A Guide to Buying and Installing an AIS Marine Tracking System on Your Boat

AIS marine tracking systems can help you stay safe on the water, avoid unexpected obstacles and aid navigation. Blue Bottle Marine supplies a range of boating supplies across Australia to upgrade your vessel, protect maritime safety, and improve your sailing or yachting experience. Here is what you need to know about AIS before installing it on your boat.

How Does AIS Work and Why Should You Install It?

AIS stands for Automatic Identification System. The automated system identifies and tracks AIS marine traffic and aids to navigation (AtoN), such as buoys or beacons, in the vicinity to help prevent collisions.

• AIS operates within the dedicated marine VHF channels. An AIS transceiver communicates static information about a vessel, including its IMO and MMSI number, length, and type of ship. It can also share dynamic data, such as speed, GPS position, and heading information.
• Installing a simple AIS receiver allows you to track traffic within a particular range around your boat. If you want to transmit outbound information to other vessels, you require an AIS transceiver. You can install a dedicated AIS antenna to transmit signals across the water or use your existing VHF antenna by installing an AIS antenna splitter.
• Comparing AIS to radar: AIS is more accurate than radar as it relays a continuous data feed. AIS transmissions are unaffected by heavy rain or sea clutter that often causes radar shadow. Using AIS can help you detect islands, stationary fishing boats, and other invisible obstacles in your course, even under fog or darkness.

Types of AIS Systems

Many applications for AIS include marine search and rescue operations and vessel traffic control in busy waters. The technology may be installed on non-shipborne base stations, AtoN in the water, and man-overboard units. There are two classes of AIS found onboard a vessel:

• AIS class A: Vessels weighing over 300 gross tons, passenger ships, and commercial carriers must use Class A AIS according to the international SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) convention. Class A AIS is a high-power system that transmits signals every ten seconds or less and includes its own display and keyboard.
• AIS class B: This type of AIS is suited for pleasure boats and small commercial vessels. Class B AIS systems are lower power than their Class A alternatives, transmitting your position approximately every thirty seconds, depending on the system. GME Marine and Raymarine AIS are leading suppliers of reliable tracking systems for recreational watercraft in Australia.

You can identify both classes of AIS signals on a simple class B receiver, allowing class A and class B vessels to detect each other successfully.

Upgrade Your Boat With Blue Bottle Marine

Blue Bottle Marine supplies a broad range of fishing and boating equipment in Australia. We enjoy sharing our collective marine knowledge, and our experienced team will gladly assist you with your search for the best electronics for your boat. Contact us for more information.