[PUP] The changing times for cruisers

[Dave Cooper]

<Peter wrote in part: This one that arrived yesterday is an absolute
cracker. In order to qualify for the permit, the visiting yacht must be
fitted with an IMO AIS transponder or a Harbour Craft Transponder System
(HARTS) transponder.>

I suspect that this might be good for a chuckle today it will be common
place in the very near future.
The ability for the custom/CG/Border Patrol/etc of a jurisdiction to monitor
all traffic approaching its coast/harbors/waterways will be a requirement.
What better way than AIS currently?

As the device come down in price it will be not be a burden for 99% of the
operators of watercraft. I will venture that the prospect of AIS transceiver
under $500 is not to far in the future and even less if requirements are
made to carry them lets say on all "foreign" yachts, boats over say 30',
etc.

Volume drives the price as we've seen in GPS's. There is no more to a class
B AIS transceiver than there is to a handheld VHF. Think a couple of $5
chips, some memory, some software, an output transmitter, a few connectors
and some packaging. A need for a million units and your there ;-)

Privacy and boating internationally have gone the way of the dodo bird. We
are considered threats to those who look at us from shore as we are "unknown
entities" and therefore are potential perps until we are identified. AIS
give the authorities a way to identify the vessel but not the occupants.
Maybe that will be next ;-(

The good part of this is when cruising and trouble comes your way the DSC
feature of AIS will transmit your message along with all the data of your
vessel. Name, location, heading, speed, MMSI#, etc, etc. Good to have the
responders know who's in trouble, where they are, what size of vessel, etc
as part of the message. The DSC of the VHF doesn't contain this info.

We continue to see AIS as a very important part of our future cruising into
some more remote areas and knowing that other traffic in the area, aka up to
about 15-20 miles, will know our location and presents.

The recent thread on the person who was "missing" in Indonesia may not have
happened, IMHO, if he had a Class B AIS.

Another proposal is up for consideration with the IMO re AIS. Tracking by
Satellite! The VHF signal that they transmit, which is line of sight as we
all know, can be picked up by a satellite. This will/would allow worldwide
tracking of AIS equipped vessels. One would need an antenna which is
directed skyward vs. the horizontal pattern of normal Marine VHF antennas.

The other is using the same the same system that the new "SPOT" locator
uses. Cheap and effective to track anything from a widget to a supertanker
anywhere the satellites can get the signal.

Given the perceived need for a means to track all traffic these are very
viable solutions. You can run but you can't hide...unless you turn it off of
course ;-)

As always YMMV....


Dave & Nancy
Swan Song
Roughwater 58