AIS Pros & Cons?

[tiltrider1]

AIS data history is available online for 6 months. Depending on your privacy issues this can be a Con.

 

[Simi 60]

Has been a few spots we have been able to go through following AIS tracks of commercial vessels with local knowledge .

On a chart there is no way you'd think about it.

 

[Barking Sands]

I and thinking of adding an AIS transceiver or receiver. Being able to add that to your chart plotter and radar seems like a good idea.


Pros and cons anyone? Have you added AIS?

I just added a new Standard Horizon GX6000 with AIS receiver and N2K. I needed a new VHF anyways and adding the AIS didnt add too much. Seemed like the positives outweigh the negatives. Hookup to the Garmin via N2K was very easy. Only downside to the SH GX6000 is they explicitly require a separate AIS antenna. But that's easy enough. Have yet to "use" it but I think it should come in handy at times.

 

[fgarriso]

The best safety gear since radar. Get a transceiver so you can broadcast your position also. Don't leave the dock with out it.

 

[Simi 60]

The best safety gear since radar. Get a transceiver so you can broadcast your position also. Don't leave the dock with out it.

It's only really going to be the best safety gear since radar if EVERYONE has it and has it turned on.

Radar pretty much sees all.

 

[Flatswing]

All pros from my perspective, but too many people do not transmit or have not added or corrected their boat name.
There are phone based AIS apps that need cell towers to be effective. There are also phone/tablet apps like Aquamaps, that can receive N2K data from your AIS via Wi-Fi. These are accurate and very useful. I use them constantly.

 

[rslifkin]

It's only really going to be the best safety gear since radar if EVERYONE has it and has it turned on.

Radar pretty much sees all.

The best case is to have both. Radar sees all, but AIS sees past land that will block radar. And AIS can give you more information about those radar blobs too (like their name), making it easier to talk to them if needed.



Neither one replaces the other, but both can provide significant additional information beyond what your eyes can see out the windows, especially in bad weather.

 

[ranger58sb]

Ships do not run over me, I see with my eyes what is all around. I am long out of SAR but have not stopped scanning around, being aware.

We haven't been run over yet, either. A couple times in heavy fog -- couldn't see our bow -- we've had VHF discussions with ships to negotiate how to proceed, after ID via AIS.

We scan too, but couldn't see squat. Radar scans too, but doesn't tell us ships' names... isn't great at distinguishing which of several ships we were talking too over the course of the several conversations.

-Chris

 

[Gdavid]

I have AIS receive only and really appreciate it. It came with the boat when I purchased it and at some point I will upgrade to send and receive.

A couple weeks ago I went fishing on a beautiful evening and the best fishing bite was on the opposite side of the shipping channel from my home port. Coming home, in the dark, my course was intersecting with that of a tug towing a barge running parallel to the main channel at about twice my cruise speed, I knew that he would be changing his course at some point due to the depths ahead of him (or her) but could not anticipate exactly when or where. With AIS at hand, I knew the tugs name to call and communicate with him directly. As it turned out, he made his course chance just as I was about to call, his course change was only about 20 degrees so it would have been difficult for me to interpret visually or even via radar but it was clear as day on my plotter from his AIS transmission. I was never closer than 2 miles from the tug, so I wouldn't call this a close call but that is exactly the point, I don't want to be making close calls, it is unnecessary.

I have radar as well but it's functionality is limited by both my ability to tune and interpret it. I'm not advocating AIS in lieu of radar, my point is that it is more straightforward for a layman to use and interpret. 25 years ago, as a mate on a charter fishing and head boat fishing boats, I ran these same areas and crossed this same channel at least 3 nights a week, 6 pm to midnight was a standard trip. At the time, I grew quite capable of interpreting navigational lights and discerning bearings visually as well as radar, my skills are nowhere near as sharp today, I just don't spend the same amount of time on the water at night. It is a great tool.

 

[Hippocampus]

Agree with several of the above posters.
Should be mandatory. This would greatly increase utility if everyone above a certain size or displacement had a transceiver.

Facilitates communications. We monitor 13, 9 and 16 and have gotten calls from commercial asking us to speed up or move over. Even tell us when they going to cross our path docking so we should slow down. With a transceiver East River, NYC, Savanna, mouth of Chessie etc. become very low stress. Have found the transceiver has made the need for any VHF calls by me or others very infrequent. Mandatory transceivers would clear the majority of needed communication from 13, 9 and 16.

Turn off acoustic alarms. No need to turn off AIS. Allision is as bad as collision. A non issue solved by magnification which you would do anyways. Turn off your guard zones if you want. At times we turn them off for radar as well as AIS.

LE can’t be everywhere. I have no issue with moving violations tagged remotely in land vehicles. Given the high percentage of scofflaws in boats feel the same. Violations where passing or other maneuvers increase safety could easily be ascertained and not charged. Tired of sport fish and express cruisers at full plane in the C&D or AICW. Have watched sailboats and small craft overcome by green water repetitively. A safety issue in the spring and fall when dunked by cold water even if not down flooded. Have turned on the SeaKeeper on certain stretches of the ICW in North Carolina for comfort as this behavior is so common.

