But they can quite literally be a lifesaver if a crewmember goes over the side. These palm-sized units have limited range, however, because the antenna is short and can be blocked by waves. These battery-operated, low-power devices are also sometimes called AIS MOB, a type of personal AIS beacon. In addition, personal wearable AIS beacons are available to attach to life jackets for man-overboard safety. But Class B has lower power, transmits its position every 30 seconds (every 3 minutes if moving slower than 2 knots), is available as a "black box" and displays on your chartplotter, is more affordable (many in the $500 range) and is all that most pleasure boats need. and international law to have AIS.Ĭlass B, for recreational boats, is fully interoperable with Class A, and both vessels will "see" each other. Commercial vessels weighing more than 300 gross tons or over 65 feet, certain passenger vessels, commercial vessels, and ships carrying hazardous cargo are required by U.S. The higher power Class A transmits every 10 seconds or fewer has its own display and keyboard, is usually meant for ships and other commercial vessels, and costs more. There are two classes of AIS: Class A and Class B. As with radar, there is no requirement for recreational boats to have or use AIS on board, but many of the major organizations that sponsor offshore sailboat races now require the installation and use of AIS, and the requirements vary by organization. AIS also can be used to receive weather data and, every 3 minutes, mark the location of aids to navigation (ATON), such as a buoy equipped with AIS. Onboard displays, such as chartplotters, decode these messages and plot the position of the AIS target. Even without a transceiver, an AIS receiver built into some VHF radios can monitor this information. It can also automatically monitor the same information of other AIS-equipped vessels, substantially reducing the risk of collision, even in thick fog or dark of night. But there are some limitations you need to know before installing the system.įor the uninitiated, first a little background: Boats that have an AIS transceiver installed can automatically broadcast critical information, including the vessel's identity and real-time position, course, and speed, using VHF frequencies. For any boater who wants every layer of protection available, AIS is a godsend. Automatic Identification System, more commonly known as AIS, first became available to recreational boaters about 10 years ago and has proved a significant addition to boating safety.
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