Sharjah Maritime Academy

Maritime Training Center

 General Operator’s
Certificate For The Global
Maritime Distress And Safety
System
G.O.C for GMDSS
Course Code – DCS 103
9) Role and method of use of ship
reporting systems
 Ship Reporting
Systems

• Provides coastal States with notice of

the presence of ships and their
information within the coastal state
waters.

• Systems which contribute to:

Safety of life at sea.
Safety and efficiency of navigation.
Protection of the marine environment.

• Ship reporting systems are listed in the

IAMSAR Manual Vol II.
 Role and method of use of ship reporting
systems
• Ships are a key SAR resource for RCCs.

• A ship reporting system enables the Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator
(SMC) to quickly know the approximate positions, courses and speeds of vessels
in the vicinity of a distress situation by means of a Surface Picture (SURPIC).

• (A SURPIC either lists latitude/longitude or provides a graphical display of

vessels near the position of a distress situation.

• Masters of vessels should be encouraged to send regular reports to the Authority

operating a ship reporting system for SAR.
 Three main ship reporting
systems:

Automated Modernized
Mutual- Japanese Ship Australian Ship
assistance Vessel Reporting System Tracking and
Rescue System (JASREP) Reporting System
(AMVER). (MASTREP)
 1) Automated Mutual-assistance
Vessel Rescue System
(AMVER)
• Is a worldwide system operated mainly to support SAR and
make information available to all RCCs.

• Implemented in the US since 1958 and operated by the USA

coast guard.

• Provides important aid to the expansion and coordination of

Search and Rescue efforts.

• On demand, the SAR authorities are quickly informed on

the position and characteristics of vessels near a reported
distress situation.
 1) Automated Mutual-assistance Vessel
Rescue System (AMVER)
• It’s greatest use is in providing SURPICs to RCCs

• International participation is voluntary .

• To register and participate in AMVER “ships” have to complete the

SAR(Q). http://www.amver.com/sarqform.asp.

• AMVER participants will note the basic format for AMVER reports
corresponds to the IMO standard.
 1) Automated Mutual-assistance Vessel Rescue
System (AMVER)
• Four types of AMVER reports:
1) Sailing Plan: (AMVER/SP//)
Contains complete routeing information and should be sent within a few hours before, upon, or within a few hours
after departure.

2) Position Report (AMVER/PR//)

Should be sent within 24 hours of departure and subsequently at least every 48 hours until arrival.
The destination should be included.

3) Deviation Report (AMVER/DR//)

Should be sent as soon as any voyage information changes, which could affect AMVER’s ability to accurately
predict the vessel’s position. Changes in course or speed due to weather, ice, change in destination, or any other
deviations from the original Sailing Plan should be reported as soon as possible.

4) Arrival Report (AMVER/AR//)

 Example for a Sailing Report:

• AMVER/SP//
• A/SANDY JOAN/KGJF// A/vessels name/radio call sign//
• B/240635Z MAR// B/date and time//
• E/045// E/current course //
• F/198// F/estimated average speed//
• G/TOKYO/3536N/13946E// G/port of departure/lat/long//
• I/LOS ANGELES/3343N/11817W/031300Z APR// I/destination/lat/long/eta//
L/GC/210/4200N/18000E/280400Z// L/route information lines//
• L/RL/200/4200N/16000W/300030Z//
• L/RL/161//
• M/JCS// M/current coastal radio station or satellite number
• V/MD/NURSE// V/onboard medical resources//
• X/NEXT REPORT 250800Z// X/up to 65 characters of amplifying comments
• Y/JASREP/MAREP// Y/relay instructions//
 Example for a Sailing Report:

• The lines M, V, X and Y are optional items, Y line is required for US vessels.
1) Automated Mutual-assistance Vessel Rescue
System (AMVER)
• Transmission of messages:
Email
HF Radio-telex Service of USCG Communication Stations
Telex
Fax
 2) Japanese Ship Reporting System
(JASREP)

• The JASREP is compatible with the AMVER system with which the
Japan Coast Guard cooperate in information exchange on the ships
positions for search and rescue purposes.

• Any ship regardless of tonnage, flag or type may participate in the

JASREP System as long as it is within the service area.

• The approximate service area is the sea enclosed by the parallel of

latitude 17° N and the meridian of longitude 165° E
 2) Japanese Ship Reporting System
(JASREP)
• Provides up-to-date information on the movements of vessels in the event of
a distress incident, in order to:
1) Reduce interval between the loss of contact with a vessel and the initiation of search and
rescue operations in cases where no distress signal has been received.

2) Permit rapid determination may be called upon to provide of vessels which can assist

3) Permit allocation of a search area of limited size in case the position of a vessel in
distress is unknown or uncertain

4) Facilitate the provision of urgent medical assistance or advice to vessels not carrying a
doctor
 2) Japanese Ship Reporting System
(JASREP)

• Four types of JASREP reports:

Sailing Plan
Position Report
Deviation Report
Final Report
 2) Japanese Ship Reporting System
(JASREP)
• Participation in this system initiates when a ship sends its sailing plan and
terminates when the ship sends its final report to Japan Coast Guard.

