AIS - Position Reporting

One of the pieces of new equipment I installed this summer, is an AIS transponder. AIS stands for Automated Identification System. The transponder means I can receive information about other boats and ships in my area, and I also transmit my information. Some of the useful information transmitted is the boat/ship's name, speed, direction, and position. A lot more data is transmitted. This makes it easy for me to identify a ship from a long distance. For instance, when crossing the Atlantic I stay out of shipping channels for reasons of safety. However, I always see a ship every few days. With AIS, I can call the ship on the radio and ask for the latest 3-day weather forecast. The watch commanders love to help. English is the international language for the maritime industry and is rarely the first language for shipping crews. Since they are required to log all radio communications, they get an unexpected log entry, which is good for their professional ratings.

AIS is radio based, not satellite based. So, to have my position reported I must be within radio distance of  a receiving station. Even though a can use it for ships in the middle of the ocean, my position will not be reported because I am well beyond a receive site. The same is true for the ship.

A website has been developed that captures all the AIS signals and plots them... around the globe. You can got to HTTP://www.marinetraffic.com to see all the ships currently being reported, including me.

For anyone who is interested in following the boat using my AIS (Automated Identification System) information, I just finished wiring the mast and turned the transponder on. I checked, and my position is being reported.
Goto http://www.marinetraffic.com; click on the Search (magnifying glass on the left); Type: Distant Horizon in the Vessel,Port text field; then click on the Distant Horizon name when it comes up; You can click on filters (the icon below the search) and select "Show Ship Names" to easily find us.