Photo By Derek K. Miller

Wikipedia tells us “The IMO number is made of the three letters ‘IMO’followed by the seven-digit number assigned to all ships by IHS Fairplay when constructed. This is a unique seven digit number that is assigned to propelled, sea-going merchant ships of 100 GT and above. It serves to identify ships and is not changed when the ship’s owner, country of registry or name changes.” This number makes tracking ships, via AIS and other means, over long periods of time practical.

While most mariners can tell you the significance of a ship’s IMO number, few know how the number is chosen. One of the mathematicians over at teppovuori.fi thinks he’s figured it out:

IMO Numbers are made up of the letters IMO and seven decimal digits (Six information digits followed by a seventh check digit concatenated into a seven digit number)

1. The six information digits to be checked are weighted from left to right by 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2.
2. Products are added up.
3. The sum is divided by 10. The remainder is the check digit.

Example: IMO 9074729 (Pacific Frontier, Hong Kong)

	 9  0  7  4  7  2  9
	 7  6  5  4  3  2
	63  0 35 16 21  4  = 139 -> 9

The method could also be described by saying that the weighting factors are 7..2 from left to right, and the check digit is the digit that you need to subtract from the sum to make it evenly divisible by 10. Note: This was updated by a gCaptain reader

If anyone is a mathematician or cryptologist and can verify this please leave a comment below.

So what is an IMO Number anyway? The IMO says:

As a result of the attack on the USS Cole, the events of Sept. 11, 2001 and the suicide bombing of the oil tanker Limburg, the IMO held a Diplomatic Conference on Maritime Security in December 2002. At the conference, it adopted a number of measures aimed at enhancing the security of ships and port facilities. In addition to the creation of the well-known ISPS Code, the conference also included a modification to SOLAS Regulation XI-1/3 to require ships’ identification numbers to be permanently marked in a visible place either on the ship’s hull or superstructure.

The IMO Ship Identification Number is a unique seven-digit number assigned to propelled, seagoing vessels of 100 gross tons and above. The number is assigned by Lloyd’s Register – Fairplay Ltd. on behalf of the IMO. It consists of the three letters IMO followed by seven numbers.

It is important to note that this number is separate and different from your official number. The official number is an internal control number issued by your yacht’s flag administration and cannot be used to replace the IMO number.

gCaptain’s Short Answer: A vessel’s “IMO Number” is the single best way to track and locate history on a ship since each number is unique and is the only identification that remains with a vessel from shipyard to scrapyard.

Links:

• Official IMO Issuance Page
• Look-Up Vessel Information by IMO Number (Registration required)
• USCG Vessel Information by IMO (Hull) Number

With the crowded nature of the GMDSS / Emergency Signaling market, does the maritime world really need another manufacturer? I’ll leave that question for you to fight over in the comments but, regardless of need, a new player has emerged; a UK based company called Ocean Signal. Take a look at the following video for a sneak preview of their products:

Click here to view the embedded video.

In past articles gCaptain contributor Mario Vittone has clearly illustrated the importance of flares in finding vessels in distress. And having nineteen years of combined military service in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, the bulk of which he spent looking for mariners in distress, we value his opinion on the matter.  But Mario also cautions about the dangers and limits of flares including “the dripping hot phosphorous put out by hand held flares and smoke devices will obviously burn your skin”.

With flares being so important to marine safety, yet inherently dangerous to use on small boats ravaged by high seas, is there a better system? Greatland Laser thinks they found a better way with the development of their Green Rescue Flare. They tell us:

The GLF031-01 Green Rescue Laser Flare® is a hand-held day and nighttime laser signaling device that provides a convenient, effective way to signal a rescue party. It’s waterproof, rugged design combines the safety of a laser signaling device with the convenience of a flashlight. Brilliant green light makes it the most visible of the three models and the preferred style of Search and Rescue (SAR) professionals.

