AIS/GPS/PC advice sought for New Boat

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YAYoHamble

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As mentioned elsewhere, I'm upgrading to a new boat. The only outstanding issue is what electronics to fit. Previous boat was small and old and we got by without any problems with just the basics and a handheld GPS.

On the few times I've done the Cherbourg run, I've found the mid-channel shipping thoroughly unenjoyable. I've heard good things about the AIS receivers and would like to add one of these to the new system.

So, can I buy a GPS/plotter that'll take an AIS feed and display it? If so, which?

I'm also thinking it may just be simpler to feed the GPS and AIS outputs into a laptop and run chart software. Again, any suggested set ups?

Oh, and although new, it's another small boat so "compact" remains the order of the day.

Many thanks in advance.
 
Raymarine C or E series - C70 is quite a compact unit (and very good!)
They will take a NASA AIS engine to show AIS data.

You could use the info into a laptop (use SeaPro with a USB / Bluetooth GPS adapter (around £20) and a NASA AIS engine)
Although I wouldn't rely on a laptop as a primary means of navigation (they aren't designed for a marine environment and can be tempremental at the best of times!)

Jonny
 
Hi, No doubt you will get lots of good advice from others who will be more techncally knowledgeable than I; but here is my starter. If space is at a premium, beware of laptop solutions - issues of obtrusive wiring and maintenance of power source can be a problem - plus compatability of the laptop with the marine environent. Having said that it can be done and can be a cheap option if you already use a laptop for other purposes.
If you have a AIS with screen as a stand-alone, hardwired to your GPS you will have a very useful ' radar-like' screen placing you in relation to the vessels around you. This configuration is the simplest and is quite effective.
If you have suitable a suitable chartplotter, you can hardwire the AIS engine (sans screen) to that, you will have the target vessels shown on your Plotter screen. This will cost the most costly of these options if you have to buy a plotter; but will be the tidiest solution in a restricted nav station.
Hope you find the configuration that suits your budget and your requirements.
 
Yep, that's what I'd go for. I'd forget the PC and go for an integrated plotter/AIS/depthsounder/wind readings/(radar later?) display like those from Raymarine. Reason, if you put the display in the cockpit, you'll have no clutter on the chart table, a device which is designed for the marine environment and you'll have all the info you need at your finger tips.

We're lucky we've got a bit more space and have dual controls and a PC but, in reality, spend most of our time gawping at the screen in the cockpit. Once you have one, you'll wonder how you ever did without one....
 
I might put the other viewpoint, as I see it. Two years ago I bought the NASA AIS 'radar'; it was very reassuring, on Channel crossings, especially side-by-side with real radar. But the data given does not tell you if you're in a possible colloision situation. For that, I needed to write an Excel program, on which to enter his position, course and speed, and mine, and it would tell me the CPA and TCPA. But that needed a laptop, or PDA to run the Excel program!
I now have charts on the laptop, with the NASA AIS Engine and GPS connected, and it works a treat, does the calcs for me. And with a laptop, I can do the chart planning etc at home; as well as use the laptop (while on more extended cruises) for such things as e-mail, accounts, sorting digital photos, watching DVDs and so forth.

Just my point of view, anyway. I'm lucky in having a wheelhouse so the laptop and instruments are never exposed to spray or rain.
 
software from www.shipplotter.com will do that out of the box and will provide audible warning as well for any vessel passing within a certain range within a certain time (both reconfigurable) Furthermore you can display it on a chart or (my preference) a satellite image.
 
[ QUOTE ]
On the few times I've done the Cherbourg run, I've found the mid-channel shipping thoroughly unenjoyable. I've heard good things about the AIS receivers and would like to add one of these to the new system.

[/ QUOTE ]

[WARNING!]

AIS is in no way a replacement for Radar. It is intended to be used <u>alongside</u> it.

AIS is only useful in identifying ships and where they are going. See other threads about ships not having their AIS Transcievers turned on.

[/WARNING]

But I'm sure you knew all that anyway /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
As always lots of conflicting advice. Here is my version - which is also used by a number of other senior forumites:

Small plotter available at helm position for confirmation of navigation.

laptop on chart table with GPS input from a second GPS for redundancy - I use a Garmin 76 and also feed the DSC from same GPS feed.

split the GPS feed inside the laptop using http://franson.com/gpsgate/ so that two programmes can use the same GPS feed simultaneously.

Feed a plotter programme with your chosen charts (I use Maxsea and C-Map)

Feed in an AIS output from NASA engine. use AIS software from http://www.coaa.co.uk/shipplotter.htm with calibrated satelllite images (or additional charts if you prefer).

