Who should have AIS B?

[sandy daugherty]

It would be silly to place much faith in a poll with 19 responses, taken from a single forum comprised of members with very focused interests, but this is interesting.
So far (three days) two thirds of us will install AIS. Since at least four correspondants already have some kind of AIS, and two have negative reactions to these gadgets, it looks like about a 90% approval rate. Apparently I'm not the only one moving up from a simple receiver.
Its an assumption, but it appears that objections to AIS are about the cost or the possibility of being tracked by big brother. While few of us share that concern, it exists, with undeniable justification. That is a separate issue, for another forum?
We would like to see commercial craft equipped with AIS transceivers (either A or B) we don't have a consistant idea of which vessels we would like to track, or be visible to.
So an early interpretation of our responses is: AIS is good. We are divided between wanting to see, and wanting to be seen by more than the number of vessels currently equipped with AIS A. We don't have a consensus of what those other vessels include.
And nobody bit on my inflammatory red herring about speed.

[Chief Engineer]

During a cursory viewing of www.panbo.com, there seems to be a fair amount of naysayers over there. Hmmmmm. We are from the government we're here to help.

[David M]

Chief, I just read the article.

Some people are of the mindset that if something is not perfect then it is worthless. No, AIS is not perfect. Can it be useful? Absolutely! Is it worth the cost? That depends on the size of your wallet and how you use your boat.

Can the government track you? Yes. Why would they though unless they think you are a criminal? Anybody can track you in fact...even your wife, to make sure you are actually out sailing!

Take a look: http://www.boatingsf.com/ais_map.php?region=sf

[sandy daugherty]

Hey Chief, any forum without naysayers is like popcorn without salt.
Read the replies to the naysayers, figure out which is urban myth or legitimate negatives, and the picture clears.

Is that a YP in your picture? Do you remember how hard is was to pick a small sailboat out of a Chesapeake rain squall? Well, I want to be easier to see. By everyone, including the Tax Man and my Ex Wife. I want a little bell to tinkle somewhere when I'm bore-sighted by anything big enough to hurt, both on my boat and on theirs. I want them to have my MMSI so they can call me and tell me about it. Its still and always my job to get the hell out of the way, simply because I can and don't mind. And I'm not going to crawl into the sack with a good book because of all this electronic assistance; I'm going to keep watch as always, as if my life depends on it, because it still does.

[sandy daugherty]

Day five, 25 votes, and no change. Somebody said they heard grumblings from the Coast Guard about mandating AIS for more vessels, but I can't find an original poster. Since we largely agree that AIS, in one of the three available forms is a good idea (two dissenters) the discussion should shift to address who we would like to see equipped. I don't care about how that would happen, whether its by law, by insurance or liability pressures, or by charitable contributions. I just want to hear what people think it would be good to SEE on our waters. Pump-out boats? Water Taxis? race committee? barges? Fifty foot Cigarette boats on Poker Runs? Commercial Fishermen? Diving Operations?

[BlueWaterSail]

Well I think all commercial vessels, irrespective of size, should squawk on AIS A. This seems a no brainer to me, if only from a liability perspective. All you need is for the insurance companies to stipulate it as a condition for a policy to remain valid.

AIS B should not be mandated for recreational boats. However, AIS B users should qualify for some benefit such as a discount on insurance because of the expectation that two AIS A/B equipped boats are far less likely to suffer a low-visibility collision than a non AIS equipped vessel.

Actually, I see all kinds of possibilities for AIS, from marina's being able to direct boats to slips, and the identification of temporary hazards, stationary or floating by the USCG, to fixing the exact positions of those pesky atolls in French Polynesia.

BWS

[Chief Engineer]

However, If you have seen the Blue Angels in Annapolis the last coupla years...we have been there. We didn't make it this year tho'

Originally Posted by sandy daugherty

Hey Chief,

Is that a YP in your picture? Do you remember how hard is was to pick a small sailboat out of a Chesapeake rain squall?

.

I'll post the details later.

[richardhula]

Originally Posted by sandy daugherty

Paul: I understand that the NASA receiver can be updated with a replacement CMOS that reads the rest of the AIS B data. The discussion on Panbo over the weekend addressed the question of older Class A units detecting Class B very precisely.

According to NASA the AIS engines they sold in the last year or so are Class B capable - see here Nasa Marine Instruments Limited
I guess it's the earlier type in black plastic case you are referring to.

For one of the cheapest Class B transponders on the market check here http://www.euronav.co.uk/Products/Ha...S_B/CSB200.htm
I believe this model now has US approval.