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Use AIS targets and recognize your own vessel

BoatKit displays received Automatic Identification System (AIS) traffic on the chart. Set your vessel's Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) so your own transmissions do not appear as another boat or generate collision warnings with yourself.

Set your vessel MMSI​

You need administrator access and the nine-digit MMSI assigned to your AIS equipment. BoatKit also needs a receiving AIS source to show traffic: an onboard NMEA 2000 or NMEA 0183 feed, or a configured cloud AIS integration.

  1. Open Settings > Charts & Routes > Charts.
  2. Enter your assigned MMSI in MMSI and save the change.
  3. Return to the chart. An AIS target with that MMSI is removed; other received targets remain visible.

Recognize a persistent self-target​

If the MMSI setting is blank, BoatKit can ask Is this AIS target your vessel? after one target stays close to your position and matches your speed and course for at least two minutes while underway. Keep an administrator Viewer open with fresh vessel GPS and AIS data during that time. BoatKit requires repeated reports and actual travel; it does not suggest a stationary, stale, or ambiguous target. Simulator sessions do not produce this prompt.

Check the displayed vessel name and MMSI against your AIS equipment. Choose Set as my vessel only when the MMSI matches. This saves the same vessel setting and removes the matching target and its self-collision warnings. Choose Not my vessel to keep the current setting and traffic visible. BoatKit does not suggest that MMSI again during this Viewer session. A failed save shows an error and leaves the dialog available to retry.

The prompt is a suggestion, not proof of identity. Two boats traveling close together can have similar motion. BoatKit continues evaluating collision warnings until you confirm your MMSI.

Inspect traffic and configure guidance​

Select an AIS target on the chart to inspect available vessel details and motion information. Nearby targets outside the visible chart may appear at the chart edge when there is space for their labels. Age and fading matter: an old target position is not a current observation.

Under Settings > Charts & Routes > Charts, AIS Target Course Line controls the duration represented by target motion lines. The collision settings offer None, Show on Charts, and Alarm, with configurable prediction duration and radius. These predictions depend on the received positions and motion; use them as prompts to assess traffic, not as collision-avoidance commands.

Offline operation and troubleshooting​

An onboard AIS feed, the MMSI setting, and the self-target prompt work through the local Viewer without an internet connection. Cloud AIS feeds and remote Viewing require connectivity. AIS coverage can be incomplete, delayed, or inaccurate, and not every boat transmits AIS.

If you see your own boat as a target, compare its MMSI with the saved setting. If no suggestion appears, check that the setting is blank, the Viewer has administrator access, and both GPS and AIS reports are current. Intermittent reports, slow motion, multiple matching targets, or a previous dismissal can prevent a suggestion. You can enter the correct MMSI manually at any time.