Quote:
Originally Posted by SomeSailor
Here are the vessels required to have and monitor AIS:
- Self-propelled vessels of 65 feet or more in length, other than passenger and fishing vessels, in commercial service and on an international voyage
- Passenger vessels, of 150 gross tonnage or more
- Tankers, regardless of tonnage
- Vessels, other than passenger vessels or tankers, of 50,000 gross tonnage or more,
- Vessels, other than passenger vessels or tankers, of 300 gross tonnage or more but less than 50,000 gross tonnage
- Self-propelled vessels of 65 feet or more in length, other than fishing vessels and passenger vessels certificated to carry less than 151 passengers-for-hire, in commercial service;
- Towing vessels of 26 feet or more in length and more than 600 horsepower, in commercial service
- Passenger vessels certificated to carry more than 150 passengers-for-hire.
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Look at the boats that are missing from this list:
Fishboats of less than 300 gross tons - This is the vast majority of the fleet in BC waters.
Pleasure vessels of less than 300 tons - This is almost everybody else out there when I am.
I am not saying I am not in favor of having AIS, but for me, it would be a toy, not to be relied upon to find the boats I am most concerned about. Remember, the guys without AIS won't see you unless they keep an adequate visual or Radar watch, even if you have the transponder.
Personally, I won't rely on the watch-keeping of the fishing fleet, nor will I trust the adequacy of watch-keeping by pleasure boaters.