Understand the AIS system on your boat to make the right choice

 → How to choose your boat AIS?

The choice of your AIS system depends on your needs and your sailing profile.

The equipment or system AIS boat is very important to ensure navigator safety. The AIS boat system is the Automatic Identification System preferred by mariners to communicate distress messages to other vessels and rescue stations, and to exchange information with surrounding vessels to facilitate maritime traffic.

Each piece of equipment fitted with the AIS system for boats has unique technical features to suit all types of sailor.

The key is to identify the AIS equipment best suited to your needs, so you can navigate in complete safety.

→ Why use boat AIS?

A system AIS boat has the primary function of transmitting your vessel's course to vessels equipped with a AIS receiver Finally, this technology enables sailors to find out the routes taken by all surrounding boats, once the data has been collected by each device.

The information received by an AIS vessel includes the name of the vessel, its MMSI number, position, course, speed, type of cargo, and port of departure and arrival. An AIS receiver alone is therefore used to pick up the waves emitted by surrounding vessels, providing the multiple position data mentioned above.

The disadvantage of an AIS ship receiver is that it doesn't make you visible to other boats. This category of AIS products is very important if you want to equip your boat properly before setting sail.

The communication channel most used by ship AIS equipment is the VHF channel, so it's advisable to have a VHF antenna to install your AIS devices.

→ What types of AIS devices can you use to find your way at sea?

The AIS transponder is the most powerful device for safety and identification of vessels using the boat AIS system. It combines a data transmitter and a GPS receiver, enabling GPS position to be transmitted on dedicated VHF channels.

Thanks to TDMA technology, it organizes transmissions to avoid interference and prioritizes information according to collision risks. In the category marine electronics for boats, a simple receiver can receive AIS data, but does not make the vessel visible to others. It's easy to install and consumes very little power, making it ideal if the vessel presents no danger.

Class B transceivers add the ability to transmit your own data, making your vessel visible to others, at low cost. Sites such as MarineTraffic or VesselFinder allow you to viewAIS-equipped vessels on a chart in real time.

Finally, to centralize AIS information, you can connect the device to a chart-reading GPS via an NMEA 0183 or 2000 port.

Which boat AIS should you choose?

Today, AIS systems are increasingly adopted on board small craft, particularly pleasure craft, even when they are not compulsory. Entry-level boat AIS systems provide essential information on nearby vessels: identification, position, course and speed. However, your own position is not transmitted.

This system offers effective monitoring in all directions, particularly useful in busy navigation areas, reducing the risk of collision or hazardous maneuvers. In addition to enhancing safety at sea, the AIS system also makes it easier to anticipate lock passages and approach anchorage areas.

→ The different boat AIS classes

For a pleasure boat, here's some information to guide your choice of the rightShip AIS for you. Ship AIS equipment operating on the basis of the AIS system exists in 3 classes, each of which uses different types of AIS system for boats.

➡️ AIS ship Class A

Reserved for vessels subject to the SOLAS Convention, it uses the SOTDMA (Self Organised Time Division Multiple Access) system, which enables you to negotiate and reserve a AIS transponders with other Class A vessels. This equipment has a power of 12.5 Watts.

➡️ AIS boat Class B

Reserved for fishing vessels over 15 meters and pleasure craft using a technology called CSTDMA (Carrier Sense Time Division Multiple Access). This system enables Class B transponders to receive Class A transponders. This equipment has a power rating of 2 Watts.

➡️ AIS boat Class B+

For fishing vessels over 15 meters and pleasure craft, this system lies betweenAIS class A and AIS class B. This AIS uses SOTDMA technology, the same as Class A AIS, so it also has priority even when waters are overloaded with signals. Its higher power than Class B equipment increases signal range and improves signal quality. This equipment has a power rating of 5 Watts.

The receiver AIS ship corresponding to the majority of users is the. This valuable piece of equipment will enable you to provide maximum information to the AIS system of surrounding vessels. In many cases, a Class A AIS transponder will not be necessary for pleasure boating. Transmitting and receiving Class B AIS information will suffice.

→ The VHF AIS boat alternative

Les allows you to use theAIS pleasure boat on equipment using radio frequencies. This is made possible by upgrading the antenna and using a VHF AIS signal splitter. Another type of model is also very interesting: VHFs incorporating the function, which in most cases are VHF DSC and AIS. In this case, the boat's AIS system uses the same system as the VHF.

This solution has the great advantage of simplifying the installation of your equipment. All you have to do is connect the VHF to a GPS, and you're ready to go. However, as the information is displayed on the VHF's small screen, we recommend that you purchase a GPS chartplotter that is NMEA compatible with your VHF AIS (NMEA 1083 or NMEA 2000).

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