Got a thoughtful comment today on my “AIS Class B Naysayers, Unite!” from back in November. In his comment, Commercial mariner Al Murray shares his point of view on navigational safety, and he makes several good points.
Here is my reply to Mr. Murray:
The thing is, I doubt we actually disagree on very much here. All that you’ve said supports the core argument: Class B AIS should not be relied upon to “get us noticed” on the bridges of big ships. It’s still our responsibility to stay out of your way. I’ve always been very consistent about that.
I think my “toy” remarks struck a nerve, but if Fred Pot is right, Class B won’t ever be anything BUT a toy! All I’m saying is that I want to get it on board EVEN THOUGH it might not enhance vessel safety right out of the box. I want to “play” with it.
I come from the tech industry, where “playing” with new technology means “install it, run it, see what breaks, see what works, but make sure it doesn’t endanger anything we care about!”
In other words, I want to get it running and then NOT rely on it to keep my vessel safe. I’ll continue to operate my boat as if I were completely invisible to you. “Playing”, in this sense, is the first step down the path toward “adopting”.
1 response so far ↓
Richard Rodriguez // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:04 pm
AIS B is a double edged sword.
The (recreational) boater sees it as tool, knowing the who and where of other vessels, is a plus. Many boaters already bury their heads in a chartplotter and sometimes a radar. Add the prospect of AIS, and situational awareness becomes a thing of the past. Additionally many boaters simply do not know the Rules.
An additional tool in the hands of a boater who doesn’t know the Rules can be a danger. Some already believe that larger vessels have rights over boats. That’s not the case. Rule 18 clearly states the hierarchy. In cases other than narrow channels, VTS, and overtaking a smaller vessel can have rights over a larger vessel. Simply running the other way, or doing a Crazy Ivan, does not add to the order of the Rules, and renders an AIS signal as confusing. The Rules are about knowing what to expect from others.
TMI: Put yourself in front of a AIS display in the San Juans on a busy summer day, everyone with AIS. I doubt most could make sense of the mess.
Consider the Rules again. AIS becomes another source of a lookout. The Rules state that one must use all means available as a lookout. That would include AIS, on or off. Another rope by which to hang yourself with, should you have an incident. Add the confusion of a weekend warrior with AIS B, and the big guys just shake their heads.
AIS is a post 9/11 creation. It is meant to allow for the tracking of vessels. The bad guys could simply leave it off, disable it, or program a different ID (your’s) in the vessel they are using.
My opinion is to allow AIS B as an option and not make it mandatory as the Coast Guard would like. Make sure there are lots of caveats and disclaimers in the packaging. Allow the big guys the ability to filter out “B” signals should the display become to cumbersome with targets, without hanging them out to dry.
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