AIS usage in the Bristol Channel

AIS Usage in the Bristol Channel (Lands End to St Davids Head).

  • Do you transmit AIS information?

    Votes: 6 21.4%

  • Do you receive AIS information only?

    Votes: 13 46.4%

  • Do you neither receive or transmit AIS information?

    Votes: 9 32.1%
  • Total voters
    28
  • Poll closed .
C

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I notice the RYA UK Coastal Atlas of Recreational Boating is currently being updated and they will use AIS data in addition to data obtained from RYA affiliated clubs to strengthening what data they already have available. It strikes me there are probably many more boats who's owners are not members of a club and don't transmit AIS (myself included). Should The Yacht Harbour Association and Harbour Authorities be more engaged with this data collection?

Anyway - here's the poll . . . .
 
We have a 'black box' AIS receiver which connects to a little laptop chartplotter. Little laptop chartplotter is only on occasionally though, so it's only there in case commercial shipping looks busy or vis ibility is bad. All other times it's off.
 
In our club, I believe, around 1% transmit AIS. Around 10-15% have, like me, receive only units. I think this is either around average or just below.
All of the people I know with AIS are also computer users, therefore the poll is probably not representative of the boating community in general.
My experience is that AIS is more useful away from the Bristol channel. In the channel ships are in predictable lanes which are easy to avoid.

Allan
 
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For those that have android phones the 'boatbeacon' app is pretty good. It transmits your position and shows other traffic etc. Good for family/friends to track your progress rather than as a 'real' AIS unit. You do need an MMSI number to set it up.
 
I have a recieve only unit and like Alan sail from CYC. I find it of great value to determine the direction and speed of some of the larger bulk carriers. That said they dont always keep a close watch i had a fairly close encounter with a large vessel last year and the AIS alarm was a useful prompt for me to take avoiding action.
 
single said:
For those that have android phones the 'boatbeacon' app is pretty good. It transmits your position and shows other traffic etc. Good for family/friends to track your progress rather than as a 'real' AIS unit. You do need an MMSI number to set it up.
Click to expand...

I realise you said about family and friends tracking you, BUT I just felt the need to clarify with any app you won't be visible to users of AIS equipment (commercial shipping etc.) only to other boat beacon users and the marine traffic websites.

Depends what you expect of the app really.
 
While I wouldn't be without AIS, there are a few things to remember.
When transmitting, the signal is received in two places. Our systems Tx on low power compared to commercial.
The most important Rx is by other vessels. Second is land / satellite based receivers, which provide the majority of data for Internet based apps.
Often in the channel When racing we can all see each other, but reporting on Internet is very patchy.

I have written to the RYA without Reply suggesting their data for the leisure use of the channel is useless.

K
 
The internet based systems rely on volunteers around the coast having receivers running. It is possible to see areas around the coast where there are no receivers. I think this makes them unreliable. However, they are, sometimes, interesting at home.
Offshore I use an Inreach unit to keep people up to date with my progress.
Allan
 
Allan said:
The internet based systems rely on volunteers around the coast having receivers running. It is possible to see areas around the coast where there are no receivers. I think this makes them unreliable. However, they are, sometimes, interesting at home.
Offshore I use an Inreach unit to keep people up to date with my progress.
Allan
Click to expand...

Do you mean "receivers" or "transmitters"
I cannot see why having ones receiver running will help - or do they then pass the info received to a main station for data collection & upload to the internet? Is that how the sites like Marine Traffic Online work?
 
I use an AIS receive only system and that shows just a couple of club boats transmitting, or to be accurate still transmitting when moored.

Dont like the idea of being monitored so I wouldnt transmit. What if I wanted to cross a seperation zone other than at right angles when it was safe to do so.

In fact for a while I sailed the boat without any name on it which allowed me to leave anchorages without paying. Note - anchorages which should be free in a free society, not marinas etc that have facilities and are someone's property. No SSR of course.

You have to fight back against the civil services dream of 1984. Thats one thing the travellers have got right.
 
For whatever reason when my boat was commissioned they overlooked putting the name and SSR number on the stern meaning that the boat was without any means of identification on the hull for the first month or so.

On leaving Yarmouth one morning we were chased by one of their dorys as the driver was concerned that we had used our anonymity to escape the harbour dues, heaven forbid.

Apologies for this being nothing to do with the Bristol Channel
 
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