Should i upgrade to a vhf with built-in ais for solo sailing?

[Hannah20]

I’m trying to decide if I should replace my old VHF with a newer model that has a built-in AIS receiver. My current radio works fine, but I do a lot of solo sailing in areas with commercial traffic and wonder if seeing targets directly on the chartplotter would be worth the cost and installation hassle.

[NathanUT]

I upgraded last season and got a built in AIS on the chartplotter. It’s handy to see traffic when I’m sailing solo in busy lanes, but the display gets crowded fast and the newer unit isn’t cheap or easy to install.

[Aaron_M]

I didn’t replace the VHF yet. I added a separate receiver and fed the data into the chartplotter. It was cheaper and kept the VHF for DSC, but the data lag and the occasional screen clutter when boats bunch up were annoying.

[Samuel_D]

Do you actually need it, or is the traffic visibility problem masking something else like routing or timing gaps in your watch?

[Dennis.M]

If the price is the holdup, try a used unit or a portable setup first and see how it changes your solo routine before committing to a full install.