Tracking marine traffic

Mike the site is ok, but it's far better to actually have an AIS transponder on-board so you can be seen. I know that there is a program going on where your cellphone can transmit your boats position to this type of site. However in my area (it is in the sticks) my vessel has never shown up on that site yet I am visable to most AIS equipped vessels for at least 10 miles if not more. Also the same vessels I see are not visable on this site so there is an obvious hole from Atlantic City to Waretown which is a pretty big chunk of real estate that rarely shows any AIS traffic.
Some of the AIS websites are only as good as the AIS shore based (some based on vessels) that report to them. The big problem with cellular based AIS is you are dependent on having good data service to your phone or tablet.
Having actual AIS equipment onboard negates the need for cellular service. Get 20 miles off shore or in some of the back waters of the ICW and this service is of little to no use.
Bill
 
I have the BoatBeacon AIS app on my Droid.
 
The guy running that big tanker approaching a busy harbor is not going to take the time to scroll thru all the AIS data to find the little boat approaching the channel and hail him by name.... Or the the bulk carrier heading north in the stream is just going to jail... "White power boat boat near xx.xx N yy.yy W, this is north bound ship 1 mile off your port bow"

Actually saw an article a while back where a tanker captain explained that AIS clutter from small rec. vessels is becoming an issue in some areas and that they often filtered the data.

I use boat beacon to broadcast our position, cel reception permitting, but it s more for entertainment purpose than anything else.

Whenever I ve hail a large commercial vessel using their lat n Lon to verify their intention and advise them of mine, I ve never failed to get a response.
 
If the large vessel chooses to ignore a potential AIS target and an accident happens he will end up being assigned some blame. However the small vessel will know where the large vessel is as well as it's coarse. It only takes one vessels corrective actions to prevent (be it the small vessel) an accident. AIS is no toy unless you use cellphone internet based applications.
I guess these same commercial Captains ignore their radar as well, after all it's probably pretty cluttered in the same environment?
AIS like Radar alarms can be set for distance.
Since you don't use a real AIS Pascal you are aware the AIS target list is in order of the closest ship to the farthest correct?
Bill
 
All I can tell you that's in ten of thousands of miles from cape cod to the Bahamas and the Gulf coast I have never been in situation where AIS would have been useful. I have never encountered a commercial ship who didn't respond simply because I didn't know his name. That includes busy places like ny harbor, the Chesie, Delaware, and more.

For instance approaching the Verrazano in a pea soup, why should I care to know the name on what my radar shows as a big blob a mile of my stbd side... The radar trail shows which way it came from and its speed... That s all I need to know. I am busy looking at other targets like small fishing boats, he is busy with a million thing, how is AIS helping either of us? If my intentions are not clear, I may call "large vessel inbound by Amrose channel red 20, this is xxxxx a mile off your port side, we will pass astern" or " we will stay clear on your port side" Just to eliminate any doubt...

Sorry bill, I live in the real work and this works very well.
 
AIS can't help you because you don't use one and evidently you never will. To each his own I use both and they compliment each other. I don't travel like you do but to dismiss AIS is your personal choice.
Mine is to have both AIS and Radar and with the new AIS MOB systems perhaps someday I might be able to save someone's life while you might not even know what's happened?
Bill
 
I superimpose my radar and ais on my chartplotter. if I need to contact that big blob in the fog having its Mmsi number for a Dsc call is handy. why dsc? because when I don't get an answer on 16 I'm not playing guess the frequency.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Philyteach

I superimpose my radar and ais on my chartplotter. if I need to contact that big blob in the fog having its Mmsi number for a Dsc call is handy. why dsc? because when I don't get an answer on 16 I'm not playing guess the frequency.

Click to expand...

Proper integration of your DSC equipped VHF radio, chart plotter and AIS transponder are the key. With NMEA2000 it's now just plug and play. Many Radar blobs become AIS targets and a simple move of your cursor shows the MMSI and then a simple click on said target results in a DSC call to the vessel. If you want more information on the vessel then the plotters information tab can be used. The info tab shouldn't be used if you are within alarm distance. I hear the USCG use AIS when looking for missing boats based on their AIS screen showing available vessels in an area where a non AIS vessel is thought to be missing. It's a great tool and used for more than collision avoidance. As I previously mentioned with this years release of AIS MOB (man over board) devices this could really help located people in distress much quicker which means they should have a higher rate of survival. I do believe in the near future AIS will be a requirement for many vessels not all but many more. There is a big push with the USCG to use virtual AIS to mark or display hazards.
Bill
 
Again, theory vs real world.

I don't know who often you run at night or in seriously restricted visibility but in these conditions I do not want my plotter and radar stuck on the same scale. I will usually have the plotter zoomed out for normal navigation and will usually zoom the radar in and out quite a bit. Zoom out to get the big picture and see the larger traffic or the high speed sportfish jocks a few miles away, and then zoom in again, maybe down to a mile to see the smaller echos like small boats.

99% of the time, if I have to call a big commercial vessel! it is because I screwed up and put myself in a position where I have to call him. If I do it right, I will be far enough so that he doesn't have to worry about me. Therefore dsc and AIS is really no factor.

