SEE AND BE SEEN
Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) may have originally been A conceived as a collision avoidance system for commercial shipping but in recent years they have become a popular safety aid for leisure boats as well.
Not only does AIS allow you to see and be seen, even when out of sight due to darkness, fog, land or range, but it is also becoming a useful navigation tool now that transponders are being fitted to beacons, buoys and other aids to navigation. AIS SARTs (Search And Rescue Transponders) have also been approved for use as man overboard devices, which can be picked up by SAR helicopters as well as AIS-equipped surface craft.
Until recently, however, AIS has operated a distinct
