We have just installed an AIS receiver onboard our boat - and it is a great
help when navigating in Puget Sound with lots of traffic including ferries,
commercial shipping etc.

I was surprised yesterday to see that a Korean containership - the Huyndai
Patriot - was barreling through the busy waterway at 20 odd knots without
transmitting an AIS signal, since that is a mandatory carriage requirement
inder the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention.

Is South Korea not a member of SOLAS? Is there any penalty for vessels not
adhering to the mandatory requirements in U.S. waters?

Just idle curiosity...

Claus