AIS Website Needed-gctid819187

[mmichellich]

Daugher in Law wants a really good AIS web site where she can see AIS equipped boats on her cell phone. Going through places like Rich Passage, it is nice to know where the ferry boats are (radar can not see around corners. When you do a web search a ton of sites show up. She has no room for more apps on her phone. The chart plotter on their boat will not allow an AIS interface. Their cruising is all around Puget Sound where cell reception is usually OK. Recommendations??

[stargazerwa]

I have only used the apps, there are lots! Just a quick look in the App Store showed one that only uses 20MB, not much on a 16 or higher GB phone.

You need two things for it to work 1) a shore station that receives the AiS signals and uploads it to the internet and 2) a data connection with the internet. The website and apps aren't as foolproof as an onboard AiS receiver, but in Rich Passage you should be fine. Also try the WSDOT WSF site they display the ferries ais

[cosmo777]

Marine Traffic app, and their website http://www.marinetraffic.com/

Note: all AIS app and website data is delayed, sometimes up to 10 minutes or more.

[bal734]

Boat Beacon works well as long as you have cell or wifi.

[RDOIII]

"cosmo777" post=819193 wrote:
Marine Traffic app, and their website http://www.marinetraffic.com/

Note: all AIS app and website data is delayed, sometimes up to 10 minutes or more.

As noted the web based sites are greatly delayed and I have seen many time that AIS targets that are transmitting that I see on my AiS receiver do not show up on the Web sites at all.

Thus would strongly recommend that cell based AIS tools not be used at all for navigation support.

RDOIII

[JimMc]

Agree +1

"rdoiii" post=819197 wrote:

"cosmo777" post=819193 wrote:
Marine traffic app, and their website http://www.marinetraffic.com/

note: All ais app and website data is delayed, sometimes up to 10 minutes or more.

as noted the web based sites are greatly delayed and i have seen many time that ais targets that are transmitting that i see on my ais receiver do not show up on the web sites at all.

Thus would strongly recommend that cell based ais tools not be used at all for navigation support.

Rdoiii

[SomeSailor]

Web based AIS also depends on hobby radio owners to get the AIS data received and then uploaded to the web. If their system doesn't have good reception you're gonna be missing tons of data. There are whole areas when my boat will drop off web AIS sites for 30 minutes or more. I'm not talking about remote areas either. Even busy traffic lanes lack the proper AIS coverage you'll learn to depend on.

I love AIS, but would alos recommend an actual receiver. They're very inexpensive.

[mmichellich]

Thank you for the great info. This last week daughter in law was on our boat looking at AIS on my chart plotter and was interested.

[egbauman]

I recommend vesselfinder.com.