AIS Transponder or EchoMax XS ?

[bbg]

prv - FWIW, those are my thoughts.
I have bought an AIS system because I have to according to my class rules. I'm not allowed to race without a transponder, and if I am forced to spend that money, then it is worth paying a bit more to have a screen as well. I wouldn't have bought the system unless I was forced to.
I have bought the SeaMe, however, because I think it is an important safety item. A lot of minis have carried RTEs for years, even though they are not required. Transponders have been permitted for a couple of years, but I'm not aware of anyone who has fitted one until they became mandatory, this year.
Having both will be nice, but if I had to choose between one or the other, it would be the RTE.

 

[Georgio]

prv - FWIW, those are my thoughts.
I have bought an AIS system because I have to according to my class rules. I'm not allowed to race without a transponder, and if I am forced to spend that money, then it is worth paying a bit more to have a screen as well. I wouldn't have bought the system unless I was forced to.
...

Likewise, purchased to comply with ISAF Cat1 racing regs, if not a requirement I would have just bought a receiver rather than a transponder. Personally, I think the RTE is a "no-brainer".

 

[pvb]

Seems that I'm not alone in not sharing Haydude's faith in AIS.

 

[Conachair]

Seems that I'm not alone in not sharing Haydude's faith in AIS.

Well, thing is, there are so few collisions offshore that the is no data to point towards anything for sure. It's all personal choice, you have no way of knowing.
There are so many yachts with recievers now that there may be an argument for having a transciever so another yacht doesn't sneak up and thump you on a dark night, assuming the other has ais alarm turned on of course, but there is more chance of that than radar. Probably.
Big ships are few and far between ( 1 a week last passage ) and the few that do appear all seem to transmit (in my experience anyway) so a reciever will see them long before they get close.
Yachts are even less common, but if a tranciever makes you feel better then why not.

One questipn - with a transciever do you pick up yourself? Can you set an alarm?

 

[Blue Fox]

Big ships are few and far between ( 1 a week last passage ) and the few that do appear all seem to transmit (in my experience anyway) so a reciever will see them long before they get close.

Two years ago I crossed the North Atlantic. In mid-atlantic we met two ships without their AIS turned on! And certainly no tramps - relatively big ships. When we approached Portugal, every ship had AIS on though.

 

[Conachair]

Two years ago I crossed the North Atlantic. In mid-atlantic we met two ships without their AIS turned on! And certainly no tramps - relatively big ships. When we approached Portugal, every ship had AIS on though.

Crumbs!

I've only ever seen 2.

Would still miss my little reciever though.

 

[Blue Fox]

Crumbs!

I've only ever seen 2.

Would still miss my little reciever though.

In the mid we saw three in total - the third one had its AIS on, but came dangerously close. I called him on the VHF (and then it's so easy to know the name!) and he said sorry and obediently changed course.

 

[SHUG]

One questipn - with a transciever do you pick up yourself? Can you set an alarm?

No you don't pick it up yourself because it is not synchronised with your own radar signal and yes you can set an audible so that when a radar signal is detected it bleeps.
As has been said, AIS and a transciever are two different beasts but both can contribute to the avoidance of collisions.

 

[Conachair]

In the mid we saw three in total - the third one had its AIS on, but came dangerously close. I called him on the VHF (and then it's so easy to know the name!) and he said sorry and obediently changed course.

Just to add a little fuel - did you have an active radar reflecter? Or do you think he was looking at radar?

Longest leg last year was 32 days solo, with an engine i didn't trust so with power at a premium the radar wasn't always turned on - i wonder how many ships passed by which I was blissfully unaware of if they had ais turned off