You try running in New England pea soup between the vineyard and woods hole with a scope full of small fishing boats, commercial trawlers, slow ferries and fast ferries running 20kts and you tell me if you really have time to play around with a cursor to select a boat and make a DSC call. But the time you finished chatting with the other guy, you will have a fast ferry cutting 100' behind you blasting his horns.
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

Again, theory vs real world.

I don't know who often you run at night or in seriously restricted visibility but in these conditions I do not want my plotter and radar stuck on the same scale. I will usually have the plotter zoomed out for normal navigation and will usually zoom the radar in and out quite a bit. Zoom out to get the big picture and see the larger traffic or the high speed sportfish jocks a few miles away, and then zoom in again, maybe down to a mile to see the smaller echos like small boats.

99% of the time, if I have to call a big commercial vessel! it is because I screwed up and put myself in a position where I have to call him. If I do it right, I will be far enough so that he doesn't have to worry about me. Therefore dsc and AIS is really no factor.

You try running in New England pea soup between the vineyard and woods hole with a scope full of small fishing boats, commercial trawlers, slow ferries and fast ferries running 20kts and you tell me if you really have time to play around with a cursor to select a boat and make a DSC call. But the time you finished chatting with the other guy, you will have a fast ferry cutting 100' behind you blasting his horns.

Click to expand...
Good for you, I wouldn't put myself in that position.
It takes no more time than looking at an unknown radar blob. I never understand your resistance to good sound technology Pascal?
There should be no pissin match here, we will never agree on this.
I never said you don't know what your doing and you have traveled many more miles than I ever will.
Peace,
Bill
 
I like and use AIS as well. I find I get a faster response on the radio when I hail a vessel using their name. Plus it makes it easy to determine their speed and course. As well as see if they make a course change before or after you contact them. And I think you can see that happening faster than you can waiting for a crumb trail to update.

Now you can all this without AIS as Pascal does but I just find it helps with the work load way more than it adds to it.

I also find the captains like the fact that more and more smaller vessels have broadcasting AIS because it's easier to contact them using their name than hoping they know or can figure out their position when you call them.

But as always, YMMV.
 
It s not a pissing context it s just a matter of personal preference. I like technology that is useful, not technology for the sake of technology or because it s cool

Screen real estate is a precious commodity... I only have about 70 or 80 sq inches per screen times 2, I don't want to clutter that I want a clear radar picture and a clear plotter image.
 
I read the preceding comments and given the comments I am somewhat dismayed. The main point seems to have been missed. Rule 5 of ColRegs. AIS is simply a tool any vessel Captain ,who if so fitted cannot claim to have filtered out traffic in his immediate area. Take a look at the English Channel or any other major traffic area. Set the range and monitor.
Now to DSC, what a crock, taking the time to enter the MMSI. As Pascal states, give the vessel a call, granted knowing her name helps, but providing your (Tupperware) boats location with Lat/Log using correct radio speak indicates to the vessel's bridge that you are a knowledgeable vessel operator not one of the many yahoos who are harassing the traffic zones used by our commercial partners.
In the end, rule #5 , Rule #6 and Rule #7 are the only ones that matter . Back to my scotch, have good one, Bill
 
If you are a busy captain of a large ship which would you rather hear? A small boat that gives you a lat/lon that you need plot on your display or a call that gives a vessel name and a relative position that he can immediately relate to a named AIS track.

If you are a small boat in a busy area which would you rather hear? A large ship that makes a call to "small boat near marker XX heading south" or a ship that calls you by name.

AIS is just a tool, but it gives great situational awareness. The user is NOT forced to interact with AIS any more than he wants to; but even with no interaction it gives useful information to everyone else around you. Showing the AIS tracks on a radar or chartplotter does not add significant clutter.

Mike
 
quote:
Originally posted by Bill Taylor

Now to DSC, what a crock, taking the time to enter the MMSI.

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Yeah, what a crock. Apparently you haven't tried getting a hold of a large vessel on the delaware river/bay. Are they on 13? 16?, VTS? Company Channel? Pilot Channel?

Hit them with the DSC bell and they are on your channel.
 
When making a DSC call when combined with AIS you don't even have to know the targets MMSI it will integrate the MMSI from the AIS target on the plotter directly into your VHF radio. This assumes the units are all properly integrated over NMEA0183 or better yet NMEA2000. It's simply click on the target on the plotter or if you have a touch screen tap it, press the send message with a "pre-programmed channel" then press send message. It will even confirm the other vessel got your DSC call if they don't respond. I have never had a vessel not acknowledge my DSC/ AIS initiated call
Without a properly integrated DSC you might as well not have an AIS unit. This can be done in a matter of seconds and it requires little pratice.
Bill
 
quote:
Originally posted by HOGAN

A good site to see boats around you.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?level0=100#
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Fun to look at if you're at home or docked somewhere. Not much use on a moving boat.

Realize that these signals are picked up by volunteer land based receivers and transmitted to the website. Many parts of the world are not covered or not completely covered and you may well be travelling in an uncovered area along with some ships you should know about if you're counting on AIS to keep you safe.

I look at that site from time to time from home or even when docked or anchored. I am considering installing AIS, probably just a receiver, but possibly the entire package. I haven't taken the plunge yet.
 
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