Do You Know What to Do When AIS Fails?

AIS is Valuable, but Not Infallible

It is a moonless night, visibility is bad and you are sailing on a busy area. Suddenly, the GPS signal is lost. Within a few seconds, alarms start to sound, your AIS targets disappear from the screen, your chart plotter indicates you have no GPS position and, one-by-one, the electronic navigation instruments stop working properly. When the GPS itself suffers from errors, those errors pass straight into the AIS. The GPS feeds the AIS not only the ship’s position, but its course and speed as well. A single error on the GPS can lead to a significant amount of incorrect data being broadcast.

AIS information should solely be used to assist in collision avoidance decision-making. Our friends at SafeWaters Underwriting Managers provide some helpful tips for staying safe when technology fails.