I’m in the process of installing and testing the Maritech Virtual Lifeline, a man-overboard alarm and engine shut-off device. Except for one element, installation has been incredibly easy. I’ll discuss the entire procedure in more detail later.

Today want to demonstrate how I solved the difficult problem: mounting the supplied antenna. Let’s cut right to the chase, shall we? Here’s the solution:

The clever part is that angled piece of white plastic, which became necessary because of the available mounting surfaces on Two Lucky Fish, my C-Dory 22.

I want to mount this little antenna where it will have a clear line-of-sight aft (since that’s where most overboard victims are expected to end up), and I would rather drill tiny holes in vertical, uncored fiberglass than one large hole in a horizontal, balsa-cored surface.

I’ve selected the spot, right aft on the motor-well side of one of the lazarettes.

As I will describe later, the Virtual Lifeline came with almost everything I needed to install it. If only I had a piece of plastic, aluminum, or stainless steel bent into a simple angle, with some holes drilled in it…

Obviously, this isn’t rocket science here. But I couldn’t find an off-the-shelf mount to do what I wanted. Not for less than about $30, anyway. Overkill! So I says to myself “Self, you can prob’ly just make the dang thing.”

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I took Two Lucky Fish out last night, just as the light was fading. What a lovely night. The pictures don’t really do it justice.

Anyway, I got a chance to test my new Shine Micro AIS-BX Class B transceiver underway. I contacted Seattle Traffic on VHF Channel 14, and they could NOT see my AIS signal on their Rescue 21 equipment. Why not? Possibly because of the lower-power Class B transmission specification.

So I hailed WSF Spokane, just a couple miles away. They indicated that they could see me, and had been watching for about ten minutes. I was all over the place, back and forth, slow and fast, so I can only assume that the AIS data they were seeing, updated only once every 30 seconds, looked…a little weird?

If all Class-B-equipped vessels behave as erratically as I did last night, it won’t take long before most commercial vessels will find a way to have their equipment ignore Class B targets. Just like the naysayers said they would!

On the other hand, Puget Sound waters were VERY crowded last night, due to the presence of many gillnetters. These boats set out long floating nets and then wait for the fish. Nobody wants to drive over a net; it would be a major hassle for everyone. So what happens when long, mostly invisible, drifting obstacles are scattered across a major shipping channel?

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If you’re thinking of adding Class B AIS to your boat, you may want to pay attention here. Don’t worry, there’s nothing especially complicated about it, but you might save yourself some time by learning from my experience.

I’ve just installed a Shine Micro AIS-BX Class B transceiver. Here’s the finished installation aboard Two Lucky Fish, my C-Dory 22:

The AIS-BX is the unit in the upper left. As you can see, I’ve got the cables tidied up, at least compared to my initial hook-up. A few are still peaking out here and there. I probably need to deploy a few more wire ties!

See, four separate cables emerge from the back of the AIS-BX. From left to right, they are:

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Today, I installed the Shine Micro AIS-BX aboard Two Lucky Fish, my C-Dory 22. When I say “installed”, though, what I really mean is “I hooked it up.” The installation didn’t include nonessential niceties such as “appropriate and convenient cable routing” or “fixed mounting.”

But hey, it’s working!

First off, the two-frequency receiver is noticeably faster than my Milltech Marine single-channel SR161. The AIS target list populates incredibly fast.

Second, the Class B part is working, too. Two Lucky Fish is officially “on the map”!

The installation (sorry, “hook up”) was extremely easy, mostly because I had already crossed most of these bridges when I installed my receive-only AIS unit. I’ll discuss the details in future posts.

Thanks to BitterEnd for the tip. Navagear readers are probably aware of the many AIS-on-the-web services. But hold on, this is something new.

MarineTraffic.com has a live ships map that plots almost-current AIS data onto Google maps. They cover several areas worldwide, including my area, Puget Sound. So far, so good; but nothing we haven’t seen before.

Here’s what sets it apart, though: it’s got pictures and vessel tracks. Plus, you can turn vessel types on or off, if you want to see passenger vessels but not tankers, for instance. And you can search for a specific vessel by name. Those are just the features I’ve discovered so far.

It’s a ship-spotting geek’s dream, I tell you!

Of course, it doesn’t have pictures of every vessel that happens to show up, but it might, given time. See in the screenshot above where it says “Upload a photo”?

That’s just what I did here. They didn’t have a photo of Tioga, but I did. That photo of Tioga is one I took back in May. Don’t worry, you retain the copyright to your pictures. Here’s the page with the full-size version of my photo.