Unlike pyrotechnic flares, the Green Rescue Laser Flare® is non-flammable, environmentally safe and can operate continuously for 5 hours on a single long-life replaceable lithium battery. Battery included.

But the question remains…. does it work? gCaptain has heard reports of green lasers being used effectively to blind pirates (or watch-mates!) and as a tool to point out stars to cadets learning celestial navigation, but we have not received any feedback on their use in marine safety applications. But Practical Sailor, the “Consumer Reports“ of boaters, did get their hands on a unit for testing. They write:

Compared to other visual distress signals, the Green Rescue Flare is an impressive tool. Its exceptionally brilliant light can be seen from greater distances than red laser flares, flashlights, and strobe lights; its signaling capability lasts hours rather than the minutes an aerial flare lasts; and unlike pyrotechnic flares, it is compact, can be re-used, doesn’t expire, and can be carried through airport security. The downsides of the green flare include its battery life, its hefty price ($250), its line-of-sight limitations, its ineffectiveness in daylight, and the fact that green is not a universally recognized color of distress.

The Rescue Laser is by no means a replacement for position-locating devices, or even aerial flares, but adding it to your ditch bag adds versatility to your survival kit. If we could afford it, we’d have one of these tethered to every PFD and foulie jacket on board.

You can find the full test report from Practical Sailor HERE and stand-by as gCaptain looks forward to testing these units for ourselves (Steve C – watch out!).

gCaptian purchased an older model GSP-1600 Phone via Amazon to test the voice plan. The results were good, we purchased a used phone for less than $100 and had it activated on the $20/month plan in just a few hours. Pretty seamless but there are a few minor concerns you should know about.

First Globalstar is know for having had connection problems in the past and they require that you sign a disclaimer – which states “I understand that there are some temporary limitations to the Two Way Voice and Data Services on the Globalstar Satellite Constellation.” – prior to activating the service. The service activation itself was also a bit strange. The company doesn’t allow you to activate the phone via their website or customer service number. Instead they email you a, rather confusing, excel spreadsheet which you must fax back tot he company. Once faxed our service was activate in a few short hours.

The plan itself requires a phone which range in price from $100 (used online) to $500 for the latest model sat phone via Amazon. Once purchased you will also need to pay a $50 activation fee and this must all be done before the $20/month promotion expires on March 31st.

In short, I would not use this phone for emergencies but it – and the price of the unlimited voice plan – is perfect for making phone calls from the ship. Combined with a Google Voice account you can even have your incoming calls routed to both your sat and cell phones!

For those on international voyages be sure to check the Globalstar coverage map below to make sure it works in the areas your ship travels.

Most of our readers are familiar with Search And Rescue Transponders, those devices that look similar to EPIRBs that, when interrogated by X-band radar, produce a line of dots on the radar screen pointing rescuers to your location. These devices are great for Man Overboard scenarios, simply throw them overboard and they drift in relatively the same direction as the victim allowing you to home in on his location after completing a Williamson turn.

For larger incidents, the technology is less impressive.

If my ship is sinking fast I would not bother with the GMDSS DSC autocall buttons as their undesignated distress alerts are often ignored. I would also probably ignore the SART beacon because it’s signal can only be seen a few miles away.  At a close range, marine flares and a handheld VHF would likely be far more effective.  Regardless of whether a ship is close by or beyond the horizon my choice for MAYDAY calls to shore is an EPIRB.

When an EPIRB is triggered, the position is relayed to the Coast Guard or local authorities who will then relay the exact coordinates to any nearby vessels. In addition to a global rescue signal the EPIRB also transmits a homing signal on 121.5mhz, giving rescue aircraft a relative bearing to search on.

At close range the EPIRB and SART perform essentially the same function by providing an electronic trail for rescuers to follow to your location, however a vessel would need a Radio Direction Finder (RDF) to track an EPIRB’s homing signal, whereas SART can be tracked via radar commonly found on all ships and some planes.  Not sure how many vessels these days carry RDFs, but it’s likely a low percentage.