Spend much time in right whale and other whale territory. At times density of whale watchers is extreme. Seen collisions. Although minor still upsetting. Also high density stressful to the whales and offspring. Mandatory would allow dispatch of LEs to control situation. Not for enforcement. Folks have no common sense.

Wife uses MarineTraffic for social reasons. Worthless for nav given lag time other then seeing whats around 16+m out.

You are not that important. Security or untoward issues due to positioning are a remote possibility. May even work in your favor in court. Easy example you’re traveling at an appropriate legal speed legally in a channel and are T-boned by a high speed vessel. You’re documented to be unable to take evasive action as other vessel came out of an obscured direction to both line of sight and radar with no AIS transceiver. This situation is there along the Chesapeake and coast of Maine as well as elsewhere along the southern portions of the ICW.

Most accidents are due to operator error. Commonly due to lack of situational awareness. Anti AIS crowd can say what they want but there’s no question AIS improves situational awareness. And no question a transceiver improves situational awareness for both the operator of your vessel and those around you.

 

[man7sell]

Thank you all for your great inputs. I will purchase a transponder that goes with my Garmin system.


Now about the government paperwork needed, difficult?

 

[psneeld]

Hard to make AIS mandatory when anchors, VHFs and bilge pumps aren't.

More likely to get insurance companies to chime in and state level participation like Florida who gives a discount on boat registration if you have a PLB/EPIRB.

 

[Hippocampus]

Hard to make AIS mandatory when anchors, VHFs and bilge pumps aren't.

Other than VHF the rest kill you or get you into trouble. I’m fairly libertarian about most things. Do whatever you want as long as you don’t kill, injure person or property of others.
Think if your boat moves and is over a certain size it should have a monitored VHF. I do keep a comm log when on passage don’t think that’s necessary for coastal. Similarly for a dinghy or unpowered small craft likelihood of injury to others is so low that VHF seems a personal choice. We do carry a handheld but mostly for our safety if the engine quits or other emergency.
I think if you have an event where you strike another boat or personal property (dock) because you have no anchor you should be 100% liable for costs to make the other whole.
No bilge pump is your problem not mine.
Understand you can’t fix stupid and can’t legislate it away. Understand being on the water is one of the few places left where you have even the appearance of freedom. But feel certain things save lives and decrease injury to people and property. We do have seatbelts, horns, lights, turn signals. They are mandatory. Some choose not to use them. So be it. Can’t fix stupid or entitled behavior. But you can mitigate it and improve the odds for responsible boaters.

 

[man7sell]

I have obtained my MMSI certificate and filled out the data programming log. Also purchased the Garmin AIS 800.


Q. Can you program these units your self?

 

[AlaskaProf]

Collision avoidance is about information. More information, better. I find the privacy argument unpersuasive; you are operating in a public space

On my last boat I installed a receiver. Two weeks later, I replaced it with it with a tranceiver.

P.S. they are not transponders.

 

[CaptTom]

Q. Can you program these units your self?

Usually, with the exception of the MMSI number and possibly a few other key details. At least in the US. I believe other (most?) countries don't have that restriction on changing the MMSI number.

If the unit is sold elsewhere, you might find someone was kind enough to post the secret programming sequence, or the programming software, for your model. Not that I would ever advocating breaking the law, of course.

That said, even in the US I've seen lots of mistakes in the data people have programmed in. Like a 33 foot boat showing on AIS as 33 meters. Even large ships will forget to change from "moored" to "underway." Pretty funny to see a moored ship running at 20+ knots, or a 100-foot target come out of the fog as a 33-footer.

 

[GoldenDawn]

One "pro" not mentioned is the social aspect. We find friends widely dispersed around the BC coast, whether with the Marine Traffic app (lots of cell and AIS holes on our coast) or with our onboard AIS. Without AIS, we would have missed them, even if 1/2 mile away.

This summer, while circumnavigating Vancouver Is, our daughter was able to track us most of the time - a comfort to her.

We have had numerous conversations (restricted viz and not) with tugs to arrange passing well in advance. It really takes the pressure off.

We are very happy to have AIS on board and the Marine Traffic app is nice but no substitute.

 

[man7sell]

P.S. they are not transponders.

Very true, a misnomer for sure. Transponders are interrogated and then respond, used on airplanes and the like. Taught and worked on them most of my career.

 

[psneeld]

Just pointing out that the a huge number of boaters are neither as schooled, experienced or involved as the majority on this forum.

I could write a book on Safety at Sea/boating safety (have been asked to)...In my experience the vast majority of small coastal boaters are no where nearly concerned about boating the way this group is. So I doubt many are running out to buy transceivers and governments aren't busy trying to make it mandatory after the initial fail of trying to.

