Automatic Identification System (AIS) Marine Traffic

[coopec]

I don't know how many are familiar with this site? It's a lot of fun but a real time waster.

http://portofhoodriver.com/marina/live-marine-traffic-map/

I used to track oil rigs, supply vessels, tugs, anchor handling tugs in the Gulf of Thailand. The following link will default to the West coast of the US of A but you can drag the map to any part of the globe you wish. Just a tip. If you have to drag the map across the Atlantic Ocean minimize the scale of the map (zoom out) and then drag

There is a filter on the LHS where you can nominate the type of vessels you are interested in (e.g. cruise liner, tug, fishing boat etc.) and that's all that will be displayed on the map. You can do a search on a particular vessel and get the last reported position of that vessel or you can find out what vessels are in a particular port and what vessels they are expecting. (there are many more options as well)

Clive

 

[prv]

I don't know how many are familiar with this site?

Errm, everyone?

Pete

 

[RichardS]

Errm, everyone?

Pete

Possibly easier to just go to http://www.marinetraffic.com (as usual)

Richard

 

[BrianH]

Possibly easier to just go to http://www.marinetraffic.com (as usual)

Richard

Whilst I invariably use Marinetraffic as it offers much more functionality with the possibility to overlay wind and station data (my local receiver is more often out of service than in, which explains my vessel's intermittent appearance on the map), I must admit that Vesselfinder has a more consistent reporting performance. When a friend departed our marina last year I could track his course to the Canaries all the way to Gibraltar and even most of the Atlantic section as well - far more consistently than Marinetraffic. Of course, that was there and then, it may not always be so.

 

[vas]

Possibly easier to just go to http://www.marinetraffic.com (as usual)

Richard

+1

my office overlooks the port, so I spent a few minutes everyday checking who's coming in and who's leaving. Handy to know which cruiseship in in the harbour as well (one every fortnight approximately) .
Acceptable as traffic is usually 2-4 boats a day (apart from the three liners going back and forth to the nearby islands), but if on a busy port it can be very counterproductive!

V.

 

[johnalison]

I signed in to marinetraffic in order to upload a photo of a friend's boat and I now have a "fleet". If I get 400 photos accepted and enough ratings I get a free upgrade. Whoopee.

 

[Amulet]

I signed in to marinetraffic in order to upload a photo of a friend's boat and I now have a "fleet". If I get 400 photos accepted and enough ratings I get a free upgrade. Whoopee.

Do you not have to pay a subscription to have a fleet?

 

[johnalison]

Do you not have to pay a subscription to have a fleet?

No, I'm far too tight-fisted for that.

 

[Foolish Muse]

One of the cool things I noted about AIS is that the emitter does not necessarily need to be at the place where the signal shows up on your screen. This is useful for navigational buoys. For example if a small buoy is located in the water, the coast guard can mount an emitter on the shore. The emitter sends out a signal that, on your screen, appears to originate from the buoy. In this way the coast guard could set up one emitter that covers many nearby buoys. Makes it easy for maintenance. Also good for changes to a signal where there is not even a buoy: "sunken vessel" etc. I wonder if they could even use it for mayday situations?

 

[johnalison]

One of the cool things I noted about AIS is that the emitter does not necessarily need to be at the place where the signal shows up on your screen. This is useful for navigational buoys. For example if a small buoy is located in the water, the coast guard can mount an emitter on the shore. The emitter sends out a signal that, on your screen, appears to originate from the buoy. In this way the coast guard could set up one emitter that covers many nearby buoys. Makes it easy for maintenance. Also good for changes to a signal where there is not even a buoy: "sunken vessel" etc. I wonder if they could even use it for mayday situations?

But not so good for someone trying to avoid the buoy in the fog perhaps?

 

[thalassa]

Whilst I invariably use Marinetraffic as it offers much more functionality with the possibility to overlay wind and station data (my local receiver is more often out of service than in, which explains my vessel's intermittent appearance on the map), I must admit that Vesselfinder has a more consistent reporting performance. When a friend departed our marina last year I could track his course to the Canaries all the way to Gibraltar and even most of the Atlantic section as well - far more consistently than Marinetraffic. Of course, that was there and then, it may not always be so.

+1

 

[reginaldon]

Not new to me, however it is a useful thread.

 

[RichardS]

One of the cool things I noted about AIS is that the emitter does not necessarily need to be at the place where the signal shows up on your screen. This is useful for navigational buoys. For example if a small buoy is located in the water, the coast guard can mount an emitter on the shore. The emitter sends out a signal that, on your screen, appears to originate from the buoy. In this way the coast guard could set up one emitter that covers many nearby buoys. Makes it easy for maintenance. Also good for changes to a signal where there is not even a buoy: "sunken vessel" etc. I wonder if they could even use it for mayday situations?

AtoNs and Virtual AtoNs if I recall the names correctly. MOB Mayday situations can already appear on AIS displays if the MOB has an AIS emergency beacon.

With VAtoNs I find it a strange to see an danger mark/buoy on the screen but can't see anything there in real life so you end up steering carefully around a thing that is not there....

Richard

 

[coopec]

More proof to me that yachting in the UK is totally different to that in Australia.

