Remote AIS Ocean Current Monitoring Systems Installed at Major Cruise Terminal

Falmouth Scientific, Inc. (FSI) and RigStat are pleased to announce the successful installation of Ocean Current Monitoring Systems with AtoN over AIS communications at the Puerta Maya Cruise Terminal in Cozumel, Mexico.

“These monitoring systems will not only assist captains in navigating into our port, but will also increase the safety for the many thousands of cruise ship passengers that visit our resort city each year”, said the General Manager of the Puerta Maya Terminal.

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a vessel location and information reporting system used by the marine industry as a worldwide standard. Aids to Navigation (AtoN) Transceivers are a sub-class of AIS which communicate critical navigation information such as marine hazards and meteorological data to benefit mariners and authorities.

The systems, which were installed on the two Puerta Maya Terminal piers, integrate FSI ACM-PLUS current meters with RigStat environmental monitoring systems to send real-time current speed, current direction, and water temperature data to incoming cruise vessels to enhance the safety of their approach to the terminal. The data is displayed to the ship’s captain as part of the standard AIS data stream.

FSI and RigStat teamed to provide a fully integrated solution that included instruments, hardware, battery backup, AIS communication, user interface software, and installation services. This integrated system can be purchased as a standard solution, or customized to accommodate special requirements for other ports and shipping terminals. The AtoN data format is now a standard data output option on the FSI ACM-PLUS family of current sensors.