AIS Experience Offshore?

[Paul Elliott]

My AIS data can show up on a netbook (running NavMonPc and other nav/comms programs), strapped to the chart table, or on the chartplotter at the helm. When at sea I often have the chartplotter turned off, so I rely on a loud alarm from the netbook. The Matrix VHF and RAM mic that nv5l mentions is a great low-power solution for the cockpit (and something I will install soon). A dedicated AIS unit with a low-power display in the cockpit is also a good solution.

Even at night we often detect the ship's AIS before we see their lights. Once we do have a visual on the ship I take a few sights with the hand-bearing compass to confirm the crossing situation.

When near shore I don't bother the ships with VHF calls (unless needed for collision avoidance, which I've never had to do), but on the high seas I've found that they often appreciate the chance for conversation. In the early days of AIS I saw a couple of ships with inaccurate position reporting (due to a known GPS issue), but have not seen this type of problem for many years now. You still see inappropriate "static" information, such as an "at anchor" status when the ship is cruising at 17 kts, but these don't really affect the safety-related information.

[hellosailor]

IMO requirements, ROFL. I can see that some "fishing boats" might be under the 65' requirement and others, well, I know of fisherman who would literally rather kill than disclose where they're having luck.

But as to requirements, watches, and even military vessels? I knew a gentlemen who retired from a career with the USN, Annapolis, captain of a warship and beyond. We were discussing proper watches one day and he mentioned that during convoy operations at sea in a storm, at night, the next ship back was closing in on him. They were under radio silence so he had a semaphore sent. No response. Hit the spotlight. No response. Finally fired a starshell over the bow of the other vessel, and got their attention.

Then there was the day I was on the bridge tour of a cruise ship, and when the tour left there was NO ONE ON THE BRIDGE AT ALL. Maybe there was a watch someplace, but not on the bridge and not on the radar.

So I go by rule of tonnage. If it's bigger than me, I assume it can and will squash me without a second thought, unless there's good reason to know otherwise.

Knowing that most of the traffic (except those damn fishermen, but they often look like parking lots with all the sodium lights) is actually using the AIS, will make me keep an eye open for a good price on a good unit. Maybe not now, but when the opportunity knocks, I'll be waiting.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Knowing that most of the traffic (except those damn fishermen, but they often look like parking lots with all the sodium lights) is actually using the AIS, will make me keep an eye open for a good price on a good unit. Maybe not now, but when the opportunity knocks, I'll be waiting.

Receivers are less than $200 - what are you waiting for?

Mark

[hellosailor]

Mark, maybe 4200 for one that feeds into another display, but standalones are more like $500, and full transceivers $800++.

I think I'd hold out for a standalone, and probably a transceiver since it just *might* be even more useful by ringing the other guy's collision alarm as well as mine.

Figuring a transceiver is still just "cell phone brains" plus a VHF...$900 probably will keep coming down a bit closer to $200 if volume and marketing allows it.

[Paul Elliott]

Here's the waterproof Standard Horizon GX2150 VHF, which contains a dual-channel AIS receiver and an AIS display. Milltech Marine sells it for $359. You just need to hook it up to your GPS data. I think this is a great AIS receive-only solution (and a very capable VHF).

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Just wondering...those of you who have AIS and have run it offshore, are you seeing commercial traffic actually RUNNING their AIS equipment offshore?

Where it's supposed to be fitted, absolutely yes.

Dave

[hpeer]

I have an ICOM 504 VHF that happens to integrate with the MA-500TR class B transponder. I just ordered one and have not installed it yet.

Will be solo and am thinking I will make a longish cable up so I can take it up to the cockpit or down to the cabin.

We shall see.

[mikefossl]

On our passage from Hawaii to Guam in 2010, every large ship that we saw showed up on AIS. We never actually saw most AIS targets as they show up from as much as 60 miles out.

[barnakiel]

Yep. We can see all large traffic each and every time.

I also checked out a class B transceiver and the ships confirmed seeing us long before we saw them. That was back in 2007 or 2008. I bet things have only improved since.

b.

[Tia Bu]

Yes, they do almost always have their AIS transmitters on. I use one of the $195 receivers hooked up to my laptop running OpenCPN on the chart table, which I can easily see from the cockpit. AIS is a spectacular and inexpensive tool, and I would highly recommend it.

[evm1024]

Entering any large harbor or other VTS area and they are wonderful.

I did see "Navy vessel 36" onn AIS once when heading south from Barkely Sound. Turns out that the CPA was about 0.25 miles but before i could hail them they changed direction.

Turns ouut that it was the Stennis heading into the Straights of Juan de Fuca.

Love AIS.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Mark, maybe 4200 for one that feeds into another display, but standalones are more like $500, and full transceivers $800++.

I think I'd hold out for a standalone, and probably a transceiver since it just *might* be even more useful by ringing the other guy's collision alarm as well as mine.

Figuring a transceiver is still just "cell phone brains" plus a VHF...$900 probably will keep coming down a bit closer to $200 if volume and marketing allows it.

Just installed the Em-Trak B100 transceiver (NMEA 2000 & 0183). Including a separate VHF antenna, <$500 in the total project (Port Supply pricing).

It's a good supplement to radar.

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by evm1024

I did see "Navy vessel 36" onn AIS once when heading south from Barkely Sound. Turns out that the CPA was about 0.25 miles but before i could hail them they changed direction.

Turns ouut that it was the Stennis heading into the Straights of Juan de Fuca.

I saw "Navy vessel XX" via AIS from my home receiver, and looked them up. Yes, the carrier John C. Stennis, coming home from the Mideast. (Are you sure it wasn't vessel 74?). Anyway, I sent "welcome home" email to the ship's public email address and ended up having a nice (short) email conversation with them.

The military sealift (supply) ships usually send AIS, and around here at least the USGC ships do as well. The U.S. Navy fighting ships hardly ever transmit AIS.

Here's a weird AIS sighting: The SBX-1, a military sea-based X-band radar platform:

These guys were parked about 50 miles offshore of San Francisco for a week, never moving more than a few feet. I saw their AIS signal and had another brief email conversation with them. The were coming from Hawaii, and going to the Aleutians. Last year I saw them in Seattle, getting work done in port.

[nhschneider]

As we were pulling out of Bahia de Magdalena on the Pacific side of Baja California last year, we were on a collision course with the Holland America cruise ship Oosterdam. Lots of room so no worries but I called them on the VHF just the same. We had a nice chat and they told me that we were showing up on their AIS as a tanker. That got me to thinking: I wonder if I could add to that: without insurance!

Fair winds and calm seas.

[Cranston]

what's wrong with the "$150 jobs" ? I was looking at getting the Miltech AIS blackbox($150) and plugging it into my Macbook Pro, run OpenSource CPN(free) w/gps($35) and get AIS info on the chart. I seems like a lot of bang for the buck to me.