TRANSFERRING A MMSI

Q: I just purchased a used 54ft Jeanneau that was recently outfitted by the previous owner with the latest in marine electronics. All radio gear has the previous owner’s MMSI number entered into its memory. I am told it is a major job to pull the equipment and have a new MMSI number programmed. This means two VHFs, the marine SSB and an AIS transponder all need to be reprogrammed. Unbelievable! An expensive update, right? Don Hamilton, Galveston, TX