AIS Transmitter, who took this picture of my boat? why does it say I'm in Holland?!

[timmygobang]

Well I stayed on the boat last night and it didn't involve me taking a plane...

I guess I'll have to speak to the AIS manufacturer

Would still like to know who takes the pictures and puts them on tinternet

 

[John_Silver]

A chap I met in St Cast took Stargazer's pic and posted it http://www.marinetraffic.com/photos/of/ships/photo_keywords:235075976. He lives on Jersey and said he'd tracked us sailing down from Poole to end up berthing right beside him. So he took my lines, asked if it was OK to take a pic and put it on line. I uploaded a couple of my own photos too - including the flying dolphin. For some reason I can't log back into the new look website to upload any more. Mysteries of science!

 

[Cardo]

There doesn't appear to be a way of adding a boat to the database, or does it rely on receiving a transmission first?

It adds boats as it receives them through AIS or other transmissions, as I understand it. People can then also add further information themselves, if they so wish.

It's actually very simple to spoof data on the site. This situation could also be a mistake. You can upload "AIS" data by using the app on your phone. You put in your details and that then updates MarineTraffic. Maybe someone has put in the incorrect MMSI on their phone?

As the coverage is somewhat patchy around the Med, we have set up our own "base" on our boat. When we're on the move, we act as a base and send our own AIS data to MarineTraffic via the interwebs. This would be extremely easy to spoof, if we wished.

 

[DJE]

But surely they have only fooled one internet site. Nobody with their own AIS reciever would be affected by that scam.

 

[Bru]

But surely they have only fooled one internet site. Nobody with their own AIS reciever would be affected by that scam.

Correct.

They are simply spoofing the data feed from a mobile phone running the MarineTraffic app. The spoofed information will show up on the MarineTraffic website and app (and those of other AIS tracking sites that share data with Marine Traffic which is most of them) but it will NOT show up on a proper AIS receiver

To spoof vessels and AtoNs on real time AIS would require a modified VHF transmitter within a reasonable distance of the spoofed location and that physical presence would leave the perpetrators very vulnerable to be traced and arrested

AIS doesn't have much in the way of protection from spoofing because, I suspect, it wasn't considered a significant risk (and it is hard to see what anybody would gain by spoofing AIS transmissions on VHF channels 87 and 88)

 

[colvic987]

easy solution, turn your ais transmitter off

 

[sailorman]

easy solution, turn your ais transmitter off

Best idea yet then buy a boat with 2 wheels, its the nxt "In thing"

 

[dslittle]

Very nice picture but was a bit surprised, who takes these photos out of interest?
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/235102024

more worryingly, why does it say I'm somewhere I'm not! (I've never been there, and AIS wasn't installed by the previous owner) :ambivalence:
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ai...61/zoom:8/oldmmsi:235102024/olddate:lastknown

That's funny as I also appear to have a clone floating around in the North Sea. Never bothered to look into it any further but interesting that it is not just me!!!

 

[J Neeves]

Best idea yet then buy a boat with 2 wheels, its the nxt "In thing"

We know people in the UK are clever but do you have floating bicycles as well?

Jonathan

 

[sailorman]

We know people in the UK are clever but do you have floating bicycles as well?

Jonathan

READ steering wheels, preferably carbon ones

 

[JomsViking]

Correct.

They are simply spoofing the data feed from a mobile phone running the MarineTraffic app. The spoofed information will show up on the MarineTraffic website and app (and those of other AIS tracking sites that share data with Marine Traffic which is most of them) but it will NOT show up on a proper AIS receiver

To spoof vessels and AtoNs on real time AIS would require a modified VHF transmitter within a reasonable distance of the spoofed location and that physical presence would leave the perpetrators very vulnerable to be traced and arrested

AIS doesn't have much in the way of protection from spoofing because, I suspect, it wasn't considered a significant risk (and it is hard to see what anybody would gain by spoofing AIS transmissions on VHF channels 87 and 88)

What do hacktivists or even worse *********s gain? For very Little you could do a lot with a Software Defined Radio £30 and as the data is sent in short bursts, it's no that easy to triangulate:

 

[Bru]

What do hacktivists or even worse *********s gain? ]

Good question. I don't get it myself. Presumably it's a symptom of the same sick sense of "humour " that makes some idiots think that making hoax 999 calls is funny etc

(I am beginning to wonder, however, if there is an issue with Marine Traffic giving rise to spurious last position reports as the erroneous last position is at odds with the past position and past itinerary lists)

 

[onesea]

Good question. I don't get it myself. Presumably it's a symptom of the same sick sense of "humour " that makes some idiots think that making hoax 999 calls is funny etc

(I am beginning to wonder, however, if there is an issue with Marine Traffic giving rise to spurious last position reports as the erroneous last position is at odds with the past position and past itinerary lists)

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/hunt-for-pirates-after/1149466.html

Depends what there goals are.....

Given the technology and a little bit of knowledge you could cause allot of problems without even boarding a ship..

 

[timmygobang]

easy solution, turn your ais transmitter off

Kind of defeats the object of getting one if I did that..