I’m pretty excited, because I’ve a couple of new toys coming my way.

One is the Maritech Virtual Lifeline. It’s a man-overboard alarm that shuts down the engine. I’ve written about this sort of thing before, both at MadMariner and here at Navagear.

Over the summer, I used a competing product—the Autotether—extensively, and determined that it was not the best solution for me. It works exactly as advertised, don’t get me wrong. But on my boat, the way it works is less than ideal. I’ll explain my reasoning, and assess the new arrival to see how it measures up.

The other new toy is a Shine Micro AIS-BX, a Class B AIS transceiver. Once it’s installed, not only will I be able to see all the big vessels on my chartplotter, but they will be able to see me.

That’s the theory, anyway, although my friend Fred Pot makes a good case as to why we really shouldn’t expect much of a safety improvement from Class B AIS.

Anybody who’s been reading Navagear for any length of time probably knows I’m enchanted with AIS. Suffice to say that I’m looking forward to being probably the SMALLEST vessel in Puget Sound equipped with full transmit-and-receive AIS.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be documenting the installation and testing process for both of these units. Stay tuned!

This is the Fresh Breeze ventilator, a portable appliance that clamps, temporarily, into the opening of most overhead rectangular opening hatches. It isn’t solar-powered, unfortunately, so you’ll have to plug it in to your boat’s 12V system.

It has three speeds, ranging from 8,500 cubic feet per hour (at 18 watts) to 16,000 cubic feet per hour (42 watts).

I wonder if I could use this aboard Two Lucky Fish? While cruising, it’s difficult to get the moist air out of the V-berth in the mornings.

I would also like to keep air moving through the boat while it’s sitting unattended, especially in the winter, but the Fresh Breeze ventilator isn’t really intended for this application:

The ventilator will not accommodate wet weather and should not be used when a boat is underway. Water may damage the unit and void the warranty.  This is a portable lightweight appliance that is designed to effectively change the air many times per hour in enclosed cabins. It should be removed and the hatch closed when conditions such as rain exist.

MadMariner is giving Navagear some competition, now that the “boat show season” is upon us. Apparently, those MadMariner folks are (1) attending boat shows, (2) taking photographs of new gear and gadgets, and (3) posting entries about them on a blog!

Hey, that’s Navagear’s gimmick! I KNEW we should have patented that idea!

Speaking of websites with great content about boat gear, check out our newest “Good Sites” link: Marine Electronics Reviews. Unbiased, independent reviews of marine electronics. Very handy when you’re shopping!

I’m pretty sure most regular Navagear readers are already MadMariner subscribers.*

So you might have noticed a new promotion over there: “Tell your friends about MadMariner and earn a deck key.” If you get six friends to register for a free 30-day trial, MadMariner will send you a stainless steel deck key like the one in the picture.

They’ve got a nifty little interface that will let you select which email addresses (from your own Gmail, Yahoo, AOL or MSN web mail address book) should be sent an invitation. Don’t worry, you’ve got total control…you won’t unintentionally send an invite to your boss unless you specifically mark the checkbox next to that name.

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* What? You’re NOT a MadMariner subscriber??! You know you’re missing out on a lot of great content over there, don’t you?!

Breaking news…this just in. Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

I’m excited because I don’t often get the jump on the competition over at Panbo.

Anyhoo, I just got an email from Stephanie M. Nevarez, Marketing & Customer Relations Manager over at Shine Micro:

“YES, the RadarPlus AIS-BX is FCC approved and in stock.  Also, one of the benefits differentiating Shine Micro from other options is that we are an approved MMSI Issuer – if a customer does not already have an MMSI, we can issue one free with their purchase.

This is of particular benefit because the FCC requires that all units be programmed by the Vendor. So, if you purchase a Class B transponder and do not have you MMSI number immediately on-hand, then the vendor cannot program your transponder and you cannot install it yet.

Shine Micro can handle the MMSI registration, Class B transponder purchase, and static data programming in one stop; rather than having to visit BoatUS, SeaTow, or the FCC (the only other MMSI Issuers) to obtain your MMSI first. If you already have an MMSI number, you simply register it with us.  Our online MMSI and Static Data forms can be found here: http://shinemicro.com/AboutMMSI.asp

They are also provided at the conclusion of an AIS-BX purchase from our online web store, or we can provide pdfs via email.

I hope to have a formal press release out today.

Remember, you heard it here first!