AIS, do I need it? do you have it? is it of use?

[hullabaloo]

Hello
I'm moving my boat (by sea, not road) from north Wales (I see 2 ships per year) very soon to the top of Southampton Water,
I have a 2011 Fairline Targa 44, with the normal kit, Garmin plotter, radar, etc.
should I fit AIS? I am not a marina queen and I fully intend on using the boat at every opportunity.

do I need AIS?
do you have it?
is it of use?

 

[[2574]]

No. you don’t necessarily need it.
Yes, I have it.
Yes, it is of use.

 

[Poecheng]

We were called up by name on the radio three times on our recent trip to Belgium and NL - not doing anything wrong!!
One ship making manoeuvring arrangements with us in close quarters (he was going to do something unexpected and so asked us to go ahead of him) and 2 x traffic control centres who (a) wanted to make contact to check our plans [ie politely checking we know what we are doing and are alert] and (b) once to ask us to wait passing Zeebrugge whilst something unusual was happening.
Wouldn't be without it. Hearing your name being called with clarity on the radio is a whole lot different than usual transmissions.

When crossing shipping lanes, seeing the direction of travel and layout of the traffic (often out of view) allows you to plan what to do. You generally see it on AIS long before your eyes.

 

[julians]

We were called up by name on the radio three times on our recent trip to Belgium and NL - not doing anything wrong!!
One ship making manoeuvring arrangements with us in close quarters (he was going to do something unexpected and so asked us to go ahead of him) and 2 x traffic control centres who (a) wanted to make contact to check our plans [ie politely checking we know what we are doing and are alert] and (b) once to ask us to wait passing Zeebrugge whilst something unusual was happening.
Wouldn't be without it. Hearing your name being called with clarity on the radio is a whole lot different than usual transmissions.

When crossing shipping lanes, seeing the direction of travel and layout of the traffic (often out of view) allows you to plan what to do. You generally see it on AIS long before your eyes.

The first examples are all of DSC - arent they? not AIS specifically.... although by having AIS transmit they were able to DSC call you .

I guess the question could be expanded to, should you have AIS receive capability or transmit and receive?

I dunno - I have receive capability and the data is displayed on the plotter - its kind of interesting to see it, but I dont really have a use for it.

 

[Poecheng]

The first examples are all of DSC - arent they? not AIS specifically.... although by having AIS transmit they were able to DSC call you .

I guess the question could be expanded to, should you have AIS receive capability or transmit and receive?

I dunno - I have receive capability and the data is displayed on the plotter - its kind of interesting to see it, but I dont really have a use for it.

No, they called us on ordinary marine frequency, not DSC and our AIS doesn't (I think) transmit our DSC details.
They only knew our name from AIS and, in relation to the traffic control centres, possibly only know we were there at all from the AIS.

Receive is nice when crossing busy places with big ships as we do. It helps you
Transmit is very nice indeed for a whole host of reasons, some outlined above - it helps others as well as you.

 

[PCUK]

Not needed, just another toy to impress guests with.

 

[dunedin]

Not needed, just another toy to impress guests with.

AIS receiver is certainly not just a toy, and your guests must be easily impressed.

Crossing a busy shipping lane it is helpful to have knowledge of ships which may not yet be visible, and certainly not close enough to ascertain whether will be able to cross or not. Perhaps less relevant (in good visibility) on a boat doing 20+ knots than on a sailing boat doing 5-7 knots, but still useful.
And if get fog when crossing a busy sea lane it is brilliant. Yes radar is very helpful, but with multiple ships going in each direction an AIS overlay on the radar helps make things much clearer, particularly when switch on relative motion vectors.

So I would say AIS receiver is a no brainier these days (nobody ever regrets fitting this), the only question is receive only or transmit as well.

 

[Poecheng]

Just to add if not clear already, it is one thing seeing ships but it is often very hard at a distance to see their orientation/relative direction of travel correctly or with certainty. It is also difficult to detect their slight changes of direction and/or speed to allow the interaction with you to 'work' nicely. On my old C90W, it shows you where they are pointing and that itself is v.important before checking any other details, if needed.

 

[PaulRainbow]

No, they called us on ordinary marine frequency, not DSC and our AIS doesn't (I think) transmit our DSC details.
They only knew our name from AIS and, in relation to the traffic control centres, possibly only know we were there at all from the AIS.

Receive is nice when crossing busy places with big ships as we do. It helps you
Transmit is very nice indeed for a whole host of reasons, some outlined above - it helps others as well as you.

AIS does transmit your MMSI and call sign.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Just to add if not clear already, it is one thing seeing ships but it is often very hard at a distance to see their orientation/relative direction of travel correctly or with certainty. It is also difficult to detect their slight changes of direction and/or speed to allow the interaction with you to 'work' nicely. On my old C90W, it shows you where they are pointing and that itself is v.important before checking any other details, if needed.

