AIS pros and cons
- Thread starter Juice6576
- Start date
Do you have RADAR?
If no then it's nice, but not a total necessity on the great lakes. Helps mostly in fog. But a large percentage of GL traffic of any size smaller than the lakers do NOT have AIS.
If yes, no big rush. Add it later when you have a good sense of your own program. We have it now and never AIS something we did not had a visual or RADAR eye on.
If no then it's nice, but not a total necessity on the great lakes. Helps mostly in fog. But a large percentage of GL traffic of any size smaller than the lakers do NOT have AIS.
If yes, no big rush. Add it later when you have a good sense of your own program. We have it now and never AIS something we did not had a visual or RADAR eye on.
I added AIS transceiver last spring and absolutely love it. Lake Michigan sailor.
Last summer we crossed the lake and had some fairly dense fog. With the AIS we could see the ships as we crossed the shipping lanes. And with my signal there was a much better chance they could see me.
Was also helpful and fun because the friends we sail with have it too. So we can see their speed and stay matched as we travel. In the fog there there was a point we couldn't see them at 200 yards away.
Clearly not the same as radar but it sure is comforting to know we can keep track of the commercial traffic and the recreational boats that have it.
Last summer we crossed the lake and had some fairly dense fog. With the AIS we could see the ships as we crossed the shipping lanes. And with my signal there was a much better chance they could see me.
Was also helpful and fun because the friends we sail with have it too. So we can see their speed and stay matched as we travel. In the fog there there was a point we couldn't see them at 200 yards away.
Clearly not the same as radar but it sure is comforting to know we can keep track of the commercial traffic and the recreational boats that have it.
We did the rivers south from GL to Mobile.
AIS receive would have been very very nice to have. The tows are very willing to communicate, they dont like the paperwork required when they run you over. But around the many bends in the rivers, you dont know they're coming. With AIS you can see their name and hail them to arrange a 1 whistle or 2 whistle pass.
AIS receive would have been very very nice to have. The tows are very willing to communicate, they dont like the paperwork required when they run you over. But around the many bends in the rivers, you dont know they're coming. With AIS you can see their name and hail them to arrange a 1 whistle or 2 whistle pass.
Regardless (almost) of where you boat, a "NEW" (to you) boat ALWAYS includes a list of "must have right aways" and our counsel is to WAIT.
Unless you KNOW what your plans are already, do some research and find out, based on your sailing plans, what it is you NEED compared to what you might WANT.
Good luck, great place to sail.
Congrats on the new boat, nice.
PS - Where you are with fog? if I were in your boat, I'd go for radar and an AIS B transponder (send & receive).
Unless you KNOW what your plans are already, do some research and find out, based on your sailing plans, what it is you NEED compared to what you might WANT.
Good luck, great place to sail.
Congrats on the new boat, nice.
PS - Where you are with fog? if I were in your boat, I'd go for radar and an AIS B transponder (send & receive).
I purchased a Digital Yacht AIT 2000 from Defender. It is a AIS A receiver and a B sender received. My GPS antenna connects to it as does a separate AIS antenna. It is coupled with a wireless hub from Digital Yachts that communicates with my iPad on which I run inavx.
The AIT is also connected to my VHF so that my position can be broadcast with the Mayday function.
My AIS antenna is mounted on the Bimini frame and gets a 10 to 15 mile range. Friend with same equipment put a splitter on his VHF line so he's using masthead antenna. Easily picks up commercial traffic 80 miles away.
It was a relatively DIY installation with the exception of one stretch of cable run that cause the sacrifice of all 10 knuckles and lots of bleeding. But that's another story
Radar and AIS are not substitutes for one another. Different features and pros/cons, even though both are to help you avoid another vessel. Radar is line of sight, so in a river, around a bend, around a promontory, and so on the radar may not work well if at all. AIS lets you see and identify other vessels with AIS. All commercial vessels are required to have it (Class A), and you can easily see their name and it's easier to contact them by VHF. That aspect is good for any visual conditions, (instead of saying "big red freighter at such and such a location").
