Mac AIS Dispatcher

KSF AIS Dispatcher

Native macOS AIS dispatcher for reading local NMEA0183 AIS data from serial, UDP, or read-only Signal K inputs and forwarding approved AIS sentences to configured UDP receiver services.

Requires macOS 12 Monterey or newer. Supports Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

Use this when

You already receive local AIS/NMEA0183 data and want a simple Mac utility for forwarding selected AIS sentences to approved internet receiver services.

Reads serial, UDP and read-only Signal K sources, validates NMEA0183 checksums and forwards approved AIS sentences over UDP.

What you need before using this

You need an existing local AIS feed.

This app does not create AIS data, does not transmit on VHF/AIS radio and does not write to Signal K.

Technical details

AIS Dispatcher is for sailors who already receive AIS/NMEA0183 locally and want a simple Mac utility for forwarding selected AIS data to approved internet receiver services.

Serial and UDP AIS input from local NMEA0183 sources.
Read-only Signal K AIS input over WLAN/LAN, forwarding only raw !AIVDM/!AIVDO strings found in the stream.
Multiple UDP receivers for services such as MarineTraffic/Kpler, AISHub, VesselFinder, and similar endpoints.
NMEA checksum validation before forwarding.
AIVDM target forwarding for received vessels.
Optional AIVDO pass-through when your own AIS equipment already provides ownship sentences.
NMEA 4 tag blocks with source and timestamp support where receivers prefer them.
Duplicate throttling to avoid sending repeated identical messages too fast.
Live status counters for inputs, AIS received, UDP sent, duplicates, bad checksums, and failures.
Import/export configuration for easy backup or moving to another Mac.
Feedback and bug report from inside the app with optional attachment.

Application Screenshot

Click the image to open it full size.

Package

Release type: Public production

Version1.0.0

Free Software Note

KSF AIS Dispatcher is provided free of charge and is used at your own risk. It has no warranty and does not replace approved marine equipment, AIS/VHF equipment, navigation judgement, or watchkeeping.

I understand this note before downloading.

Download App Checksums latest.json

Requires macOS 12 Monterey or newer. Supports Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

Advanced verification: SHA-256 0fdf4c918fdfbba7e948845465d20a802cad2d40ef6ba46a4b34c88099433a4f

User Manual

Read the manual before enabling internet AIS forwarding. The same manual is bundled inside the app under the Help menu.

Download PDF Manual Privacy Policy

Part Of The SailingKSF Ecosystem

The Mac apps are ready to use now as standalone tools. The autopilot suite remains under test during the 2026 sailing season, with a small group of interested sailors planned after the first sea-trial phase.

SailingKSF Autopilot Suite

The onboard control and safety platform with steering intelligence, UI, gateway, sensors, weather, logs and iPad workflows.

Open Autopilot Overview

KSF AIS Dispatcher

A native macOS utility that reads local AIS/NMEA0183 from serial, UDP or read-only Signal K and forwards approved AIS sentences to internet receiver services.

Open AIS Dispatcher Overview

KSF Passage Companion for Mac

A native macOS passage companion for logbook entries, readiness checks, Voyage Story, Where Is? inventory, provisioning, route exports and passage archives.

Open Passage Companion for Mac Overview

KSF NMEA Sniffer

A native macOS diagnostic viewer for USB NMEA2000/CAN, USB NMEA0183 and read-only Signal K over WLAN/LAN.

Open NMEA Sniffer Overview

AIS Sharing Background

MarineTraffic / Kpler have a useful guide about adding an AIS station and sharing received AIS data. It is good background reading if you want to understand internet AIS receiver setup, station registration, and data-sharing expectations.

Open MarineTraffic / Kpler Guide

Safety Note

The dispatcher does not transmit on AIS/VHF radio and does not write to Signal K. It reads local AIS/NMEA data only and forwards UDP packets to receivers you configure.