Is there a way to track ships in the ocean? (like tracking planes)?

Question

I want to know if there is a way to track ships in the ocean, ie cargo, passenger, personal, etc..much like you would track an airliner..Any help??

Answer 1

Every ship of 300 Gross tonnage and above is required to be fitted with an Automatic Identification system(AIS).This instrument which is fitted on all ships can be used to track a ship's movement across all oceans on a real time basis.A sample can be obtained at the following site:

http://aisfree.aislive.com/Influx.aspx

Answer 2

This site might help you:

http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shiploc...

There are sites that track cruising sailboats that join voluntarily.  

http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/index....

Answer 3

well idk if i caould much of a help but here goes.yes i think so.they have radars just like planes.like if you ever saw the movie crimson tide they have a crapload of boat trackers.

Answer 4

They are all required to have GPS devices.

Answer 5

As the others said they all have GPS so they know where they are and RADAR to avoid collisions. I think you might mean do they have 'transponders' like aircraft do so that the control towers know where they are? They dont have anything like that because they dont need to.The ocean is a big place, its mostly unregulated and its up to the ship's captains to ensure they avoid collisions. You could theoretically have a big NORAD-style map of the world with a blip for each ship, but what would be the reason? Unless the vessel is entering or leaving port, or in a particularly congested sea-lane who cares where they are...

Answer 6

Actually just about every merchant vessel DOES have a transponder, as required by law, using a system called AIS.

AIS stands for Automated Information System, and sends out pertinent infomation visible to other shps in the vicinity. Information includes but is not limited to - name, callsign, destination, speed, positon, course, CPA (closest point of approach to the ship observing) TCPA (time to CPA) and much else.

Additional information is visible to shore stations (such as coastguard and vessel traffic systems) that might contain 'commercially sensitive' information such as cargo type, persons onboard etc

More and more ports and vessel traffic services will give a ship a really hard time, and even refuse entry, if they do not have AIS oprational on their ship - the beloved US homeland security is a glowing example of this...

At present AIS is only a legal requirement on merchant vessels over a certain size, but more and more systems are becoming availiable to yachts - to any yachties reading this PLEASE get AIS! at sea a ship will pick up a typical yacht on its radar at less than 5 mles range. AIS is transmitted by VHF so its range will be around the 30 mile mark, and will be visible on a ships system regardless of the state of visibility or weather.

This leads on to you question of can YOU track ship - well, as the range is only 30 miles or so than clealry you couldnt get a global over view, just of ships in your area.

Well, one possibility is getting hold of AMVER data (google AMVER) - its a search and rescue system where ships on international voyages send in their planned route so if a distress is recieved the system can see globally what ships might be in the area to assist, and contact them directly to do so. there is something like 12,000 ships that participate in the program..