Enter the AIS SART, a technology that has been approved by the IMO (and now even the FCC) to replace traditional SARTS since 2007, but has only recently been fully accepted by manufacturers.  While relatively new, this technology follows many of the same guidelines as traditional SARTS.  For example the units must be watertight at a depth of 10 meters for at least 5 minutes, it must float, and be able to withstand falls into the water from a height of 20 meters.

The future of AIS. The USCG and other IMO signatories have made it clear that AIS technology will play an integral role in the future of marine safety. The May 2010 USCG directive on modernization tells us:

Use of AIS as an Alternative to the 121.5 MHz EPIRB Homing Signal. This proposal has been considered by COMSAR because of its clearly superior performance, but it was not adopted at the last session due to concerns of some administrations that few aircraft were equipped to home on the AIS signal. This enhancement is considered too beneficial for further delay. Because the EPIRB power budget will not economically support both homing options, it is recommended that COMSAR accept the AIS homer as an alternative to the 121.5 MHz homing beacon in the same fashion that the AIS SART was accepted as an alternative to the Radar SART.

Enhancement of Safety Communications for Survival Craft. There have been numerous suggestions that along with GMDSS Modernization there should be an overhaul of lifesaving appliances on survival craft. The voluntary radio equipment carried on large cruise ship lifeboats (especially those used as tenders) already far exceeds the IMO requirements, often including fixed mount VHF radios and radar. It is recommended that…. fixed mount VHF radios and AIS for all self propelled lifeboats and VHF portables with integral GNSS for other survival craft. The option to include a handheld satellite phone should also be included.

Accommodation of e-Navigation in GMDSS Modernization. In addition, the expanding e-Navigation requirements overlap in some cases such as the use of MMSI identifiers. Integration of radar and AIS displays on electronic charts invites further integration of MSI warnings as well. New requirements for cargo security monitoring and special broadcasting services make a strong case for dealing with e-Navigation requirements and GMDSS modernization together.

Recognizing the Needs of Non-SOLAS Vessels in GMDSS Modernization. While GMDSS requirements apply only to SOLAS vessels, it is customary for most administrations to apply some of the GMDSS requirements to non-SOLAS vessels under domestic regulation. This is especially important in the U.S. with the world’s largest fleet of recreational vessels and a rather modest SOLAS fleet.

While this directive only provides guidance to regulators debating future GMDSS mandates, you don’t have to wait for the results.  Here are gCaptain’s suggestions for adding technology to the safety net of your vessel today:

1. Replace your SART’s with AIS SART’s. This suggestion is fairly straight forward. AIS SARTs are now available from well know manufacturers including McMurdo, Alltech (AMEC), and Jotron as well as a half dozen less known manufacturers.
2. Have a PLB’s or, better yet, Portable AIS SARTS on hand to issue out to all persons who need to go on deck during heavy weather.
3. Equip your Fast Rescue Boat with an AIS-B transmitter (our favorite HERE). This will allow you to track it’s movements on the bridge and is helpful in allowing you to set up and monitor SAR grid patterns.
4. Install an EPIRB or PLB in every lifeboat and FRC! This is the only way you are going to be rescued if the lifeboats are separated in poor weather.

While your ship many not be onboard with the latest tech gadgetry it’s only a matter of time before new an innovative uses of AIS are developed. I even hear that AeroMech is testing it’s use on UAV’s to perform SAR operations in weather too severe for traditional pilots. Have you thought of any new uses for the technology or have an AIS related tip you would like to share? If so please leave it in the comments section below.

Click HERE for gCaptain’s full coverage of AIS-SART technology!

gCaptain has long been a fan of the idea behind SPOT’s personal locator devices but gCaptain readers have pointed out a major concern, a SPOT it is not a PLB (the personal equivalent of an EPIRB) . The SPOT device can send a distress message with your location but it doesn’t go directly to the Coast Guard, rather it must first get routed through their private rescue coordination center. The other problem is that it doesn’t meet strict design standards of a certified PLB and, let’s face it, when you are in major trouble you want something that’s bulletproof.