Within line of sight, radar lets you see other boats too, even those without AIS. Also, radar is good for non-vessel items like land, ATONS, etc.
I have both on my boat, and Raymarine integrates them on the display. So I see the radar blobs as well as the icons for vessels with AIS. And it is also all shown on the chart, so I get a lot of information just in case I need it. Other brands may do the same.
Within line of sight, radar lets you see other boats too, even those without AIS. Also, radar is good for non-vessel items like land, ATONS, etc.
I have both on my boat, and Raymarine integrates them on the display. So I see the radar blobs as well as the icons for vessels with AIS. And it is also all shown on the chart, so I get a lot of information just in case I need it. Other brands may do the same.
I wouldnt way "all commercial vessels". The vast majority of commercial fishing vessels do not transmit ais. And in my travels, they're the ones who could use it the most. They turn erratically and unpredictably. It would be nice to be able to ask their intentions to be able to avoid them. Often, even when we can see their name via binocs, they will not answer repeated hails on several channels. But this is getting off topic, rant over.
I agree! I use both on the Great Lakes and AIS is especially invaluable transiting the rivers between Lake Huron and Lake Erie. The tugs towing barges, freighters and most of the ferrys use it and they're the ones I'm most concerned with.
Plus, at least on the Gulf ICW, many tows won't respond unless you call them by name nowadays. And the section of the ICW between Galveston Texas, and New Orleans, La is THE heaviest barge traffic on the entire ICW, Port Isabel, to Norfolk, Va
I have a Raymarine AIS B transponder. It is wonderful. In my experience in the North East and 3 Bermuda races in the last 4 yrs, all commercial vessels do have AIS with the exception of fishing boats. In fact, commercial vessels are required to do so. I used to have just a receiver. I like the comfort that the big guys can see me in any weather. Radar is nice too but does require some skill to use and understand what you are looking at. The best way to learn is to use it all the time in broad daylight to make correlations.
I put AIS on my H356 last year for a trip from Kentucky Lake to SW Florida and return. I got the Digital Yaught IAIS and it transmits wirelessly to my IPad and IPhone and USB out to my laptop running Raytech. My 2003 Chartplotter won't display AIS, but I have radar on it. It is extremely valuable in the river system and in the Gulf.
In the rivers, you can see around bends and make for a safer passage. You can also get a sense for the lock activity. On the Tenn-Tom it is nice to see where the tows are when determining your departure from a marina in the early morning. I used it to save some time by knowing where the tows were. A couple of mornings, I made a hasty departure that saved me several hours by getting down the lock just before the arrival of an upstream tow.
In the Gulf, I used it to avoid being overtaken by a large tow just south of Cape San Blas. In Mobile Bay I used it to change course slightly and miss large tows outside the channel tha I couldn't see due to rain, but had on radar. It is nice to have both and I recommend you have both radar and AIS.
I agree with others that the fishing boats, particularly shrimpers, should be required to transmit. I dodged 8 south of Cape San Blas that were skipping all over the place. My radar was invaluable to avoid them, but it would have been nice to have AIS data too.
Crossing Tampa Bay's ship channel, I was just ahead of a large tanker. He was 498 feet long, 98 feet wide and 20 feet deep and going 15 knots in the bay. He and I were on a 1/4 mile CPA when I first saw him. We communicated, I changed course, and safely passed well ahead. I had him on radar too, but it is amazing how fast those big ships go and had I relied on just visual cues, I would have never dreamed our CPA would have been that close.
In the rivers, you can see around bends and make for a safer passage. You can also get a sense for the lock activity. On the Tenn-Tom it is nice to see where the tows are when determining your departure from a marina in the early morning. I used it to save some time by knowing where the tows were. A couple of mornings, I made a hasty departure that saved me several hours by getting down the lock just before the arrival of an upstream tow.
In the Gulf, I used it to avoid being overtaken by a large tow just south of Cape San Blas. In Mobile Bay I used it to change course slightly and miss large tows outside the channel tha I couldn't see due to rain, but had on radar. It is nice to have both and I recommend you have both radar and AIS.
