USCG Vessel Information Verification Service

Electrical and electronic topics for small boats
jimh
Posts: 11670
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
Contact:

USCG Vessel Information Verification Service

Postby jimh » Tue Apr 11, 2017 8:01 am

The Coast Guard of the USA (USCG) have recently published a new web page which provides public access to their database called Vessel Information Verification Service (VIVS). The key aspect of this database is the criterion that the vessels in the database are operating, which means the vessels are equipped with an AIS transponder and are sending automatic identification system signals which have been received by the USCG. The database can be searched for information on vessels using several search fields.

The database appears to be dynamic and is updated Monday through Friday on a daily basis.

The database also excludes data about Coast Guard vessels or "Port Partner" vessels. Exactly what constitutes a "Port Partner" vessel is undefined.

The purpose of the database and its webpage search application are defined as allowing "commercial vessel owners/operators [to] verify the accuracy of their Automatic Identification System (AIS) broadcasted information per 46 U.S. Code Chapter 125. This includes the vessel name, call sign, vessel type, Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI), length, and beam."

The primary function of the service is to permit owners of AIS transponders to see the vessel data data being transmitted by their AIS as it has been received (by the USCG) and to compare that transmitted data to other data on file in official documents about their vessel. In this manner the vessel owner or master can discover any errors that may have been made in data entry into their AIS transponder.

I assume the application compares data about vessel dimensions on file in other database entries with the data being transmitted by AIS and flags any variance between those two sources. The application also appears to check the data being broadcast by AIS about the vessel's identify with the official data for parameters such as call sign, MMSI, IMO number, and vessel name.

The search function is linked from the USCG page at

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=aisVesselSearch

The actual search page is at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/aisSearch/index.php and this makes the AIS nature of the data rather clear from the URL name (which is in a directory called "aisSearch").

If the VIVS finds errors, the ship master or owner is informed about making corrections by being pointed to a USCG publication about AIS data entry and encoding at

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/AIS/AISGuide.pdf

jimh
Posts: 11670
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
Contact:

Re: USCG Vessel Information Verification Service

Postby jimh » Tue Apr 11, 2017 8:37 am

Here is an example of a commercial vessel with an AIS transponder transmitting information with errors:

VIVS_ScreenShotWithErrors.png
VIVS Search Result with Errors
VIVS_ScreenShotWithErrors.png (111.25 KiB) Viewed 2916 times


The master of this vessel has not properly entered data about the offset dimensions of the GNSS antenna relative to the vessel bow, stern, and centerline. This results in the length of the vessel (Dimensions A + B) and the beam of the vessel (Dimensions C + D) being unknown.

For more information on errors or discrepancies found, there is a link to the definitions:

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/aisSearch/Discrepancies_Definitions.pdf

The data shown above was released by the USCG under the Freedom of Information Act.