Vessel Finder
From AltData.wiki, The Alternative Data Encyclopedia
Vessel Finder is a maritime information service that provides a public vessel-tracking map and commercial Automatic Identification System data. Its website includes vessel, port, photograph, and container-search functions, while paid services supply real-time positions, voyage information, port calls, vessel particulars, historical records, and raw AIS messages.[1]
The Android application is published by Astra Paging, and Google Play identifies its developer as ASTRA PAGING LTD. EOOD in Bulgaria.[4] No founding date or detailed corporate history was verified in the sources consulted.
What It Does
VesselFinder presents reported ship positions and movements on an interactive map. Users can search by vessel name, International Maritime Organization number, or Maritime Mobile Service Identity, inspect destination and estimated arrival fields, review port calls, maintain a fleet list, and browse ship photographs.[1][4] The service also offers route planning, fleet exploration, embeddable maps, and mobile applications.
Commercial customers can obtain the underlying maritime records for integration into their own geographic-information systems, dashboards, and analytical applications. The product is thus both a consumer tracking website and a business-to-business data-delivery service.[2]
Data and Methodology
AIS transponders broadcast standardized messages that can include identity, position, course, speed, navigational status, destination, and estimated arrival. VesselFinder says it processes millions of raw NMEA messages each day from terrestrial receiving stations and decodes them into XML or JSON records.[2] Organizations can also apply to contribute receiver coverage through the site's AIS partner program.[1]
AIS is not continuous or complete. Reception depends on radio range, station availability, equipment configuration, transmission intervals, and whether a vessel broadcasts valid data. The Google Play listing explicitly warns that a vessel outside coverage is shown at its last reported position and that completeness and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.[4] Estimated arrival and voyage fields may be entered manually aboard the vessel or derived from other information, so they should not be treated as independently verified facts.
Products
The Live AIS API supports requests for a single vessel, a defined fleet, or all vessels in a custom area. Other endpoints provide port-call records, sea-route and distance calculations, and vessel particulars such as technical specifications, capacity, and ownership fields.[2] The website separately lists Historical AIS Data for retrospective movement analysis and Container Tracking for container-status queries.[1][3]
For customers needing lower-latency input, VesselFinder offers raw NMEA messages through TCP/IP or UDP. A feed may be filtered by geographic area, receiving source, or AIS message type, and position reports may be downsampled to reduce bandwidth.[2] Consumer access includes free website functions and premium map plans, while commercial feeds require a subscription.
Delivery and Pricing
Structured real-time records are delivered through web-service responses in XML or JSON, while raw feeds use NMEA sentences. Historical data is offered as a separate service.[2][3] For raw AIS, the company says pricing depends on requested area, number of receiving stations, and vessel-traffic density. Public premium plans are listed on the website, and enterprise data requests are quoted after the customer describes the required vessel or area coverage.[1][2]
Buyers and Use Cases
Public-map and app users include maritime professionals, researchers, ship enthusiasts, and people following a particular voyage. Google Play independently confirms that the application includes vessel search, movement history, port search, port calls, fleet lists, weather layers, and map tools.[4]
API and stream customers can use the data for fleet monitoring, port and arrival analysis, voyage reconstruction, geofencing, logistics dashboards, and maritime-software development. Historical positions can support traffic studies or operational review. In every case, an AIS observation indicates a received transmission; it does not prove cargo ownership, commercial intent, regulatory compliance, or uninterrupted vessel activity.