AIS operates as second programme on laptop but will work out CPA of all shipping on AIS and then see if it comes within a * distance within ** minutes (both configurable) if it does, then the AIS will create an audible warning and flash n alert message as the top window on the screen. Works really well as you soon get to trust it and can concentrate more on the visual lookout.

both GPS and AIS will be serial leads (yes Garmin 76 can be supplied with USB, but you then cant connect in the DSC radio). I recommend the US232R GOLD serial to USB connectors from http://www.easysync.co.uk/ as they have an led to show data flow!

Hope that helps, and if you need more, dont hesitate to ask.
 
I second that, AIS says vessel is off the roughs eyeball says it just tied up in Felixstowe dock - no AIS is not a radar substitue, its better than nothing but only in good vis.
 
The problem with a Laptop for Nav is that it generally isn't daylight viewable or waterproof - so it sits down at the chart table.... On the other hand, Nav is generally straight forward, so it isn't difficult to pop down "now and again" to check where you are - and where you should be!
Now add in AIS - the usefullness of AIS (and Radar) is that you can see where the other buggers are..... ok - brilliant - but do you want to be running down to the chart table every 5 seconds to see what else is out there?
Nope - nor do I .... ok - but the advantage of modern laptops is that you can mirror the display (2 different monitors - same information on it)..... now - with a cheapo laptop and some free nav software you just need a display to put in the cockpit....

Now - try to find a suitable monitor for the cockpit - it needs to be waterresistant and daylight viewable ... if you find a cheap small screen let me know!
 
The AIS nay sayers really get on my t*ts. It is a great piece of kit - especially in restricted visibility - especially for Channel crossings where there are busy shipping lanes and especially for small boats that don't carry "real" radar.

That said, you don't want to be there in fog and you must understand the limitations of AIS (and who doesn't have to carry it), but having used it in only moderate visibility we knew which bearing to look for large ships before we could pick them up visually and therefore saw them earlier.

Make sure you have the best radar reflector which is reasonable for your size of boat.

Our new boat has "real" radar and no AIS at present onto a Raymarine C70 - I will be fitting AIS as soon as I have worked out which AIS engine. Raymarine plotter looks good but is a lot of money if your not getting the Plotter/GPS/radar bundle.

You could look at Standard Horizon for a reasonable price plotter with AIS capability (or Garmin's new ones which have the Bluechart preloaded)
 
Thanks for the comments. Will be looking at the cheaper options; Garmin and Standard Horizons. I hadn't realised these would take AIS inputs.

Probable scenario now looking like:

- Small plotter (Garmin) with AIS feed mounted on deck
- laptop (actually, UMPC) below with just handheld GPS feeding.

On the comments that AIS <> RADAR, in my case anything is just an extra aid to the Mk1 eyeball. I've never used radar and don't have room for it now.

Besides, all I need it for is the once or twice a year I go to France and cross the shipping in the middle. Anything that makes it even slightly easier to tell what is what and which way it's going is going to reduce my stress levels a bit!
 
Sorry to disagree but I would never recommend a laptop or PC based solution for navigation. Fine for passage planning etc, but ours stays in a locker under way and we use dedicated radar/AIS/plotters which are sunlight viewable and designed to take the rough and tumble
 
@tome - I agree. Hence dedicated Garmin on deck.

At the nav desk below, it'll remain a predominantly paper exercise but as I use a PC for passage planning, it's nice to keep it up and running in parallel.

I end up with a fair degree of redundancy. GPS/plotter on deck. Handheld GPS below with PC following course. Log book & charts as the nightmare-all-electronics-fail backup.
 
A Luddite speaks.

I've done more channel crossings than I can remember, most of them before sensible yacht radar was around, and certainly before AIS (and I'm still here to tell the stories). As long as you don't sail with dodgy viz in the forecast, the eyeball combined with a handbearing compass (or a compass bino) works perfectly well for identifying ships, and deciding which ones are likely to be a problem, day and night. But I expect all you gizmologists to ignore this point of view.

Even with radar and AIS I wouldn't be keen to cross in poor viz, coz the electrics might go pop, the interfaces might stop interfacing or the software might throw a hissie fit, and then you're up to your knees in problems.
 
Aha! A member of the flat earth society at last

Most fellow flat-earthers wouldn't be keen to cross in poor viz either, but if you've done that many crossings you'll have been caught out at least a few times (as I have). Very nice to have radar & AIS when it happens next
 
Thats the trouble with a boat thats always leaning over. You cant keep anything in place without screwing it down. - you should try a proper boat with 2 hulls /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
used by a number of other senior forumites:



[/ QUOTE ]

Interesting. Who's a Senior forumite, and who is junior like me? And is it Senior as in age, or experience or post count?

How do I get promotion?
 
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