AIS at the chartplotter

[Sandy]

For years I've had an AIS transceiver down at the navigation station, primarily there for:

• the CG - should I ever have the need to hit the wee red distress switch;
• the family - so they have a rough idea where I am; and
• fellow sailors - so they know when to get the beers in as I'm usually last back to the bar.

Secondly, I might take a passing interest in that big ship over there, but that is rare and usually as I'm crossing the shipping lanes en route to the mainland (Continental Europe).

Today after much head scratching, looking at diagrams and joining tiny multi-coloured wires together I now have AIS at the chart plotter! Will this turn me into a gibbering wreck, terrified of going out on the water as the Mark I eyeball is going to feel redundant?

More importantly, I have found and repaired a second puncture in the dinghy, and will be able to get to the pub at Dittisham.

 

[Ningaloo]

Don't worry about becoming a gibbering wreck. Your last paragraph shows you have your priorities correct!

 

[Boathook]

Other areas and therfore pubs are also available by dinghy. Stoke Gabriel comes to mind ......

 

[Sandy]

Other areas and therfore pubs are also available by dinghy. Stoke Gabriel comes to mind ......

Any particular recommendations?

 

[Stemar]

ISTM that the only downside to AIS and all the rest of these new-fangled gadgets is when people concentrate on them and forget to look outside the cockpit. Like so many things in life, good servants, lousy masters. Even worse when it's 50,000 tonnes with it's nose in the instruments

 

[Snowgoose-1]

I think it is ok. You still using a human sensor (eyes) at the chart table as you would on deck. There is guilt using technology when we inhabit a product that was is a billion times more complex than anything produced by man .

 

[Boathook]

Any particular recommendations?

None at present. I just remember that the first time visiting Stoke Gabriel there were 3 pubs and the last time 2. The other problem is that a good pub last year may be rubbish this year and accordingly the otherway round.

 

[rotrax]

Getting away from pubs and back to the OP, having an AIS overlay on screen is, IMHO, the best place for it.

Our Raymarine / Navionics is perfect for our use. We only use a fraction of the E120's possibilities. This stops us being too reliant on technology.

There is, however, no substitute for the Mk. 1 Eyeball, used in conjunction with electronic aids.

A skipper/helm/watchkeeper should be aware of everything in the vicinity.

AIS overlay on the plotter helps in achieving this.

We saw the huge cruise ship " Independence of the Seas " off the CI's.

I hit 'view full AIS data'. A normal read would give the usual info, including the length and beam in metres.

This time the length was:- 0.19 NM's!

As it was well lit up - must have huge generators - we could work that out quite easily.

Being able to view course, speed and CPA of other vessels, especially at night, is a great tool.

 

[RichardS]

Getting away from pubs and back to the OP, having an AIS overlay on screen is, IMHO, the best place for it.

Our Raymarine / Navionics is perfect for our use. We only use a fraction of the E120's possibilities. This stops us being too reliant on technology.

There is, however, no substitute for the Mk. 1 Eyeball, used in conjunction with electronic aids.

A skipper/helm/watchkeeper should be aware of everything in the vicinity.

AIS overlay on the plotter helps in achieving this.

We saw the huge cruise ship " Independence of the Seas " off the CI's.

I hit 'view full AIS data'. A normal read would give the usual info, including the length and beam in metres.

This time the length was:- 0.19 NM's!

As it was well lit up - must have huge generators - we could work that out quite easily.

Being able to view course, speed and CPA of other vessels, especially at night, is a great tool.

AIS is great for passing the hours by checking on cruise ships and their romantic destinations. As soon as I see and interesting vessel on the AIS I fire up the lappie, signal permitting, and check out its tonnage, max speed, mpg etc.

Richard

 

[Sandy]

Getting away from pubs and back to the OP, having an AIS overlay on screen is, IMHO, the best place for it.

I have to admit that I've ignored AIS for years, see my original post, as it has been down at the navigation station. It is a "nice to have" as the Mark I eyeball is a thousand times faster and more accurate at judging speed and distance. Having an icon that you need to move your cursor onto, then select from a screen that you want to look at the detail and then two screens of data takes time and concentrates all your senses in the cockpit and not looking outwards. Try sailing with a group of teenagers, they never look away from the screen, which can be fun when they stall 100 tonne of boat by not looking what the wind is doing!

I've connected it up as I was interested to see if it was technically possible and to my delight it is.

 

[Goldie]

I think it is ok. You still using a human sensor (eyes) at the chart table as you would on deck.

But only seeing AIS equipped vessels... adding radar of course, is a different story.