• If no position report or final report is received from a participant in no less than

27 hours, Japan Coast Guard will verify the safety. Depending on circumstances,
SAR operations will be initiated and hence position reports and final reports must
be sent without fail.

• Reports should be sent to a Japanese coast station. These stations may be called
on VHF or 2189.5 KHz (DSC); other means such as telex or email may be used.
3) Modernized Australian Ship Tracking and
Reporting System (MASTREP)
• The Australian Ship Reporting System (AUSREP) was established in 1973 in
accordance with SOLAS as a result of an incident where a trading ship was lost
off the west coast of Tasmania.

• On 1 July 2013, with developments in technology, Australia replaced AUSREP

with the Modernized Australian Ship Tracking and Reporting System
(MASTREP)

• MASTREP is a Ship Reporting System, operated by the Australian Maritime

Safety Authority (AMSA) through the RCC Australia in Canberra.
3) Modernized Australian Ship Tracking and
Reporting System (MASTREP)
• MASTREP makes use of the AIS technology to provide positional advice to
AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority)

• MASTREP is designed to minimize the reporting requirements for vessels.

• MASTREP recognizes the requirement for vessels to be fitted with an AIS, as

per SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 19.2.4.
3) Modernized Australian Ship Tracking and
Reporting System (MASTREP)
• This use of AIS technology:
Automates ships’ Position Reports
Increasing the timeliness and accuracy of data allowing coverage of a greater number of
ships operating within the Australian search and rescue region.

• MASTREP assists in ensuring only the closest vessels are requested to assist in SAR incidents,
reducing the need for vessels to steam long distances from their intended voyage plan.

• The Position Reports provided by AIS data transmissions include both static and dynamic data
which provide timely, detailed information while eliminating manual reporting obligations.

• In addition to the automated position reporting, MASREP also requires vessel to provide
marine incident reports.
 3) Modernized Australian Ship
Tracking and Reporting System
(MASTREP)
• The primary means of communicating these
additional reports is via Inmarsat-C using special
access code (SAC 1243 via the Perth CES (Pacific
212 or Indian 312)), HF or other Inmarsat
Communication as phone/fax services.
3) Modernized Australian Ship Tracking and
Reporting System (MASTREP)
• The requirement to report applies to each of the following vessels while
in the MASTREP area:
1) A regulated Australian vessel;
2) A foreign vessel from its arrival at its first port in Australia until its departure
from its final port in Australia.
• Domestic commercial vessels fitted with GMDSS equipment and AIS are
also encouraged to participate in the system as MASTREP assists AMSA in
carrying out its search and rescue activities.
3) Modernized Australian Ship Tracking and
Reporting System (MASTREP)
• The Master of a ship, to which Regulation 19.2.4 of Chapter V of SOLAS
applies, must ensure the ship is fitted with a system to automatically transmit the
following information:
Identity
Type
Position
Course
Speed
Navigational status
Safety related information

• The Master of a ship must report any malfunction of the ship’s AIS equipment to
RCC Australia in accordance with Section 186 of the Navigation Act 2012.
4) Long Range Identification and Tracking of
Ships (LRIT)
• Established by an IMO resolution in May 2006 for national security reasons.

• The main purpose is to provide a global identification and tracking of ships to

enhance security of shipping and for the purposes of safety and marine
environment protection.

• Has been mandatory since 31 December 2008 for:

1) All passenger ships.
2) Cargo ships of over 300 gross tonnes.
3) High speed crafts.
4) Mobile offshore drilling units.
4) Long Range Identification and Tracking of
Ships (LRIT)
• The LRIT system consists of:
Satellite communication equipment already installed on board ship,
Communications service providers (CSP),
Application service providers (ASP),
LRIT data centres,
LRIT distribution plan, and
International LRIT data exchange.
4) Long Range Identification and Tracking of
Ships (LRIT)
• A ship in transit sends a position report via its shipborne equipment
(Inmarsat-C, D+, Iridium or HF).

• The message includes:

Equipment identifier
Ship’s positional data.
Date and time of the transmission.

• Massage must be sent 4 times a day (every 6 hours).

4) Long Range Identification and Tracking of
Ships (LRIT) – How the massage is sent
1) The CSP operates the satellites and the communication infrastructure and
services to link the various parts of the LRIT system, using
communication protocols in order to ensure the end-to-end secure
transfer of the LRIT information.

2) The data is then transmitted to the ASP.

3) The ASP completes the LRIT information of the vessel by adding the
ship identity (IMO and MMSI number) as well as the date and time the
position report is received and forwarded by the ASP.
4) Long Range Identification and Tracking of
Ships (LRIT)
4) The message is then passed to a LRIT Data Center. These centers are a
system of National, Regional and Cooperative LRIT Data Centers.

5) They collect and distribute data to Contacting Governments

(Administrations) and Search and Rescue services according to the Data
Distribution Plan.

6) The Data Centers interact with the LRIT International Data exchange.
4) Long Range Identification and Tracking of
Ships (LRIT)
7) Each administration should provide to the LRIT Data Centre it has
selected, a list of the ships entitled to fly its flag, which are required to
transmit LRIT information, together with other salient details and should
update such lists when changes occur.

8) Ships should only transmit the LRIT information to the Data Centre
selected by their administration