that going back against the current would be any better.) It was just a time to 'get over it' and pay attention to all the noise, blips, chart, and ability to force one's self to relax in spite of every intinct to the contrary.)