Absolutely agree with you.

My VHF and plotter are both Garmin, so as an added bous i can call an AIS target with a press of a button.

 

[Poecheng]

AIS does transmit your MMSI and call sign.

THanks Paul,
Just checked the phone apps and they both show my MMSI number but not the call sign. I can see other boats I know and it shows both on the apps.
Mine is a Raymarine 650 transceiver installed at birth in 2010. I don't know whether I can get into it so it transmits greater detail?

 

[hullabaloo]

Not needed, just another toy to impress guests with.

Well, that's that sorted, I'll get one. haha.

 

[PaulRainbow]

THanks Paul,
Just checked the phone apps and they both show my MMSI number but not the call sign. I can see other boats I know and it shows both on the apps.
Mine is a Raymarine 650 transceiver installed at birth in 2010. I don't know whether I can get into it so it transmits greater detail?

Sounds like someone didn't enter the call sign. Easy to do, just download the software from here: AIS650 Software Download | Raymarine

 

[Poecheng]

Sounds like someone didn't enter the call sign. Easy to do, just download the software from here: AIS650 Software Download | Raymarine

Great, thanks Paul

 

[ashtead]

The great thing of AIS is to check on speed of other vessel and closet point of contact . Also it’s worth being able to send -it’s quite surprising nowadays when you close with another vessel which doesn’t appear particularly when they emerge from the mist unless it’s a French fisherman or I guess border patrol vessels. Not certain it’s a lot in use in Solent but crossing channel I would not be without it. Hardly ever turn on radar though

 

[dunedin]

The great thing of AIS is to check on speed of other vessel and closet point of contact . Also it’s worth being able to send -it’s quite surprising nowadays when you close with another vessel which doesn’t appear particularly when they emerge from the mist unless it’s a French fisherman or I guess border patrol vessels. Not certain it’s a lot in use in Solent but crossing channel I would not be without it. Hardly ever turn on radar though

Hopefully your AIS shows the CPA - closest point of approach. If it’s Contact then it’s not really helping!
But yes seeing CPA is very helpful, as TCPA to know when that is likely to be (if some time away, helps to know when to recheck). And the relative motion vectors show whether the CPA is a crossing ahead or behind.

PS. Worth remembering a CPA of 100m could indeed be a CP Contact on a ship over 100m long, unless know where the broadcast beacon point is. And should be working in units of NM not m with such big things.

 

[Sandy]

do I need AIS?
do you have it?
is it of use?

No.

Yes

Yes

A little context. AIS is useful if you want a bit more detail about what is happening around you. If you can't see a big ship you really, really need to go to SpecSavers.

While in a narrow channel in the Thames Estuary I was able to see that the extremely large container ship, One Manhattan, that had emerged in the grey dawn behind us was putting in a 2° turn to overtake us was comforting. I was setting up to overtake a ship moving at 1 knot off Great Yarmouth checked her position and her stern light had changed to a green and red on AIS I could see that she had done a 180° turn while waiting on the tide. Off A Coruña in thick fog I came on watch at 0600 hrs to see the off going crew glued to the RADAR screen, 'There is a contact out there, but I am puzzled as it is just moving'. No AIS on that boat, but we were close to the coast and I had a phone signal - vessel underway but not making way - she was sat on the tide waiting for the fog to lift - one more bit of information that helped me in shaping a course.

I like the idea that if you ever need to put a maday out th CG can see your track as it gives them a lot more information. I hope that they also see your history as that will give them a huge amount of information.

Family and friends can see you on sites like Marine Traffic and know where you are. Pals at the club/pub can see if you are going to get back for last orders.

 

[bluetooth]

Not needed, just another toy to impress guests with.

Whilst that is true, it also still impresses me on what and who is about and where they are going. Agree with others having transmit option means there's improved safety. Would I have bought it before using it then NO, but I acquired it with boat purchase so the answer now would be a YES.

 

[bluetooth]

AIS does transmit your MMSI and call sign.

And your speed, so be careful in the harbours with speed limits .
The only issue with this is that AIS logs your COG and not just speed through water
I've not been called out on this but in poole it has been close at times to make the bridge lift sequence start!

 

[MikeB.]

Using Southampton Water frequently and not wishing to be 'ignored' by a Ferry I fitted AIS on my boat after reading this MAIB report

https://assets.publishing.service.g...e11d2af/2019_-_4_-_Red_Falcon_and_Phoenix.pdf

An AIS transceiver would have enabled the display of Phoenix as an AIS target on Red Falcon’s ECS, which was readily visible to the ferry’s chief officer, and the display of Red Falcon as an AIS target on board Phoenix.