AIS

[Rockfish]

I absolutely agree and in fact that day I made a mental note that when I purchased another boat I would get both radar and a reflector. I just purchased another new to me boat that has radar and will have a reflector. That said, if you watch at the boat launches and marinas up here you will see that it is likely less than one in a hundred recreation fishing boats under 23 feet or so that have a reflector.
I have studied the radar manual but have no practical experience yet with radar. I plan to practice with it on clear days to get a sence of what it can and can't detect. I see the Power Squadron here offers a course on Radar. Has anyone taken it?

 

[reelfast]

great idea rockfish. running your radar in the clear will give you an opportunity to coorelate what you see on the screen with what you can look up and spot. once you start to get the relationship, sizes and such, you should be ready when the pea soup drops out of nowhere.

 

[beemer]

Hey Rockfish , You want to pick up "the radar book" by Captain kevin Monahan. it is based on local features around Victoria and is one of the best books out there.

If you live in the Victoria area and would like a hand setting up your Radar send me a PM.

 

[searun]

Transport Canada requires all commercial operators to have radar reflectors on their boats. I have 2 on mine. Overkill...maybe, but I would rather be safe than sorry. I also agree that we need guys who are out fishing where they may encounter fog to have reflectors at a minimum.</u> When I'm running in fog we are using our radar to navigate, and do count on guys having something on their vessels to be radar reflective so I can detect them and avoid collision. I would also highly recommend anyone who is out in fog not to venture out there unless you have radar. GPS isn't enough. </u> I've had a few experiences like Rockfish described when they passed so close I could see the driver looking down at his GPS (NO RADAR)and f&%@$ng blindly driving at full speed....EL STUPIDO!! Problem is there are hundreds of guys who do the same thing every day.[xx(]

Searun

 

[Rockfish]

Thanks Beemer. I will look for the book you recommended and send you an E-mail.

 

[gpspowell]

My $.02 here. AIS will not save us all as the ultimate safety accessory any more than RADAR has. There will always be the guys running on plane in fog, the boaters with their electronics turned off or maladjusted, and the container ships that aren't watching and don't care. That being said, I run with my RADAR on even when it's clear and carry a reflector up high. So far as the visibility of fiberglass boats: They are hard to spot but not impossible. If the sensitivity on my RADAR is set high enough I will see not only boat engines, but beer cans, fishing reels, and even sea birds skimming the waves. Of course that means constantly readjusting my RADAR settings instead of watching what I'm doing (and trying to sort out all the clutter from having the sensitivity set too high).

Sorry, I'm rambling. Your best safety insurance is staying attentive. Use RADAR, reflectors, and even AIS, but don't count on any of them to save you from the need to pay attention, be smart, & boat defensively according to conditions..

 

[pescador]

Can anyone tell me what they've got there AIS hooked up to? Is it compatible with most fishfinder/GPS systems? I have a Humminbird 917. It would appear to be the best way of avoiding commercial traffic based on what I've read. I understand that radar is still the answer to non-AIS vessels, so am planning to put c-70 on the boat as well this year. If I understand it correctly, you overlay the AIS on your GPS map and it shows detailed tracking of AIS installed traffic. Can you overlay it on your radar screen as well? Also, I see West Marine has something called AIS 1000 a transponder for about $500 US. Are any of you using this unit or do you have other recommendations?

Matador

 

[TenMile]

Hey Pescador,

I've got a C70 -- don't have an AIS on it however, but I do have radar. You can indeed overlay on your chartplotter and it works great. I overlay the Radar data on the chartplotter and it paints the shoreline along with vessels in your area. AIS would overlay the same way.

The C70 is NMEA 2000 capable which means you can buy after-market GPS and AIS units. I have it connected to a Lowrance NMEA 2000 compatible GPS receiver and it works like a charm.

NMEA 2000 is the way to go if you are looking for super simple integration. Easy click-lock connectors and the devices/protocol auto-configures so no need to have to set bit rates or Rx/Tx info for ports. Just plug it in and turn it on.

TenMile
&lt;'((((&gt;&lt;

 

[pescador]

Ten Mile, thanks for the response. Very helpful. Think I'll do the AIS and C70 then at the same time. Can't be too safe given I do fish the West Coast and Sooke and have found myself in some fog situations that started off simple and got complicated. One time in Nootka I spent all day at Maquinna Pt in the fog only to find out later in the day that Friendly Cove some 4 NM away was clear all day.

Matador

 

[Fish Assassin]

To make this simple AIS system can be over layed on any ploter or radar system that is able to acccept the info. I think any one in the fog should have it as a back up. No matter what you have.

But make sure you are seen. Hate to tell you guys as a ferry worker we can pick up seagulls and logs on our radars in most conditions.

My 2 Bits...

 

[spring time]

quote:Originally posted by spring time

Hate to tell you guys as a ferry worker we can pick up seagulls and logs on our radars in most conditions.



just not gill island ah fishassassin