So it is with open arms that we welcome ACR’s newest device the ACR AquaLink View PLB which comes compelte with ACR’s 406Link service which, like the SPOT, allows you not only to send a distress signal but also send an emergency or I’m OK signal to friends and family.

Here is Panbo’s take on the device:

The first time was the best. I was tootling down the Bay in May when I tested the ACR AquaLink View PLB. I’d already appreciated its high build quality, and how neatly instructions about how to activate its two self test modes and primary distress function are explained right on the casing. Then when I pressed the GPS Test button for five seconds, it was very nice to have the small LCD screen show the procedure step-by-step and advise me to give the antennas a good sky view. And it was impressive that the GPS — perhaps never used before, or at most tested in Florida — got (and displayed) a position in well less than a minute. (In fact, the whole test procedure is so quick that I’ve had a hard getting a good photo with the scrolling screen in action.) But the kicker was how my cell phone buzzed a moment later with a text message confirmation that the beacon’s test signal had made it through the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system, along with a link to its accurately mapped position…

Because I’m also testing the Pro version of ACR’s 406Link service, the same “All’s well” short message and location link could have been emailed and/or texted to four other recipients. Frankly, though, I consider that Spot-like messaging feature quite secondary to the reassurance felt when you can test a critical safety device like this PLB all the way through the system (short of the rescue center). Continue Reading Panbo’s Review…

gCaptain believes that one of these devices should be required inside every lifeboat and liferaft that goes to sea and we fully endorse the Aqualink but their is still one problem… the communication is still one way! To actually communicate with rescuers you need a two way emergency locating device, of which our favorite is currently Solara Data’s Field Tracker 2100, a device currently in use by the park service as well as our favorite emergency evacuation company. Standby as gCaptain waits for its own 2100 to review.

AIS has been a revolutionary product and, regardless of your opinion on its use, has changed the way mates handle heavy traffic situations. Jotron, makers of various SOLAS compliant marine safety electronics, is looking to bring this revolution to Search And Rescue operations with the introduction of an AIS enabled Search And Rescue Transponder (SART).

The device will work similar to traditional SARTs but, rather than show the position of a lifeboat on your 3cm radar, will transmit the exact GPS coordinates to all AIS enabled devices within VHF range.

We are excited not only by the product itself but the advancement of new ideas for sharing of data among the AIS network. gCaptain recently discussed the topic with the Coast Guard’s office for marine safety and is working with them to outline ideas to take AIS and data sharing from a point-to-point system to a web of collaborative sharing. Here is a basic summary of our question to marine safety:

AIS is a great system but it’s linear and data is stuck in predefined categories. Can a system be developed that facilitates discussion and information sharing between ship captain, pilots and VTS? We would be very interested in a system that facilitates discussion and allows collaboration between all parties.

One example of the failure of linear communication would be the Pasha Bulker incident. At first notice of the weather system that eventually caused the vessel to drag anchor and run aground, 56 ships were anchored in Newcastle Harbor. Each vessel received the same information via weather fax but 46 ships decided to head for the safety of sea, 10 stayed behind, 3 dragged anchor and one landed on the beach. Why had 10 captains interpreted the weather data so differently from the other 46?

Another example is the alission between the Cosco Busan and the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Why did her pilot decide to get underway while others delayed departure?

The answer to both questions lies in the minds of each Captain but our knowledge of vessel operations brings us to the conclusion that there is a sever lack of collaboration among Captains. This is particularly troubling in aggregate. Why? If we assume Captains have and average of 20 years on the job then the cumulative experience in Newcastle harbor that day exceeded 1120 years. In a time when the average employee can work from home with full access to company data, conference calls, shared documents and such why do we not share safety critical information between ships? The answer lies first in the attitude of self sufficiency that is present in the minds of most ship Captains but this is only half of the problem. The other half derives from the lack of systems capable of this type of collaboration. Could a system like AIS be transformed to allow the sharing of data, conditions and ideas?

