AIS Poll

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by OldMan

If you feel the need to monitor your boat, there are many applications/methods to do such and also protect your privacy.

I spent a good portion of my career working in privacy and security. Most people value their physical location information as the highest priority data, even higher than bank account passwords. Think about it!

AIS data on the Internet has zero value, IMO condemns the publication of AIS data on the Internet, and I agree with them.

Automatic Identification Systems (AIS)

This is a strange post. AIS online will tell someone where a boat is. You are aware that your MMSI is already public anyway and be used to see who holds the licence.

Then there is the fact that your house is in a known location listed in public records and most likely even viewable in online mapping/satellite software.

[OldMan]

Originally Posted by ixnax

Whatever are you talking about? AIS is not about monitoring your own boat, surely you get that. And frankly you make your career sound like you were involved in conspiracy theory. Maybe your ideal is disappearing into an anchorage that you rarely leave. Good for you. But for those of us who sail more than anchor, AIS has some real value.

You missed the context of my comments, look at the dialog with CatNewBee.

I never said AIS was bad, I was commenting about re-transmission of AIS on the Internet.

[OldMan]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

This is a strange post. AIS online will tell someone where a boat is. You are aware that your MMSI is already public anyway and be used to see who holds the licence.

Then there is the fact that your house is in a known location listed in public records and most likely even viewable in online mapping/satellite software.

Similar to cell phone tracking, it’s easy to conclude that if your boat is away from the dock, i.e. underway, that you are on it. Hence, one can track your location in real time, that is a privacy breach. IMO concluded this years ago, but member countries have failed to do anything about it.

AIS was created to share vessel data within the geographical area of it’s VHF transmission. AIS was never intended to be re-transmitted on the Internet for all to see. For the purpose that AIS was created, re-transmission on the Internet has zero value.

[GTom]

Originally Posted by chouliha

One other plus for a ais transmit is in case of an emergency or you are delayed arrival due to weather. When JRCC or USCG is notified if they have your vessel details they will pull your last ais transmitted info from the satellite service.

I wouldn't take satellite detection for granted, maybe with a 5w class B+ transceiver and a thick low-loss coax, no splitter.

[chouliha]

Originally Posted by GTom

I wouldn't take satellite detection for granted, maybe with a 5w class B+ transceiver and a thick low-loss coax, no splitter.

It is surprising how well this has worked in the past. All of these lookups that were done by Northland radio in conjunction with PacSea Net were not class B+ but installed class B AIS transmitters. Having participated in this myself I can say it works.

But I also strongly agree with you if your AIS is not able to be picked up by ships close by the sat receivers will not be able to receive your signal. Same as if your VHF can not be heard by vessels close by. I think this was the point you were making.

For example we have a Vesper Marine 850 AIS transmitter and a splitter - the satellite was able to pick us up in French Polynesia providing location, speed and heading data to Northland radio.

Chuck

[GTom]

The vesper splitter is known to be a good one, isn't it actually boosting the signal, adding a few Watts?

[Bbolino]

I everyone has receive only AIS what good is it?

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by Bbolino

I everyone has receive only AIS what good is it?

It allows you to see what might be out there further than you might with your naked eye. For shorthanded cruisers (this is a cruising forum afterall) it allows CPA and TCPA alarms to be setup which help free you up to perhaps tackle something else whilst underway.

It's kind of like saying what good is having your own radar if it doesn't allow other ships to detect you.

[Bbolino]

The vessel that just hit you while you were tackling "something else whilst underway." didn't have a transmitter.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Bbolino

The vessel that just hit you while you were tackling "something else whilst underway." didn't have a transmitter.

Perhaps, but more and more do, I have just ordered ours after 12 years of having Rx only. At least the big stuff is compelled to fit it.

40 years ago in the Fastnet Race of 79 many of the smaller yachts didn't have VHF. Jump forward to today, when was the last time your saw a sea going vessel that didn't have VHF?

