Marine Exchange Five Finger AIS Site

With the cooperation of the Five Finger Lighthouse organization, the Marine Exchange installed an AIS (Automatic Identification System) receiver at their lighthouse to expand vessel tracking coverage in Southeast Alaska.  State of Alaska grant funds are being used to extend the Alaska Maritime Safety Net now comprised of over 75 AIS sites from Prudhoe Bay, west to Adak and south to Ketchikan.

This is the second lighthouse the Marine Exchange has installed AIS on, the other being Cape Decision.  Installing AIS receivers at Lighthouses returns these structures to their historical role of aiding maritime safety.  Lighthouses are great AIS sites as they are strategically located in hazardous maritime areas.  MXAK plans to install AIS receivers at several other lighthouses in Alaska in the near future.

MXAK staff Leo DeMeo building solar panel frame to power AIS site.

Building Foundation

Ed Page and Brett Farrell building the concrete foundation for the AIS structure.

Lighthouse keeper Edd McIntosh assists  Brett Farrell and Leo DeMeo haul out their shore boat.

Final Installation

Final AIS site structure with solar panels, batteries, AIS radio, modem and antenna.

Lighthouse keeper Edd McIntosh displays the Marine Exchange  Certificate of Appreciation for the Lighthouse’s support of the Alaska Maritime Safety Net.