I do not believe an AIS enabled SART will prevent the next big incident but the imaginative thought behind the idea combined with the use of existing infrastructure towards a specific goal (saving lives) is an encouraging notion indeed and gives us wide hope for the future.

For more creative uses of AIS technology be sure to read THIS POST over at Panbo. Also stay tuned for a look at AIS receivers aboard AeroMech AUV’s!

This was prior to the introduction of the ‘SOS’ and the recognized call sign for ships in distress then was ‘CQD’. This signal had been devised by the Marconi Company, it was intended to mean ‘All Stations – Urgent’, but was popularly misinterpreted as ‘Come Quick – Danger’ or ‘Come Quickly Down’.

The ‘SOS’ signal was established as an International Distress Signal by an agreement made between the British Marconi Society and the German Telefunk organisation at the Berlin Radio Conference, 3 October 1906. The signal was formally introduced on 1 July 1908.

The first time the ‘SOS’ signal was used in an emergency was on 10 June 1909, when the Cunard liner SS Slavonia was wrecked off the Azores. Two steamers received her signals and went to the rescue.

Fact from: The Shell Book of Firsts. By Patrick Robertson. Elbury Press & Michael Joseph Ltd. London.

A few months ago we received a press release from McMurdo on a revolutionary product, the Fast-Find 210 PLB, a portable version of an EPIRB, The revolutionary part was not a change in the way distress signals are sent from the device but rather the size (very small) and price point ($299 list) of the device. Subscribing to the theory of Too Good To Be True, we have held off on writing about the product until we had confirmation on the quality of the unit from a trusted source. Today that verification came, via Panbo, from friend of gCaptain and survival expert Doug Ritter. Doug writes:

Bearing in mind the limitations inherent in our tests we conducted as outlined above, bottom line is that this new McMurdo Fast Find represents a significant advance in performance in a much more compact package.  It isn’t perfect, the cap design and not quite single-hand deployment issues are a bit annoying, but they are not deal killers and the combination of the truly pocketable size, significantly improved GPS performance and low cost makes it a compelling distress signaling device. McMurdo have essentially leapfrogged the competition with this one. The new Fast Find is small enough and affordable enough to outfit your entire family in case someone gets separated from the group, falls overboard, etc.

Carry a Fast Find together with an effective pocket survival kit with essential survival and basic signaling gear and you’ve got most wilderness emergencies covered with just a pocket full of gear and not at a huge cost. These new Fast Finds are much more enticing due to their small size and low cost, hence more will carry them and more lives will be saved. Win, win, all the way around.

What does this mean for the average mariner? First, with greater acceptance and knowledge of PLB’s, shipping companies will start to equip each lifeboat with individual units to augment the vessel’s base station. If the trend catches on you may even see them included in liferafts or clipped onto individual lifevests.

Regardless of whether shipping companies adopt these units on a wide scale it is now economically possible for the average mariner (or passenger) to purchase his own unit independent of the vessel’s GMDSS equipment. This leads us to the question: “What are the safety implications of mariners and vessel passengers having the ability to transmit distress communication independent of the Captain’s orders?” and “Will individuals stringently assure these devices are properly registered and maintained?”

Be sure to read Doug Ritter’s full review, and keep up-to-date on the latest marine safety electronics by bookmarking gCaptain’s GMDSS category and Panbo’s Marine Safety section.

We also want to thank our friends at West Marine for making Doug’s review possible and for offering gCaptain readers $25 off the purchase of a McMurdo Fastfind 210… just use click on this link and use coupon code use code AFFSPCL to visit their store and place an order.

