AIS online tracking and privacy

[CatNap]

My soon to be delivered R27 has the Garmin 800 AIS transceiver. . If I understand correctly once I have my MMSI number, that identifies me only to other AIS devices. If I want to show up online, I need to register separately with each service such as marine traffic.com.

I would like to be able to let family track us online as we cruise. Is there an online service that restricts visibility, perhaps one where I can select the users that can see my boat? I would like to avoid showing to the public that our boat sits at the slip every Monday through Thursday.
Marc

 

[SJI Sailor]

Broadcast AIS will be picked up by any service with no registration needed, and also no privacy options -- the basic point is to make the vessel visible to everyone else.

If you'd like it to be off at times, you would need to turn it off. The options for that vary and depend somewhat on how it is installed but the simplest for Garmin 800 may be just to pull its fuse at the fuse box.

 

[srhawk454]

Some transponders (e.g. Vesper Cortex) have "stealth mode" which allows you to receive but not transmit from the app via toggling the stealth mode option. Cortex also transmits message 27 via satellite so even if you are in a remote corner of the world your family always knows where you are. But message 27 is limited to class A and B "SO" (Vesper Cortex is one of them) transponders. Not sure about Garmin 800.

 

[BB marine]

Garmin inreach does exactly what are are asking. You must pay for the subscription. You get more than family tracking. You can use it as a rescue devise too. We have the Inreach and start the pay subscription when we plan to cruise. We send invites to all of our family and friends so they can track our progress. This works as a safety devise. Our family members know where we are at while cruising. The Garmin uses satellite. You are never out of range to send a text using the inreach in case of an emergency. The basic plan gives you tracking, a select number of text, search and rescue, and basic weather. It will track your complete trip and give your speed, distance and time spent cruising, redundant to the Garmin chart plotter but the difference is your family can see this information close to real time.

 

[acdfpic]

I use a NEBO tracker wired into the boat so family and friends can keep track of me. You can share your "link" with anyone you choose, and hide any information that you want to keep private.

The main part of the tracker is it's an automatic tracking system. As soon as the boat starts to move, I get an email saying the boat is underway. At the end of the trip, I get a PDF file with times, maps, and even the weather.

Of all the things I've added on the boat, the NEBO tracker is one of the best. I leave it on all the time...it uses very little power. I will never have another boat without it.

Here's a link to the website: https://nebo.global/?v=7516fd43adaa

Feel free to message me if you want to see what the tracking or logging PDF looks like.

Chris Boyd
RT 25SC
Destined Nomad

 

[CruisingElvinRay]

Nebo is awesome. I use it as our ships log. Been using just the the app so far, but ordered the NeboLink and it arrives tomorrow!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[baz]

If you want privacy and you have an iPhone your question is answered.

Turning off the AIS while at your dock is done by pulling the AIS's fuse. So do this for your Mon-Thur periods.

If your AIS fails for whatever reason, your position can be tracked by family members if you have your iPhone powered up, and family members use the iCloud.com -> "Find iPhone" using your Apple ID login.

I used this "Find iPhone" feature to locate my wife traveling in the UK in a rented car, and who got lost, and I was able to help her navigate to her destination. 😀

 

[Submariner]

This upcoming boating season I'll be rolling out the Garmin Inreach that BB Marine described above.

I bought the Inreach mini at the end of last season. I'll up my monthly plan for this coming boating season and will run with the Inreach.

This is how it might look. The password is "Ranger Tug".
https://share.garmin.com/share/ChannelSurfing

I currently don't have any data in here yet as I've not had it track the boat and sync with the website. But it's all set up to do that and provide a simple to access web site so our friends and family can check on our whereabouts.

I'm playing around with it now, in familiar territory. We plan on heading up to Canada and into SE Alaska, where this will become really important, especially for my parents to be able to find us and know we're still afloat. 🙂

 

[NSM]

I paraglide a lot and have an InReach for both tracking and emergencies. Bought one for the boat too and plan on putting a link to the tracker in out float plans once we start going places.

There is a Global Rescue service associated with the InReach that can provide an additional layer of security. I have it for flying but need to check that it also works for boating.

Cheers
Scott

 

[cliffm]

Garmin inreach does exactly what are are asking. You must pay for the subscription. You get more than family tracking. You can use it as a rescue devise too. We have the Inreach and start the pay subscription when we plan to cruise. We send invites to all of our family and friends so they can track our progress. This works as a safety devise. Our family members know where we are at while cruising. The Garmin uses satellite. You are never out of range to send a text using the inreach in case of an emergency. The basic plan gives you tracking, a select number of text, search and rescue, and basic weather. It will track your complete trip and give your speed, distance and time spent cruising, redundant to the Garmin chart plotter but the difference is your family can see this information close to real time.

Great info!

Thanks!

 

[acdfpic]

Unfortunately I can confirm that the marine part of the Garmin InReach rescue works. I lost
propulsion in the middle of crossing the top part of the Gulf of Mexico last year...out of phone and a radio range.

I used the Inreach system and they contacted the USCG for me and a tow boat was dispatched. It wasn't perfect, but it did work.

The biggest problem was trying to type info into the InReach unit is a pain. Make sure that you download the Earthmate app onto your phone, and connect your phone to the InReach. It will make the messaging a whole lot easier.

Chris Boyd
RT 25SC
Destined Nomad

 

[knotflying]

My soon to be delivered R27 has the Garmin 800 AIS transceiver. . If I understand correctly once I have my MMSI number, that identifies me only to other AIS devices. If I want to show up online, I need to register separately with each service such as marine traffic.com.

I would like to be able to let family track us online as we cruise. Is there an online service that restricts visibility, perhaps one where I can select the users that can see my boat? I would like to avoid showing to the public that our boat sits at the slip every Monday through Thursday.
Marc

If you want privacy while at the slip turn off your AIS. As an aside, if you have a cell phone and use internet, go through toll booths, use a credit card etc. Big brother is watching.

 

[FlyMeAway]

I find one of the most annoying design decisions on our boats is that every circuit is not switched. Coming from sailboats, where on every boat I've owned 100% of the circuits are switched, I've found it pretty frustrating at times.

I think the easiest option is to wire the AIS to a switching panel. Turn it off when you're in the slip.

Although, to be honest I don't totally understand the concern with having the AIS broadcast during the week. It seems that a thief is much more likely to be casing the marina physically than monitoring AIS... What's the perceived risk?

 

[GypsyMoth]

I have AIS send on my R27OB, today I went to Marine Traffic and can see my boat in the harbor (from 6 days ago); usually these sites only show my boat when I'm actually cruising. I check simply to confirm the AIS is transmitting...

As far as satellite messaging systems go, I've been a Spot Messenger user for years. The only time I've hit the SOS button was a motorcycle crash on a dirt road in Baja. GEOS called the closest town with a telephone, which contacted a closer town via radio, which contacted another town also via radio, closer to my crash. With all the repetitions required get the assistance request to the local (police, in this case) the police didn't quite get where to look for me. All turned out good in the end.

I've recently switched from SPOT to a Bivi Stick, which (like InReach) allows for me to use my cell phone as an input device and customize the texts to be sent via satellites. I don't track for social sharing; I use it to tell loved ones I'm OK and where I am- or for the SOS.