Looking through the comments I note you use it for navigation in fogs but I wonder how useful it is when it is only updated every 5/6(?) minutes? Fogs are a rarity in most of Australia anyway.

We have a few very busy ports (by world standards) in Western Australia but they are 1200nm away. Ships leaving Fremantle for (say) Asian ports pass by Lancelin but they must be well out to sea as I rarely see any shipping from the upper storey of my house (On a good day I can see an island 45km away)

I get the impression from your comments that transponders are commonplace on your yachts but I'm sure they would be very much less commonplace in Australia (maybe I'm out-of-touch). Apart from checking the progress of a friend's yacht I can't see much use for one in Australia.

After viewing the shipping movements around the Port of Singapore (from a cruise liner) I've decided it is no place for a cruising yacht and I don't think I will be in a hurry to sail to the UK!

Clive

 

[BrianH]

More proof to me that yachting in the UK is totally different to that in Australia.

Looking through the comments I note you use it for navigation in fogs but I wonder how useful it is when it is only updated every 5/6(?) minutes? Fogs are a rarity in most of Australia anyway.

We have a few very busy ports (by world standards) in Western Australia but they are 1200nm away. Ships leaving Fremantle for (say) Asian ports pass by Lancelin but they must be well out to sea as I rarely see any shipping from the upper storey of my house (On a good day I can see an island 45km away)

I get the impression from your comments that transponders are commonplace on your yachts but I'm sure they would be very much less commonplace in Australia (maybe I'm out-of-touch). Apart from checking the progress of a friend's yacht I can't see much use for one in Australia.

After viewing the shipping movements around the Port of Singapore (from a cruise liner) I've decided it is no place for a cruising yacht and I don't think I will be in a hurry to sail to the UK!

Clive

If you did sail in Singaporean waters you would be mandated to have an AIS transponder to do so, even as a leisure vessel. I have, but before that particular regulation. As you have witnessed the density of shipping you can understand why.

Having twice been almost run down by 30+ knot ferries in the Adriatic where I now sail, I am glad to have the extra safety feature.

 

[BrianH]

I get the impression from your comments that transponders are commonplace on your yachts but I'm sure they would be very much less commonplace in Australia (maybe I'm out-of-touch). Apart from checking the progress of a friend's yacht

Actually, I forgot to mention an advantage, some would say a trivial one in comparison to the prime anti-collision one, is for my worry-pot of a wife back home to monitor my single-handed cruising and to derive a little comfort that I appear to be still afloat!

On the other hand, I have a fellow-sailor, with whom I sometimes sail in company, where that would be a distinct disadvantage.

 

[coopec]

If you did sail in Singaporean waters you would be mandated to have an AIS transponder to do so, even as a leisure vessel. I have, but before that particular regulation. As you have witnessed the density of shipping you can understand why.

Having twice been almost run down by 30+ knot ferries in the Adriatic where I now sail, I am glad to have the extra safety feature.

When I was using AIS to track tugs, oil rigs and supply vessels in the Gulf of Thailand I figured they only used their transponders when close to port or alternatively they were out of range of the land based receiver station when further away. I figure there is a "black spot" where I am (120 km North of Perth) and that is the reason why ships don't appear on my computer screen. I am quite sure AIS Marine Traffic people would supply me the receiver free-of-charge on condition I left my computer running 24/7.

As far as being run down by 30+ kt ferries I would worry that if they can't see what is in front of them maybe they won't see you on their computer screen either. I think I'd rather put my faith in radar to avoid a collision. Maybe it would help avoid a collision at night but I hope ferries don't get around doing 30+m kts then!

It would be impossible to get coverage in a geographic area like Australia so I suppose that is why yachties don't seem to be interested. I thought Google was/has developed a system which did away with ground stations.

 

[RichardS]

Looking through the comments I note you use it for navigation in fogs but I wonder how useful it is when it is only updated every 5/6(?) minutes? Fogs are a rarity in most of Australia anyway.

Clive

Actually I don't think anyone on here is advocating the use of MarineTraffic or similar for navigating in fog ..... or indeed, in clear view. Occasionally, posters do ask whether in can be used for real navigation but the usual response is that internet-based AIS is not really fit for this purpose, even if one manages to pass the first hurdle which is getting and keeping a reliable internet connection whilst at sea.

However, it is an entertaining way to pass a few minutes.

Richard

 

[coopec]

Actually I don't think anyone on here is advocating the use of MarineTraffic or similar for navigating in fog ..... or indeed, in clear view. Occasionally, posters do ask whether in can be used for real navigation but the usual response is that internet-based AIS is not really fit for this purpose, even if one manages to pass the first hurdle which is getting and keeping a reliable internet connection whilst at sea.

However, it is an entertaining way to pass a few minutes.

Richard

Richard
Thanks for that as it confirms what I have always thought "it is an entertaining way to pass a few minutes."

Clive

 

[BrianH]

Richard
Thanks for that as it confirms what I have always thought "it is an entertaining way to pass a few minutes."

But at sea, with one's own dedicated receiver incorporated with the transponder, a very real aid to navigation is available. The screen of a plotter or other display, showing all targets within range with their individual CPA and TCPA to one's own boat, becomes far more than "entertainment".