There’s a debate on the America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association website about the value of AIS, particularly whether cruising boats need a transponder as well as a receiver. Several cruisers say they’ve had trouble with some AIS apps, particularly in rural or remote areas where cell service is sketchy, or nonexistent. But here’s a posting from Joe Pica, a veteran cruiser from Gulf Breeze, Florida, who recently found the full AIS system on his 37-foot trawler was a great advantage in New York’s crowded harbor. His posting:
“Yesterday, we left Great Kills to run up the Hudson River to hide from Hermine. Of course New York Harbor is an extremely busy harbor with many, many commercial AIS targets moving and anchored/moored. While passing the Battery a ship passed me warning of a “swim” taking place across the Hudson. There were police, CG, escort boats, kayaks, etc. Radio traffic was constant and Labor Day Weekend boaters everywhere. As much as I tried to scan to maintain complete situational awareness I got some what overloaded and focused on the stretched out swimmers and parade of guard boats. A ship overtaking me hailed me by name as I have a transponder telling me to look over my left shoulder. Where a fast tow with barge was also overtaking both of us and yet another about to meet all of us. I am not sure I could have visually/mentally sorted all this out without AIS data as to directions and speed. I’m not sure that the ship would have hailed me by “Name” if not for my AIS transponder. For me, the AIS was a distinct enhancement of my situational awareness. Helping me to organize the clutter, quickly disregard targets not moving or no threat and those not showing on AIS. It also provided my identity so that I could be quickly hailed by name, not “white boat ….”.”
