Pole Star contributes 1,000 ships to Amver safety network

Subsea7's Acergy Petrel

Helen of Troy may have a face that launched 1,000 ships but it is Amver and Pole Star that linked 1,000 ships for search and rescue.


In 2008, Pole Star, a maritime software company tracking company looking after more than 20,000 ships, developed their systems to allow ship owners and operators to automatically send position reports directly to the Amver system at no cost.


Now Subsea 7’s Acergy Petrel, an IMR/Survey vessel, is the 1,000th vessel with the Pole Star monitoring system to link into the Amver system. Subsea 7 is a seabed-to-surface engineering, construction, and services contractor to the offshore energy industry.


“Having an automated link through Pole Star and being able to participate in the Amver program is important for plotting vessels and ultimately for search and rescue,” said Jonathon Tame, Subsea 7’s Group Fleet and Equipment Director. “Subsea 7 employees who have been on Amver rescues speak very highly of the service and its value to merchant vessels.”


Amver director Benjamin Strong presented a framed Amver pennant at Pole Star headquarters in London to acknowledge the significant contribution Pole Star has made to Amver. Strong presented the award to Pole Star Chairman Colin Hook. “As any seafarer will know, Amver reporting is usually transmitted by email and requires reporting of sail plans, daily position reports, deviation reports, and final arrival reports which is an additional administrative requirement that within the reams of paperwork they must already deal with,” Hook said.

“Amver’s success is tied directly to the number of merchant vessels regularly reporting their position, the more ships on the plot, the greater the chance the ship will be identified near the position of distress. Pole Star is immensely proud of facilitating more than 20 percent of the Amver ships on the plot,” added Hook.


The collaboration between Amver and Pole Star was quickly followed by other companies providing ship communications services, including Transas and Marine Track. Mr. Strong praised the work of these vessel tracking companies working with Amver. “Allowing ships to make Amver updates automatically has significantly reduced the administration for captains and seafarers. As a result, participation in the Amver program has never been higher. I appreciate the example set by Pole Star and other commercial vessel tracking companies.” 


“Every 33 hours an Amver vessel is saving a life somewhere in the world,” said Strong. “Amver continues to be as relevant today as it was in 1958. The Acergy Petrel is joining a fleet of remarkable and inspiring vessels and crews. Its participation is making the seas and oceans safer.” 


You can learn more about automatic reporting on the Amver podcast Quarterdeck.


Photo credit: Subsea7