AIS - superb a must have

[PaulR]

just got back from a week cruising and our first cross channel trips with AIS (nasa set ) - wow - what a difference - on trip out poor vis but with AIS we could pick up info from ships (ok only those that are transmitting) and monitor how close we would be from 8 miles out - zooming in on the display so that those that looked like they might be closer could be watched really closely - ended up calling one ship on way over when from 3 miles away looked like it might be too close and he confirmed immediately that he had us on radar and was going to pass ahead of us - which he duly did without us ever seeing him - on way back across again patches of bad vis and same technique -one ship even kindly confirmed from our position and his radar that no other radar contacts within any reasonable range of us - for us a huge difference to previous poor vis experiences and whilst would still prefer superb vis the use of AIS massively reduced the anxiety of being out there with bad vis- for us a must have and only wish I had bought it sooner

 

[Hoolie]

Absolutely. We've crossed in poor vis and at one time the AIS could see fourteen ships, nine of which were confirmed by radar. I was on the helm and never saw more than two, usually none at all!

 

[multihullsailor6]

Can only concur with that.
Crossed last year from Dieppe to Newhaven, grey summer weather (last year's summer!!) with a sometimes temperamental W - SW 3-4. My AIS at one stage indicated a CPA of 400m in front of a ship, so I called them up to be told by a cheery voice "Will give you a wide berth" and, upon thanking him, a "no problem, my pleasure".
Roger

 

[Leighb]

Agree entirely, even better when combined with radar, you have the AIS symbols on the radar screen so you can identify which radar targets are big ships - whose behaviour is probably predictable - and which are smaller which might do anything.

Coming back from Flushing we saw a definite rogue no AIS signal, going SW in the NE lane and could see 2 ships avoid it, as did we. Fishing boat? Another yacht? Who knows, BUT with AIS alone we would not have known it was there.

 

[Emjaytoo]

Just got back from a trip down the Dutch/Belgian coast from Vlissingen to Oostende, Thick fog all the way from just north of Zeebrugge to Oostende and the same on the return.

Would AIS have helped. Probaly not as we kept well inshore - mostly 5m - 10m deep. Crossing Zebbrugge Harbour entrance in 200m visibility was not enjoyable. When Port Control told us we were clear to cross, we put our lives in their hands!

Still, all adds to the experience bank.

 

[Koeketiene]

I'm sure AIS is nice to have on board - to classify it as a must have is a bit OTT (IMHO).
No toy will keep you safe. I've more than one 'foggy' channel crossing under my belt - and I've found there are only 2 'must haves':
- a nifty but of anti-collision software I keep between my ears.
- common sense.

Whenever I find myself in fog I think of Cpl Jones: Don't panic, Captain Mainwaring!
Always remember - Columbus discovered America, and he didn't even have sextant. There are very few 'must haves'.

 

[Leighb]

[ QUOTE ]

Always remember - Columbus discovered America, and he didn't even have sextant.

[/ QUOTE ]

But it wasn't what he was looking for /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[duncanmack]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Always remember - Columbus discovered America, and he didn't even have sextant.

[/ QUOTE ]

But it wasn't what he was looking for /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

But he did have a chart. Allegedly. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[wotayottie]

If ships officers start getting radio calls from every yacht within 3 mile radius who think they might get near, its likely to cause more accidents than enough. Or maybe they will put a false MMSI on the AIS signal.

The AIS might well be very useful but the calling up on the VHF? Why?

 

[snooks]

We came back from Alderney and had 9 hours of fog, the forecast said "fog patches" our patch was 45 miles wide!

The AIS does give you an idea of what's out there, but it doesn't allay the helplessness when you know a fast cat is approaching at 35knts and you don't know whether they have seen you.

The relief you get when you see they have changed course is immeasurable tho.

However if we didn't have AIS, we wouldn't have known we were on a collision course. But to know there was nothing (transmitting AIS data) heading for us was great, it just meant we had to worry about the "smaller" boats that weren't! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

AIS is good, but I can't wait until I've installed radar /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[tom52]

Radar is not nearly as user friendly as AIS and requires someone, who knows what they are looking at, gazing full time at the screen and doing plots.
Worse still if you have radar and don't use, it or don't use it properly any collision will be your fault !

 

[BlueSkyNick]

But radar does pick up targets which don't transmit AIS signals like smaller vessels, navy ships, lumps of land etc.

It is not a one-or-the-other option - both are tools with different purposes, IMO.

 

[snooks]

[ QUOTE ]
Radar is not nearly as user friendly as AIS and requires someone, who knows what they are looking at, gazing full time at the screen and doing plots.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe 10 years ago, you'd have been right, Radar wasn't user friendly agreed. But with today's integrated chartplotter, it's simple to see there's a blob on the screen that isn't on the chart. A couple of clicks to put out the EBL on the target, job done!
Or a couple of presses and you can turn the blob into a MARPA target, so simple even I can do it /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

AIS requires someone looking at it as well /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Worse still if you have radar and don't use, it or don't use it properly any collision will be your fault !

[/ QUOTE ]

So if you don't have a radar any collision won't be your fault?? Interesting /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

If you have a radar and you are in restricted vis you should be using it, failure to use it would be very silly.

The reason for using radar is to avoid a collision.

If you still have a collision, and have complied by the col regs i.e. :
[ QUOTE ]
A vessel which detects by radar alone the presence of another vessel shall determine if a close quarters situation is developing and/or risk of collision exists. If so, she shall take avoiding action in ample time, provided that when such action consists of an alteration of course, so far as possible the following shall be avoided:
(i) an alteration of course to port for a vessel forward of the
beam, other than for a vessel being overtaken;
(ii) an alteration of course towards a vessel abeam or abaft
the beam.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then any collision shouldn't be your fault

AIS is cheaper and easier to use but it only shows the vessels that are transmitting AIS data because they are required to (over 300grt) and those leisure users that transmit by choice. Fishing boats, grey funnel line, other yachts, buoys, rocks/land don't all transmit AIS info, but you can pick them up on radar. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Both have their place on a yacht, but to not have a radar because "if you have radar and don't use, it or don't use it properly any collision will be your fault!" is the wrong way to look at it IMHO /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif