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

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!

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 )

USCG Press Release 7 Feb 2008:

Last April the Coast Guard asked for public comment on the need to continue broadcasting high frequency (HF) high seas weather forecasts for single sideband voice, facsimile charts and text messages over radiotelex (e.g. HF NAVTEX). The Coast Guard required public comment because the infrastructure necessary to provide these services had exceeded its life expectancy and significant costs were involved to continue these services.

After reviewing and analyzing the substantial public response that overwhelmingly urged the continuation of these services, the Coast Guard’s “business case study” concluded that it was necessary to continue HF weather broadcasts. The business case study, “An Impact Assessment of Discontinuing USCG High-Frequency Radio Broadcasts of NWS Marine Weather Forecasts” is posted at: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/high_frequency/HF-WX_notice.htm

The study concluded:
“The responding public collectively perceives that the USCG HF broadcasts are essential to their safety. There is no viable alternative to the USCG HF broadcasts because present alternatives are perceived by the public to be out of financial reach. Also, marine weather forecasts available through these alternative sources may not guarantee the same level of accuracy, timeliness, and/or sufficiency as provided by the USCG HF broadcasts.”

While the Coast Guard does not have funds necessary to replace all of its HF transmitters, funds are available to replace the 20 transmitters used for weather broadcasts.

gCaptain appreciates the letters sent after highlighting this issue in May.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Funniest video of last year! Thanks, Berlitz

(Is your company blocking access? View the file here: LINK )

Originally known as the Atlantic Merchant Vessel Emergency Reporting (AMVER) System, it became operational on July 18, 1958. Amver began as an experiment, confined to waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, notorious for icebergs, fog and winter storms. Vice Admiral Alfred C. Richmond, Coast Guard Commandant at the time, called on all commercial vessels of U.S. and foreign registry, over 1,000 gross tons and making a voyage of more than 24 hours, to voluntarily become Amver participants. The basic premise of Amver, as a vehicle for mariner to help mariner without regard to nationality, continues to this day. Continue Reading…

Standard Horizon HX850S VHF/GPS DSC Floating RadioNot that I spend a lot of waking OR sleeping hours dreaming about handheld VHF radios, mind you. Still, this thing is pretty dang cool.

Behold the Standard Horizon HX850S VHF/GPS DSC Floating Submersible Radio. I’d link to the manufacturer’s site, but there isn’t any info about this model up there yet?!

Apparently, there’s actually a good reason for this. After berating Standard-Horizon for their lack of a press release about this new product, Panbo learned that Standard-Horizon is still awaiting final FCC certification for the product. Oh golly, not another cool product in limbo because of the FCC!!

Thanks Tim.

Fred Pot pointed me to the ability of an AIS device to assist in making a VHF DSC call. Nice!

6.10 Making a DSC Call (In map mode)

To make a DSC call, the unit must be connected to a SimNet compatible

DSC VHF radio.

.

In Display Mode highlight a vessel icon then press and hold the

HOME/DSC key, the AI50 will format a Routine Individual DSC call.  A

"Creating DSC Call" window opens showing the MMSI number and name of

the vessel you intend to call.

.

If this is correct and you wish to continue, press Ret MENU or > to

send the call. The "Routine DSC Call" window opens confirming that the

call has been created and sent to the VHF radio.

Read the full post HERE.