AIS Technology
AIS technology has gotten complicated with all the Class A versus Class B debates, transponder options, and integration questions flying around. As someone who has navigated busy shipping lanes, fog-bound coastlines, and crowded anchorages with AIS as my primary situational awareness tool, I learned everything there is to know about getting the most out of this technology. Today, I will share it all with you.
I’ll be straight with you: AIS might be the single best safety investment you can make on a cruising boat. Radar is great, but AIS tells you the name, course, speed, and destination of the ship bearing down on you at 20 knots. That kind of information changes how you make decisions. I’ve called container ships by name on VHF because AIS gave me their identity — and every single time, the response was quicker and more professional than “vessel at my 2 o’clock.”
Making AIS Work for Your Cruising
Probably should have led with this section, honestly. Prepare your vessel with a transponder, not just a receiver — you want big ships to see you too, especially at night and in reduced visibility. Develop your understanding of CPA and TCPA alarms so you can set them properly and actually trust the warnings. Plan conservatively when crossing shipping channels, because AIS shows you exactly where the traffic windows are. That’s what makes AIS technology endearing to us cruisers — it takes the guesswork out of collision avoidance and replaces it with hard data you can act on confidently.