We have already seen how the Red Cross and United States Coast Guard has successfully implemented Twitter in their effort to dissimenate information and update participants during times of emergency. Has the US Navy joined the social media revolution to help combat piracy in Somali waters?  Well in it’s own way (of course). Bloomberg Tells us:

In the command room of the Psara, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Greek officers watched a computer screen updating the positions of 17 warships. Another computer showed the location of 300 merchant ships, potential prey spread over 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers).

The tracking is done with a mix of Global Positioning System navigation and Centrix, a military-communication system developed by NATO, as well as a Web site specially developed for the mission on which commercial ships enter their positions.

Since late January, Papaioannou also has had a new tool: a third computer in the command room carries an Internet chat channel. On a recent visit, sailors from the Psara, two U.S. warships and the Spanish frigate SPS Victoria were exchanging instant messages in English about their positions and about unconfirmed reports of a fire on board a boat in Somalia’s Mogadishu harbor.

In a corner of the room, which bristled with radar and radio equipment, hung a Jolly Roger flag. Black-and-white photos of suspected pirate ships were tacked to the wall.

The EU formed the Atalanta mission after Somali pirates in September seized a Ukrainian ship carrying tanks and, in November, a Saudi tanker carrying fuel. Task Force 151 will grow to six this month with the arrival of frigates from Singapore and Turkey.

The coordination paid off on March 3, when the freighter MV Courier, operated by German shipping company Gebrueder Winter, sent a distress signal at 10:12 a.m. local time as it came under grenade fire from a skiff. Read More…

While the implementation of Automated Identification System (AIS) has been revolutionary in its ability to track and communicate with ships, AIS gives us only a small peak into the capabilities Information Technology has to change the way we operate ships. By integrating real time chat, the multinational forces in the area suddenly are able to coordinate their efforts, a powerful tool previously not available to them. Here’s an example of the problems they faced:

“When I arrived here in December we exchanged a daily intention message with the Americans, but that was about it,” said Papaioannou, 51. “Then one day we had two helicopters patrolling the same area, which is a waste. I sent three of my officers to the U.S. command ship and we worked it out.”

Now the revolution behind twitter is it’s ability to combine the real time, short message, capabilities of chat with communities of members that share common interests. Twitter is also set up like a blog recording historical data that is search able by both Google and its own internal engine. We do not know specific of the Navy’s system but, if twitter were used in the Gulf Of Aden, daily information reports, problems and intelligence could be pushed out to vessels and military assets in real time.  By recording the information and allowing it to be searched (by authorized users!) you bring new functionality to the war on pirates including:

1) Trend Analysis – Mapping problem areas, times of day, ship characteristics, etc… trends will emerge that will enable the forces to become better prepared

2) Historic Data – Each time a ship returns to the area you have historic data on their last transit. Valubale information in predicting strenghts and weaknesses.

3) Evidence – The primary reason hijackings occur in Somalia is lack of accountability. The pirates know the chances of getting caught and serving jail time are low. Plans are underway to convict pirates in a court of law and for that to happen evidence is required. A twitter like program would allow ships, navy assets and private security firms to photograph, upload and archive photos and other evidence of the pirates. Tying this system into aerial feeds from UAV’s, ground intelligence and emerging systems would give you a robust data platform.

With both Twitter and the Navy’s pirate chat software getting high marks from users the question remains… how can these systems be integrated into maritime safety initiatives? One idea is to have a twitter like system for each port which gives pilots, VTS, ship agents and vessels access to live data and the opportunity to discuss issues of concerns in real time. Would the Cosco Busan have gotten underway if the pilots were all chatting with VTS and NOAA about the fog conditions or would a mutual consensus have changed the mind of her captain and Pilot?

What are your thoughts? Is a maritime version of twitter realistic or is there a better platform for opening dialogue between individual ship captain and port athourities? What are road blocks for wide scale implementation?

-John ( twitter.com/gCaptain )