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by Bbolino

The vessel that just hit you while you were tackling "something else whilst underway." didn't have a transmitter.

Probably why most cruisers have radar too, and obviously look out to see if something close before leaving the helm / watch area. It's Not sure what point you are trying to make but it's not being made well.

[tarian]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Perhaps, but more and more do, I have just ordered ours after 12 years of having Rx only. At least the big stuff is compelled to fit it.

40 years ago in the Fastnet Race of 79 many of the smaller yachts didn't have VHF. Jump forward to today, when was the last time your saw a sea going vessel that didn't have VHF?

when did sat phones be needed , we can specualte that the more electronics we have on boasrd the safer we become, or we can argue the more complacent we become looking at our little screens and checking our facebook pages ,
but back to to op I have a class B transponder , with WIFI for connection to my android chart plotter, the only problem is its still not connected, it keeps slipping down my to do list as every time I go out sailing I seem not to miss it , but how can I miss it if I have not installed it , therefore do I really need it , more than likely in busy traffic lanes , English channel comes to mind, but I sail really only were there are other boaters and very little traffic , but if I look at marine traffic .com I see all these boats transmitting their AIS , in my Area of sailing and I have never hit any of them or have they evey came near to hitting me , strange that maybe they were keeping an eyeball out there , who knows all I know is I have not fixed the radar , nor installed the AIS , and still like my paper charts. still not hit anyone.
Watching the Frenchman on youtube strange that as a so called cruiser he does not have all the electronics onboard , and especially a nespresso coffee machine

[Perfect Ride]

A vesper user. Reliable product. Also use marine traffic when access permits.

[Redline452]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

I do use marinetraffic to look at my boat in the marina and get automatically notified when she moves. I prefer it over the surprise when arriving after the winter at the dock and the boat is disappeared, and nobody has seen her for months. AIS is always on, independent of the other instruments.

In some areas, leaving the transponder on while docked is poor etiquette.



Where I sail the channel passes 6+ marinas/yacht clubs along the shore so you get TCPA warnings from those who always transmit, to the extent that I've had to turn my AIS alarms off - especially since the boat docked next to me is one of those. My transponder is on full-time (MarineTraffic statin 1781) but in silent mode while docked.


I run a TrueHeading AIS CTRX Graphene Plus since bringing Redline up the St Lawrence river in 2013. The Seaway traffic cannot and will not deviate from the channel for any reason. It's also very useful to check who else is heading for the next lock, since commerical shipping has priority.


On at least one occasion, I used the "danger zone" feature on my Raymarine Axiom to place our intersection with an oncoming freighter just past the next bridge, so even as his speed changed, I was able to make the same left bridge opening just after he'd passed. Saved a two hour wait for the next opening, or needlessly pushing Redline near redline (on the tach) only to wait around.



If you want to check your boat hasn't moved, FloatHub has a neat device that does that and a lot more without annoying the neighbours.

[Martkimwat]

Originally Posted by tanglewood

Just for clarity, receive-only isn’t AIS. It’s just snooping/ listening in. There is no standard, no specification, no nothing. It’s just listening in on what actual AIS devices are doing. AIS is a transmit/ receive protocol, period. Anything else is just being a peeping Tom.

You might think that Tanglewood, but I can assure you in the Solent and other busy shipping areas, it is a real boon to avoiding being run down by large vessels including VLCCs and fast ferries, some of which are doing up to 25 knots. to be able to spot them coming round the corner from up Southampton water, before you can actually see the vessel by eye is a great help to plan your crossing of this extremely busy stretch of water. I do NOT consider that to be a peeping tom scenario, but good safe practice.

I have a Standard Horizon GX2100 with built in AIS receive function which is routed to my Raymarine Chartplotter. I plan to upgrade to the new Standard Horizon VHF transceiver with built in AIS Transponder when it is finally gets type approval.