Aussie boat with AIS from the US

[Aussie_Sequoia]

Getting ready to cross back to Oz and am curious about if other Australians who have purchased their boat's outside Australia registered their new AIS with AMSA before the trip to get an Australian MMSI number or waited until they got home before registering the unit.

I have a US HAM license for my HF rig and will be able to get a reciprocal license when I get home but as I did not have an AIS before, I don't have my Marine Radio License back home in order to get my MMSI.

I am a dual citizen (with US) and might be able to spin an MMSI number from my current FCC call sign info (using relative's US contact info.) but of course this isn't the completely correct way as the vessel is Australian registered.

They didn't seem to mind the country of registration when I got my HAM license.

Any thoughts?

[simmo]

No one answered in 12 months. That's a worry. Now I need to know. I'd never heard of mmsi until the other day when the bloke I'm buying my AIS and Epirb off told me to just go on the website and get a mmsi rego number. Er.. That would be beaut but its not quite that simple from what I read on the website. Therefore my first dumb question for today is..do you have to have an mmsi number for these devices to operate?

[estarzinger]

^^ you absolutely need an MMSI for the AIS. And don't be tempted to get one off the BoatUS website, as those are NOT internationally valid/recognized numbers.

[MarkJ]

Its a bit wild and whacky that Australia makes it so difficult to get a n MMSI number when its for safety equipment like an AIS.

I would just get a US MMSI and use that. But if still in Australia then do the Radio course... which was 3 weeks or somit stupid when I did it!


Mark

[simmo]

Thanks Mark. It might be several years if at all that my boat sees Australia. More likely to be parked in a place called Simpson Bay! I take it there is no reason why I can't get this MMSI number from somewhere else and the good ol US of A is the recommendation. Is that the go?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by simmo

More likely to be parked in a place called Simpson Bay! I take it there is no reason why I can't get this MMSI number from somewhere else and the good ol US of A is the recommendation. Is that the go?

I would think so. I have my EPIRB registered in the USA too and they have a neat internet site to update the info.

Does Budget Marine issue MMSI numbers?

It really doesnt matter where the MMSI is registered. Look at all the shi[ps out there registered in Liberia etc, no one gives a stuff that their VHF TX's on a Liberian MMSI. LOL


Mark
PS See you in SXM soon. Getting toey here for the end of the 'urricane season.

[simmo]

Yeah I saw when you moved and settled in at Grenada. I'm looking forward to SXM too. Just gotta get from here to Gibraltar. Then Canaries. Then hopefully crossing over in December. I've got expert assistance from here in France to Gib. A world famous and highly regarded English gentleman. I'll google MMSI USA and see what I get.

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

^^ you absolutely need an MMSI for the AIS. And don't be tempted to get one off the BoatUS website, as those are NOT internationally valid/recognized numbers.

You do need an MMSI for your AIS transponder and your DSC radios, but if its too difficult to get one from from OZ, you can get one in 10 minutes from the BoatUS website. You need to give them a US address (friend or family). This MMSI will allow the ships and shore stations to see you and get your boat's name.

Registering the MMSI with the ITU doesn't gain you much, and I found out that my expensive, FCC issued MMSI wasn't either. I contacted the ITU and they said it was the FCC's responsibility--you may get the same service from your bureaucrats.

The other part of the deal is that once the AIS is programmed with an MMSI, its a PITA to change it (similar for the DSC VHF's, but some allow you one or two changes).

[simmo]

Thanks Don. I tried that site without success at this stage. I've had to go back to the boat so I've only got the sniff of an oily rag data left on my Ireland SIM card to reply and I'll be off the air until I get back to the marina bar wifi that I was on earlier. I'll talk to the electronics mob across the road tomorrow morning and try an explain the issue in case they've got a solution. I'm in Les Sables D'olonne. I'll be able to put some more time on the Internet tomorrow afternoon at the pub with wifi.

[estarzinger]

My wife is the technical director at boatUS . . . I say again . . . . Don't use one of their MMSI numbers if you plan to operated the equipment outside US waters. Outside us waters they are essentially no better than if you just made up a random number and programmed it in.

[Aussie_Sequoia]

If you only have an AIS receiver than you don't really need an MMSI number.

I have a Standard Horizon AIS receiver/VHF combo. The radio wanted an MMSI number because it allows DSC calling, but I just never entered a number and I've been using it now successfully for over a year. I can't make DSC calls of course.

Also, I ended up registering the epirb in the US. No problem there.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

You do need an MMSI for your AIS transponder and your DSC radios, but if its too difficult to get one from from OZ, you can get one in 10 minutes from the BoatUS website. You need to give them a US address (friend or family). This MMSI will allow the ships and shore stations to see you and get your boat's name.

Registering the MMSI with the ITU doesn't gain you much, and I found out that my expensive, FCC issued MMSI wasn't either. I contacted the ITU and they said it was the FCC's responsibility--you may get the same service from your bureaucrats.

The other part of the deal is that once the AIS is programmed with an MMSI, its a PITA to change it (similar for the DSC VHF's, but some allow you one or two changes).

I got my MMSIs this side of the pond , where up on the ITU database within 6 weeks.the system works
Dave

[Loz]

I'd like to know how exactly you got it.... I have been in discussions with Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) who tell me that because I don't have a radio operators licence I have to second an invigilator here in the Caribbean to oversee me sitting an examination. I then have to mail back the results to Australia before they will issue the MMSI. What a joke!!! Firstly they don't realise that it takes 2 months to receive mail from Australia, and secondly they need to realise that they are a safety organisation who should be making these processes easier NOT harder. In the meantime I met someone who said they would program a fake MMSI number and on arrival in OZ told me to blame some Caribbean dude for setting it up....

[svseachange]

I got a US MMSI for my Aussie registered boat last year. I seem to remember the application requiring a US address and registration (I used the MN registration number). Got a US ships station and radio operator's licenses.

Getting a radio operator license in Australia seemed easy.. except for the fact you needed to take the test while physically in Australia. Figure I will do that if my boat ever makes it home.

[simmo]

My AIS is a transceiver version. I want to be seen as well as see. I haven't yet worked out how to get around this bit of bureaucracy. What a crazy thing. I can't properly use my Epirb or AIS cos I haven't got a radio license. The BoatUS site says their MMSI number is not for vessels outside US waters.