I agree with others that the fishing boats, particularly shrimpers, should be required to transmit. I dodged 8 south of Cape San Blas that were skipping all over the place. My radar was invaluable to avoid them, but it would have been nice to have AIS data too.
Crossing Tampa Bay's ship channel, I was just ahead of a large tanker. He was 498 feet long, 98 feet wide and 20 feet deep and going 15 knots in the bay. He and I were on a 1/4 mile CPA when I first saw him. We communicated, I changed course, and safely passed well ahead. I had him on radar too, but it is amazing how fast those big ships go and had I relied on just visual cues, I would have never dreamed our CPA would have been that close.
Once again another piece of tech is on the market that allows the most inexperienced and ignorant sailors to put themselves into danger.
One section of my British Commonwealth certificate of competency test was the possible courses that a vessel could be on from the lights shown, obviously at night. I thought it was a good exam and fun.
I do not need AIS to tell me the CPA on any vessel I can see. I have radar for those I can't. I know for a fact that most watch standers on the bridge of a large commercial vessel would be much happier if that yacht stayed well clear of them, rather than having an conversation with them about everybody's intentions.
I've done the St Lawrence Seaway from end to end in fog so thick I couldn't see the bow from the helm long before AIS, and the ships were not near the problem the marks were.
So many on here swear that AIS is indispensable and a godsend, but reliance on a piece of tech before one has mastered the ability to operate a vessel without it, is not prudent seamanship, IMO.
One section of my British Commonwealth certificate of competency test was the possible courses that a vessel could be on from the lights shown, obviously at night. I thought it was a good exam and fun.
I do not need AIS to tell me the CPA on any vessel I can see. I have radar for those I can't. I know for a fact that most watch standers on the bridge of a large commercial vessel would be much happier if that yacht stayed well clear of them, rather than having an conversation with them about everybody's intentions.
I've done the St Lawrence Seaway from end to end in fog so thick I couldn't see the bow from the helm long before AIS, and the ships were not near the problem the marks were.
So many on here swear that AIS is indispensable and a godsend, but reliance on a piece of tech before one has mastered the ability to operate a vessel without it, is not prudent seamanship, IMO.
Make that thrice! :dance::dance::dance:
Just because it's on your AIS doesn't mean you have to call the ship up on the VHF, either.
Doh! That's why the AIS shows you the darned CPA.
Wait, they don't know what CPA means.
NOW I get it.
Just because it's on your AIS doesn't mean you have to call the ship up on the VHF, either.
Doh! That's why the AIS shows you the darned CPA.
Wait, they don't know what CPA means.
NOW I get it.
If you have the money for the latest technology, it doesn't mean you are ignorant of good sailing and navigation skills. It just means you have more tools at your disposal and you can make better, more informed choices. I certainly wouldn't rely on calling someone on the VHF to stay out of the way, but it is nice to have the knowledge that AIS brings.
Coming back north on the Tenn-Tom last spring, on a pitch black night, I was running with radar and my LED Go-Light and AIS. Neither my Go-Light or radar can see around a bend, but my AIS could. A southbound tow and I were going to intercept on the worst possible place in that strtch of river. Ten minutes before my intercept, I could see that we would pass on one of the most hair pin and narrowest places on the river. I backed off the throttle and we passed on a straight part of the river - very safely. That is not possible without the tech.
Coming back north on the Tenn-Tom last spring, on a pitch black night, I was running with radar and my LED Go-Light and AIS. Neither my Go-Light or radar can see around a bend, but my AIS could. A southbound tow and I were going to intercept on the worst possible place in that strtch of river. Ten minutes before my intercept, I could see that we would pass on one of the most hair pin and narrowest places on the river. I backed off the throttle and we passed on a straight part of the river - very safely. That is not possible without the tech.
Perhaps if your radar had been up on the mast instead of on a 10 foot pole on the stern, you would have been able to 'see around the bend'.
True, but isn't there also in the colregs a forgotten system of horn soundings for just such occasions?
Rule 34e, FWIW.
Rule 34e, FWIW.