Which data is transmitted by the AIS device?

Data transmitted by the Inland AIS station must always be up to date, according to article 4.07 (2) of the Rhine Police Regulations. It is the boatmaster’s responsibility to ensure that all data transmitted by the AIS station matches the vessel’s or convoy’s current data.

Vessels fitted with Inland AIS device transmit and receive information on an automatic and periodical basis from other ships equipped with AIS device. The main information regards the vessel and its current nautical data:

• Identity of the vessel

• Its exact position

• Its course and speed

• Other ship-specific data

However some data must be entered manually by the boatmaster. The most prominent of which are :

• navigational status of the vessel (e.g. under way, moored or at anchor)

• Type of vessel / convoy

• Overall length and beam of the vessel / convoy

List of data that must be transmitted by the Inland AIS device

There is a minimum set of data transmitted by the AIS station which needs to be available at all times and kept up to date.

The minimum data set of an Inland AIS station is according to article 4.07 (4) of the Rhine Police Regulations:

Dataset	Description	When to update the data
MMSI	Maritime Mobile Service Identity = AIS device identity	Each installation
Vessel name	Usual name of the Vessel on VHF channels	Each installation
Call sign	VHF radio call sign of the vessel	Each installation
Vessel type or convoy type	List of vessel and convoy	Each voyage
ENI	unique European vessel Identification Number (ENI) or, for seagoing vessels that have not been given an ENI number, the IMO number	Each installation
length	length overall of the vessel or convoy accurate to 0.1 m	Each voyage
breadth	Overall breadth of the vessel or convoy accurate to 0.1 m	Each voyage
reference point	reference point for the positional information aboard the vessel, accurate to 1 m, (this is the position of the GPS antenna of the Inland AIS station) see Annex 2.	Each voyage
GNSS position	Position of the vessel (derived from GPS in WGS 84 coordinate system)	Never (automatic)
Time	time indication of position determination by the electronic position location device	Never (automatic)
SOG	speed over ground	Never (automatic)
COG	course over ground	Never (automatic)
NavStat	Navigational status	Each Manoeuvre

Inland AIS device can provide more data but this is not mandatory on the Rhine, and the data can be entered voluntarily.

As transmitting additional data has often proved to be a source of confusion, it is recommended that only the mandatory data listed above be transmitted and additional data such as information on the vessel’s voyage should not be transmitted.

The checklist in the link below contains a checklist contains tasks to be performed before, during and after the voyage including the change of convoy data if necessary.

pageVoyage-Checklist