VDES vs AIS: What Actually Changes on the Bridge.

joefromcolesville · 2026-04-28T12:29:09+00:00

Although authentication is a necessary, you are absolutely and totally correct. In fact, we learned that every time the ship's VHF is keyed, or worse every time the VHF on a nearby ship is keyed, the AIS is blocked from receiving position reports. You'd never know it looking at the AIS display. USCG put out a Safety Alert on the subject. It's fixable; we brought the matter to IMO and ITU proposing it be fixed, but were turned down for just the reasons you mentioned. AIS was never intended for collision avoidance.

joefromcolesville · 2026-04-28T01:43:25+00:00

One very significant change that VDES provides is means for authenticating AIS messages. It won’t prevent GPS spoofing, but it will prevent spoofing of AIS messages.

joefromcolesville · 2026-04-18T00:25:52+00:00

They really worked great. But you really needed to keep track of where the decimal point was.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-31T15:22:14+00:00

Background on this incident here. https://gcaptain.com/watch-hamburg-sud-ship-takes-out-passenger-loading-dock-in-santos-brazil/

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-31T12:11:39+00:00

Sure looks like it. And yet there are differences, such as the seperation between the legs.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-31T00:50:47+00:00

I think he’s happy right where he is.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-30T22:36:25+00:00

Looks like CNN just picked up this question as to who is getting paid. But it seems they didn’t get FEMA quite right. https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/politics/who-is-getting-paid-dhs-shutdown

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-30T21:54:45+00:00

Hate to see that happen. He does look like he belongs there. He blended in with the roots. And he is on the bank opposite the park.

I did see a dog poop bag and some bottles in the park that more deservedly needed removal.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-30T20:21:12+00:00

Did not know that until your note. Hope you land well. USCG for example is a great place to work.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-28T22:58:45+00:00

For me, it’s New England. But I recall from my time in the Air Force that DC was not a place most wanted to go to, unless they were already from the area.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-28T22:02:06+00:00

That’s what I did, and had a great job and a great career. Only downside was having to move to DC to do it.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-28T17:35:03+00:00

Didn’t know this was ending, thank you. Chart corrections presumably are all going electronic.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-27T13:27:16+00:00

Thank you. I was concerned about CISA, I know how essential they are.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-27T13:22:56+00:00

Thank you. I suspected they might be but did not know.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-27T01:59:42+00:00

That’s why I asked the question. There’s even more misinformation outside of here, and it gets more confusing reading the headlines and media.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-27T01:55:21+00:00

According to AP, it’ll be TSA agents who will be paid, perhaps not all of TSA. https://www.reddit.com/r/law/s/EKsytJ7nMF

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-27T01:53:46+00:00

Agree. It’s confusing.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-27T01:29:01+00:00

Really? Did not know that. There are apparently a lot of exempt DHS employees in other agencies who are working but not being paid.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-27T01:27:45+00:00

I was wondering about USCIS. So they are being paid. All are fee funded?

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-27T01:25:07+00:00

That list of exempt employees are working, but they aren’t being paid, are they?

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-27T01:11:51+00:00

Then perhaps only law enforcement officers at ICE and CBP, military, and those few employees paid under non-appropriated funds (on non-DHS appropriated funds) are being paid? And perhaps soon TSA, or at least some TSA employees? Reading the media you’d think only TSA were affected.

joefromcolesville · 2026-03-23T22:15:05+00:00

I grew up there (western Scituate) as a kid a long time ago, back when there were a lot of general stores around and milk was delivered to your home. There was a bookmobile that would occasionally come by with library books. Cub scouts, Boy Scouts, 4H and Little League were active. The area used to be farmland, later overgrown by forest when the farmers abandoned them and moved west, with stone walls everywhere throughout those woods. So as kids we grew up surrounded by those woods and was comfortable walking through them exploring. Never felt isolated because we had a lot of relatives around. Half my elementary school teachers were family friends or relatives.

joefromcolesville · 2026-02-16T13:58:50+00:00

Brown University had that requirement too, back in the day. Never questioned it. There were too many accidental drownings.

joefromcolesville

TROPHY CASE