THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF AIS IN THE NIGHT-TIME

When container vessels mysteriously started keeping clear of Peter Webb's yacht, it seemed odd, but the answer to their unusual behaviour didn't emerge until they were safely in harbour

The North Sea at night: I love it. It can turn wild, like any mountain or desert, but that’s not all the time. When it’s calm, fishing lights appear, dodge about, and disappear. Wind farm constructions march through the waves, towering above small boats, flashing red and white in the moonlight. The black waves and unseen sand banks demand respect, as does the shipping.

Collision avoidance work is easier these days. One navigation aid, the Automatic Identification System (AIS), transmits small packets of (live) navigational and (pre-programmed) vessel information alongside regular VHF radio audio broadcasts, and receives similar information from others in return. Overlay this on a chart plotter and you have a map of the surrounding traffic, or at least, of those ships with AIS functioning correctly and switched on.

NORTH SEA CROSSING

On a recent night crossing I found the AIS had the unexpected benefit of clearing the shipping out of the way. How did that happen? You may well ask.

Last year, I set out to cross the North Sea with my 16-year-old son. It was a late-season outing from Harwich to Ostend. And it seemed like a fine idea for a long weekend in the October half term. We loaded food and fuel in Shotley marina. And as the light started to fade at 1700, I did reflect that the nights are much longer on the winter side of the equinox. Not to worry.