specification: API Evangelist Vocabulary
specificationVersion: '0.1'
provider: VesselFinder
providerId: vesselfinder
created: '2026-05-25'
modified: '2026-05-25'
description: |
  Operational and capability vocabulary for VesselFinder — maritime AIS vessel tracking and
  container shipment monitoring.
tags:
  - AIS
  - Maritime
  - Vessels
  - Ports
  - Container Tracking
  - Geospatial
domain:
  - Maritime
  - Logistics
  - Supply Chain
  - Geospatial
concepts:
  - term: AIS
    definition: Automatic Identification System — VHF radio broadcast of vessel position, identity, course, and speed, received by terrestrial and satellite networks.
  - term: MMSI
    definition: Maritime Mobile Service Identity — 9-digit identifier broadcast by AIS for radio routing.
  - term: IMO Number
    definition: 7-digit unique identifier assigned by the International Maritime Organization to a hull for its lifetime.
  - term: LOCODE
    definition: UN/LOCODE — 5-character code identifying a port or trade location.
  - term: SCAC
    definition: Standard Carrier Alpha Code — 4-letter code identifying a transportation company.
  - term: ECA
    definition: Emission Control Area — designated sea area with stricter SOx/NOx emission limits.
  - term: ETA
    definition: Estimated Time of Arrival, as broadcast in AIS or derived from container schedules.
  - term: NavStat
    definition: AIS Navigation Status — integer code 0–15 indicating vessel state (e.g., underway, at anchor, moored, restricted manoeuvrability).
  - term: TEU
    definition: Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit — container capacity measure.
  - term: DWT
    definition: Deadweight Tonnage — total carrying capacity of a vessel in metric tonnes.
  - term: GT
    definition: Gross Tonnage — unitless measure of a vessel's overall internal volume.
operationalDimensions:
  vessel:
    - imo
    - mmsi
    - flag
    - shipType
    - aisNavStat
  position:
    - latitude
    - longitude
    - course
    - speed
    - heading
    - draught
    - source (terrestrial / satellite)
  voyage:
    - destination
    - eta
    - lastPort
    - departure
  port:
    - locode
    - country
    - arrival
    - departure
  container:
    - containerNumber
    - sealine
    - schedule
    - currentLocation
    - progress
capabilityDimensions:
  - dataset: AIS — dynamic position and state
  - dataset: Voyage — last port-call summary
  - dataset: Master — static vessel particulars
  - dataset: PortCall — arrival/departure events
  - dataset: Distance — sea-route geometry between two coordinates
  - dataset: Container — shipment schedule and current vessel
billing:
  units:
    - credit (AIS API)
    - container (Container Tracking)
    - vessel (VesselsList subscription)
    - area (LiveData subscription)
  currency:
    - EUR (AIS credits)
    - USD (Container Tracking)