MMSI from FCC - when going to another country - $215

[Sooner]

Can you believe that?  It's free at Boat US - if going US only.  Is it worth it for the DSC calling - receive only AIS on VHF?  Only going to Izla Mujeres - worth the expense?

[s/v Faith]

This reply is not going to be politically correct.

No, don't waste your time or money.  In practice, your mmsi is unique and that is all that matters.  You need one to use dsc, (which I don't) and to use AIS (which I do).

Unless you are planning a world cruise, or one who is "highly compliant" with regulations there is really no benefit to spending the money.

[Godot]

I spent the cash, as I hope to go international at some point. But I really don't have the piratical gene that would allow me to flaunt the rules, as much as I like to pretend I do some times. I've heard that bureaucrats in third world countries are sometimes little dictators who love their paperwork. But I'm certain that a great many folks probably travel without the FCC license. Does Mexico care? I don't know.

I do try to do things right. I sometimes think I cause myself unnecessary pain sometimes. YMMV.

[Sooner]

way I see it.   I can go to any foreign country with an older vhf and get along just fine.  I only need Mmsi for identifying my boat --If I make a dsc call won't my boat U.S. mmsi allow me to be contacted back since they just received who called them?  Don't I only need a free mmsi for ais if I'm using an ais transmitter?  Receive only. I see them but they don't see me.
Jim
Or do I have it all wrong

Friend of mine showed me an ais app tha accurately showed all the anchored ships in the area - Is this just received by by a local receiver and put out on the Internet?   Can this work a 100 miles out?

[Godot]

You can go to any foreign country with your older (or newer) VHF and get along just fine. Unless they are sticklers for the paperwork, in which case things might get uncomfortable for you when checking in or during boardings and such. I don't know how big a deal this is to most countries, as I have zero practical experience. For me, it is just easier to pay the bucks (the license is good for ten years) and keep my paperwork in order. I hate hassle. And I really hate worry. In addition to the radio station license, you will also need a FCC Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit to be legal internationally.

Your BoatUS MMSI won't be legally recognized outside of the USA. But for DSC communications I don't see why it wouldn't work.

You don't legally need an MMSI (or radio station license) for an AIS receiver, only a transmitter. I don't think EPIRBs use MMSI; but I think the FCC might still want you to register it.

The biggest reason to get the FCC license is merely to stay on the right side of the law. The second reason, I guess, is if you push the distress button, international authorities will know who you are.

Regards the internet app that shows AIS locations, they are generally based on ground based AIS receivers. I'm not sure what the range is; but I suspect they can reach 50 or 100 miles. There are also satellites who can pick up the data; but I'm not sure if those streams are publicly available.

[ralay]

We've also been considering dropping the money to get a new MMSI.  Our radio is already programmed with a FCC MMSI from the previous owner.  We would have to pay the money for a new MMSI plus the fees and shipping to send our radio back to Standard Horizon for reprogramming.  My understanding is that keeping your paper work in order is useful to search and rescue operations because of the other information associated with your MMSI/EPIRB.  I updated our EPIRB info, because I want rescuers to have correct information about us and our boat and correct contact information for us and our families.  Every once and awhile we hear the CG on the radio saying they received a distress call but give nothing but an MMSI number.  It's easier to keep a lookout for a boat of a certain description than to keep a lookout for a number.  And if someone can call one of our family members, they all have a sample float plan with all the information on our boat (tankage, safety equipment, etc.).  I imagine rescuers might like to know whether we're two folks in a little skiff or two folks in a sailboat (hopefully) with a whole lot of equipment.  It would make a big difference in correctly anticipating our location if our DSC signal is cut off.  In our case, at least the information for the boat will be correct, but information on the people will not.

That's my reasoning for ponying up the money, anyway.  But boating on a budget means constantly making judgments on cost vs probability of usefulness.  We often know what we'd do with unlimited money, but in reality we have to chose where the application of money will be most helpful.  There might be other ways that $300 could be spent that would increase our safety more than having a new MMSI. 

[Godot]

I think you can usually transfer an MMSI to a new ships station license. There should be something on the application about that.

[s/v Faith]

I think you can usually transfer an MMSI to a new ships station license. There should be something on the application about that.

That is my understanding also, otherwise you would have to send the VHF back into the mfg each time a boat is sold.

This is a case where it would be worth it (IMHO) to pay the fee.  It is one thing to know that your mmsi info may not be available to some other country because you got the free mmsi from boat us....  It is another thing entirely to have an mmsi that identifies you as someone else's!

[ralay]

You can transfer an MMSI, though we'd still have to pay for a new ship station's license.  The problem is that the transfer has to be initiated by the person who is currently associated with the MMSI.  In our case, the previous owner never transfered the MMSI when he bought the boat, so we need to track down the previous, previous owner who we've never met.  He has a very common Spanish name and no longer lives in the US.  The combination of hoping we might track him down and wondering whether our radio might finally die after spending the money to reprogram it has lead us to put the whole deal on the back burner.  I spoke to a woman at the FCC who told me it was legal though less than ideal until we leave the US.  We'll sort it out one of these days.  Don't need the radio in the boatyard, anyways, which is where we always seem to be.

[Bubba the Pirate]

Here's the rub: your BoatUS MMSI will have questionable value outside the US because it is not going to be in the international database.

From the Boat US pagehttps://www.boatus.com/mmsi/MM1.htm#q14
"What is the difference between obtaining an MMSI from the FCC and obtaining a number from BoatUS?

BoatUS MMSI numbers are coded for recreational vessels cruising in U.S. waters only not otherwise required to be licensed; the registrations are downloaded into the U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue Database (MISLE) only. FCC-assigned MMSI numbers are coded for International Waters and go into the International Search & Rescue Database (ITU). In order to be accepted into the ITU database, any FCC assigned MMSI must end in zero. This is why the BoatUS MMSI number cannot be re-used when later applying for an FCC License for international cruising."

DSC is only useful if your MMSI is useful:

from the Boat/US page https://www.boatus.com/mmsi/info.htm
"DSC VHF radios WILL:
Have a One-Button Emergency Transmit capability that sends out the vessel's unique MMSI number and, if properly connected to a GPS or Loran, the vessel's latitude/longitude position."

So, it seems to me if I were going somewhere relatively near for only a short time, like Isla Mujeres, I wouldn't worry about it.  If I was going to spend extended time out of the US, I would spring for the FCC #. 

The MMSI number connects to contact information, emergency contacts and a description of your vessel in the database.  I am no expert, but say you have a BoatUS MMSI in international water with the radio properly connected to a GPS, when you hit the button it seems like it will broadcast your position and the fact that you're in trouble, but will not describe you.  That could be a problem. It could cost precious time in a search and rescue situation.   

I plan to be outside the US for a long while, I will spring for the FCC MMSI.