Is AIS useful?, you bet....necessary?....probably as we did without it for decades and many still do without. Many articles discuss it's tremendous boost to safety, but I have yet to see/read and useful stats on it's real effectiveness.

 

[AlaskaProf]

Very true, a misnomer for sure. Taught and worked on them most of my career.

Me too.

 

[OldDan1943]

I have an AIS and can’t think of a con.
Fog? Double pro.

 

[ophthodawg]

I and thinking of adding an AIS transceiver or receiver. Being able to add that to your chart plotter and radar seems like a good idea.


Pros and cons anyone? Have you added AIS?

No cons , all positive

if you are in pirate territory you need to know how to it off

I wish AIS was mandatory, its an amazing safety feature

;-)

Patrick

 

[SteveK]

AIS is an aid, a tool, another toy in the arsenal nothing more.
By all means if you want one, get one, but keep a lookout or I may sneak up on you and honk my horn.

 

[markpierce]

Information overload in busy waters? Enough time remaining to "eyeball" what is going on?

 

[psneeld]

Information overload in busy waters? Enough time remaining to "eyeball" what is going on?

Good point mark, something boaters that don't get enough time on the water in situations requiring splitting your attention constantly will probably experience .

Professional crews with "bridge teams" get saturated from information overload and the ones that overlook critical information run into problems/things.

 

[CaptTom]

Information overload? From AIS? I don't know.

It's just another set of icons on your chartplotter screen. You're already looking there for buoys, rocks, depths, channels, etc., right?

OK, I'll admit I've gotten bored and clicked on an AIS target to bring up their name, speed and whatever else I can see, just out of curiosity. But only briefly, and Id never let it distract from keeping a good visual lookout. If you're not looking out the window, it doesn't matter if your distraction is an AIS target, a conversation with passengers, or a cell phone. In other words, the problem isn't the AIS, it's you.

 

[psneeld]

Information overload? From AIS? I don't know.

It's just another set of icons on your chartplotter screen. You're already looking there for buoys, rocks, depths, channels, etc., right?

OK, I'll admit I've gotten bored and clicked on an AIS target to bring up their name, speed and whatever else I can see, just out of curiosity. But only briefly, and Id never let it distract from keeping a good visual lookout. If you're not looking out the window, it doesn't matter if your distraction is an AIS target, a conversation with passengers, or a cell phone. In other words, the problem isn't the AIS, it's you.

Human nature says some will concentrate on a target that is designated as a collision hazard by AIS but still at a distance, and they get preoccupied with that info and looking towards the vessel, they miss close aboard hazards.

Without that info input, the operator may merely see the vessel and know there is time to make a decision, or if in limited vis, you still have to watch the radar closely to make sure something doesn't pop up or turn in front of you that isn't broadcasting AIS.

If you doubt my understanding of this issue, decades of instructor pilot and instructor captain show me that on inexperienced operators it happens all too often.

Look at how many get distracted but still drive out of a well marked channel and go aground on a bright and sunny day.

I am not against AIS, just against adding one more layer of distraction on part time operators who really don't need it. Many here find it much more useful because of their type boating.

 

[man7sell]

I have obtained my MMSI certificate and filled out the data programming log. Also purchased the Garmin AIS 800.


Q. Can you program these units your self?

I found that Garmin have the instructions on their site. Have to wait til Monday for the unit to arrive. Mean time, find the best place to install it. I know it has internal GPS but I think I will add its own external one.

 

[AlanT]

As long as you remember it is an aid to navigation - along with eyes, ears, radar, commonsense etc. then I find it awesome. A couple of decades ago had a very stressful passage through the straits of Gibraltar in fog. I had 24 radar targets enabled and no AIS. Several targets were moving at 30+ knots (hi speed ferries between Gib and Ceuta). They were extremely intimidating. We survived, had one ferry pass within 100 yards of us at speed.

OTOH a friend, cruising with us on another boat was an early adopter of AIS and had a completely different, calmer, experience.

Over tapas, the subsequent conversation we had sold me and I firmly believe to take advantage of every technology available (in its place) with the possible exception of joystick controls
~A

 

[Comodave]

We were crossing Lake Ontario in very poor conditions. Lots of wind, waves about 6’ off the starboard quarter and at times rain so heavy the radar would whiteout. The autopilot was working hard and keeping a course of about +-25 degrees. I couldn’t see anything on the radar but on the plotter I could see 2 ships, 700’+ that would be crossing our bow from left to right. The first ship wasn’t a concern but the second one was on a collision course. Due to the AIS I could see the ship and the name of the ship. About the time I was going to call him he called me by name, courtesy of the AIS, and he said he would come right and pass behind us. It was nice that the ship knew the rules of the road. Without AIS I would never have known he was there. I don’t know if he picked us up on radar or not but definitely he saw us on AIS because he knew our boat name. I never saw either of the ships so keeping a good lookout was no help. If we didn’t have AIS who knows if he would have seen us, we certainly wouldn’t have seen him until it was too late. Is AIS good, no, it is great.