smartphone ais apps dover to calais

[sailorjim]

Hi to all
I'm intending to take my Broads sailing cruiser to France in early September and was wondering whether smartphone AIS apps work all the way across the channel. Does anyone have any experience? And, by the way, does anyone have experience taking a low-freebord sailing cruiser across?

 

[Lucky Duck]

My phone used to pick up a French mobile phone network just off the South Foreland so provided you don't mind the 'roaming' data costs I suppose there is no reason why the app shouldn't work when crossing the channel but I wouldn't want to rely on it.

 

[sailorjim]

Thanks for the reply. I live in France so the roaming would be on the UK side. Of course, newfangled addons are just to help, not to be relied upon. I'll be relying on the coastguard more than AIS. Surely even bulk carriers have some respect for old wooden ladies...???

 

[Otter]

The smartphone app has a significant delay sometimes. We've observed ourselves on boatbeacon and sometimes it's spot on, other times not. I think all it would do is confuse you if you were using it. The channel is the easiest shipping route to cross, the ships are in narrow well defined corridors and their direction is very predictable. Sail across and pause before a 1 mile wide lane and always cross behind a ship, in my experience if you can distinguish their bow you're too close to go in front of them. Good luck, it's a nice day out.

 

[sailorjim]

Well, thanks for that reassuring reply. I will follow your advice to the letter!

 

[elton]

Thanks for the reply. I live in France so the roaming would be on the UK side. Of course, newfangled addons are just to help, not to be relied upon. I'll be relying on the coastguard more than AIS. Surely even bulk carriers have some respect for old wooden ladies...???

Bear in mind that the bulk carriers will not see old wooden ladies on their real AIS, unless the wooden old ladies also have proper AIS.

 

[Robin]

Our local receiving stations onshore for AIS have been off air all weekend, so what do all the 'Ipad/iphone will do just as well' folk do now? Not surprising perhaps that a local businesss will shut everything off when they close for the weekend.

 

[jerrytug]

Hello Jim, a smartphone app is not suitable for collision avoidance when crossing the channel. I beg you to forget apps, and get a copy of the IRPCS (free download) and a handbearing compass, and some 7x50 binoculars.
Every second you waste dicking about with fiddly gadgets, you are not keeping a lookout, a bad idea.
Cheers Jerry

 

[sailorjim]

Hello Jim, a smartphone app is not suitable for collision avoidance when crossing the channel. I beg you to forget apps, and get a copy of the IRPCS (free download) and a handbearing compass, and some 7x50 binoculars.
Every second you waste dicking about with fiddly gadgets, you are not keeping a lookout, a bad idea.
Cheers Jerry

Thanks for the advice Jerry, but I won't be alone. I also have a very nice pair of binoculars and good knowledge of IRPCS. AIS, if available mid-Channel, would just be another soruce of information. It could also be useful for calling up a specific ship on VHF.