I came across a number of fishing boats - maybe 30 or so - on the edge of the Continental Shelf last year and by no means all were transmitting on AIS.

 

[Sandy]

But only seeing AIS equipped vessels... adding radar of course, is a different story.

I came across a number of fishing boats - maybe 30 or so - on the edge of the Continental Shelf last year and by no means all were transmitting on AIS.

That's my next trick! My ancient Raytheon r10x radar has not survived lockdown and gives a high frequency noise and no picture! I am in the middle of extracting that from the boat and adding a modern Garmin radar.

 

[DJE]

Can't agree that eyeball is better than AIS at predicting crossing situations. Particularly if it's close and the eyeball is relying on a hand bearing compass when is doesn't become clear until the range is quite short.

My best AIS display is on Opencpn on the computer at the chart table. But I'm slowly getting the hang of the Raymarine plotter at the helm. Point at the target and choose "Show AIS vector" to see who is passing in front of whom.

 

[rotrax]

But only seeing AIS equipped vessels... adding radar of course, is a different story.

I came across a number of fishing boats - maybe 30 or so - on the edge of the Continental Shelf last year and by no means all were transmitting on AIS.

They must have been French

 

[Sandy]

Can't agree that eyeball is better than AIS at predicting crossing situations. Particularly if it's close and the eyeball is relying on a hand bearing compass when is doesn't become clear until the range is quite short.

I have to disagree. I drive a motor vehicle, and am sure you do to, at well over boat speed and pass cars at less than 10 meters often with a closing speed of 140 miles an hour.

 

[DJE]

I have to disagree. I drive a motor vehicle, and am sure you do to, at well over boat speed and pass cars at less than 10 meters often with a closing speed of 140 miles an hour.

But I don't want to be within 10m of a ship! I want them to know what I am doing while the range is still several miles.

 

[mjcoon]

I have to disagree. I drive a motor vehicle, and am sure you do to, at well over boat speed and pass cars at less than 10 meters often with a closing speed of 140 miles an hour.

If your seas have lane markings visible night and day, and your rudder steers with the precision of a car suspension, that might be relevant...

 

[rotrax]

I have to admit that I've ignored AIS for years, see my original post, as it has been down at the navigation station. It is a "nice to have" as the Mark I eyeball is a thousand times faster and more accurate at judging speed and distance. Having an icon that you need to move your cursor onto, then select from a screen that you want to look at the detail and then two screens of data takes time and concentrates all your senses in the cockpit and not looking outwards.

Absolute tosh. IMHO, of course.

As a regular crosser of the English Channel shipping lanes, very busy shipping lanes, all you know from five or six miles is that the approaching vessels are going west or east. Their speed, exact course and CPA cannot be calculated by Mk. 1 Eyeball at those distances.

Mk. 1 Eyball alone is OK in good visibility and close distances. At several miles at night not anywhere near so effective.

Our E120 Raymarine overlays all selected info onto the main screen within a smaller screen - tide data, AIS data, nav. mark data etc.

So, just one screen, takes but a touch on the cursor control and screen buttons.

It is an old system with a mid range Navionics card, 13 years old, so not contemporary.


AIS is a usefull tool, not a substitute for a good lookout and regular scan all round.

If teenagers are onboard and at the helm station they should be be taught to scan the horizon regularly and pay attention to the sailing/sails/hazards/other vessels, not look at the screen and forget the basics.

I have formal qualifications in Training and worked in the sector for twelve years. Not sail training, but the basic concept of Instruction is the same.

Tell them what needs to be done, why it needs to be done and get them to practice doing it

 

[capnsensible]

Why just teenagers? People learn to sail at all ages.

Better to show people what needs to be done. Demonstrate, explain, practice. As soon as you do 'tell' they switch off.

You can include in that using the horizon to estimate vessel range and bearing change using a hand bearing compass. Then use of AIS and radar. When walking has been nailed, move on to run.

You wanna try busy, cross the Gib Straits!

 

[Sandy]

Absolute tosh. IMHO, of course.

As they say, our mileages are different.

I prefer to sail looking out of the cockpit, especially crossing at TSS. To date I've yet to see a ship speed up/slow down, apart from a submarine on the surface outside Plymouth who went from dead slow to very quick in about two boat lengths perhaps the CO realised that the Mess was about to open, or make a sudden alteration from course (I'm pretty sure that the would be giving sound signals). For what we do we don't need the exact course and speed, for example, that ship a is going from starboard to port and has taken 2 mins to pass that stanchion, or more importantly has not moved from that stanchion, is all you need to work out what is going on.