How do I find my VesselAPI Key?

Log in to your [**VesselAPI dashboard**](https://vesselapi.com/account), and you will find your API Key under the settings page. Copy and paste it below.

Does it support real-time AIS data?

Yes. The `get_vessel_position` tool provides the latest AIS position received for the specified vessel IMO number.

Can the agent show port schedules?

Yes. Use the `get_vessel_schedules` tool to retrieve upcoming port calls and arrival/departure metadata for any vessel.

VesselAPI MCP Server for Claude Desktop 6 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: VesselAPI
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

modelcontextprotocol.io/quickstart/user

Built by Vinkius GDPR 6 Tools IDE

Claude Desktop is Anthropic's native application for interacting with Claude AI models on macOS and Windows. It was the first consumer application to ship with built-in MCP support, making it the reference implementation for the Model Context Protocol standard.

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Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

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Vinkius Desktop App

The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install VesselAPI and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vesselapi": {
      // Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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<40msKill switch

Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About VesselAPI MCP Server

Empower your AI agent to orchestrate your entire maritime research and vessel auditing workflow with VesselAPI, the comprehensive source for global shipping data. By connecting VesselAPI to your agent, you transform complex logistics searches into a natural conversation. Your agent can instantly track vessels by IMO number, audit upcoming port schedules, and retrieve real-time AIS positions without you ever touching a maritime dashboard. Whether you are conducting supply chain research or monitoring global trade flow, your agent acts as a real-time maritime consultant, ensuring your data is always precise and up-to-the-minute.

Claude Desktop is the definitive way to connect VesselAPI to your AI workflow. Add Vinkius Edge URL to your config, restart the app, and Claude immediately exposes all 6 tools in the chat interface. ask a question, Claude calls the right tool, and you see the answer. Zero code, zero context switching.

What you can do

Vessel Auditing — Retrieve high-resolution details for any vessel by IMO number, including flag, type, and build metadata.
Schedule Oversight — Audit upcoming port calls and historical schedules to maintain a clear view of maritime logistics.
Position Intelligence — Query real-time AIS positions to understand the current geographic distribution of vessels instantly.
Port Discovery — List global maritime ports and retrieve localized metadata to assist in geographic planning.
Logistics Monitoring — Check API status and monitor your data usage to maintain strict control over your research volume.

The VesselAPI MCP Server exposes 6 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Claude Desktop in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect VesselAPI to Claude Desktop via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the VesselAPI MCP Server with Claude Desktop.

Open Claude Desktop Settings

Go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config to open claude_desktop_config.json

Add the MCP Server

Paste the configuration above into the mcpServers section

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop to load the new server

Start using VesselAPI

Look for the 🔌 icon in the chat. your 6 tools are now available

Why Use Claude Desktop with the VesselAPI MCP Server

Claude Desktop by Anthropic provides unique advantages when paired with VesselAPI through the Model Context Protocol.

Claude Desktop is the reference MCP client. it was designed alongside the protocol itself, ensuring the most complete and stable MCP implementation available

Zero-code configuration: add a server URL to a JSON file and Claude instantly discovers and exposes all available tools in the chat interface

Claude's extended thinking capability lets it reason through multi-step tool usage, chaining multiple API calls to answer complex questions

Enterprise-grade security with local config storage. your tokens never leave your machine, and connections go directly to Vinkius Edge network

VesselAPI + Claude Desktop Use Cases

Practical scenarios where Claude Desktop combined with the VesselAPI MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Interactive data exploration: ask Claude to query DNS records, look up WHOIS data, and cross-reference results in a single conversation

Ad-hoc security audits: type a domain name and let Claude enumerate subdomains, check DNS history, and flag configuration anomalies. all through natural language

Executive briefings: generate comprehensive domain intelligence reports by asking Claude to compile findings into a formatted summary

Learning and training: new team members can explore API capabilities conversationally without needing to read documentation

VesselAPI MCP Tools for Claude Desktop (6)

These 6 tools become available when you connect VesselAPI to Claude Desktop via MCP:

check_api_status

Check if the VesselAPI is operational

get_vessel_details

Get comprehensive details for a vessel by IMO number

get_vessel_position

Get the latest AIS position for a vessel

get_vessel_schedules

Get upcoming port calls and schedules for a vessel

list_maritime_ports

List global maritime ports supported by VesselAPI

search_vessels

Search for vessels by name

Example Prompts for VesselAPI in Claude Desktop

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Claude Desktop agent to start working with VesselAPI immediately.

"Get details for vessel with IMO 9411159 using VesselAPI."

"Where is vessel 'MSC OSCAR' located right now?"

"Show upcoming schedules for IMO 9243394."

Troubleshooting VesselAPI MCP Server with Claude Desktop

Common issues when connecting VesselAPI to Claude Desktop through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

Server not appearing after restart

Ensure the JSON is valid (no trailing commas). Check the file path: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\\Claude\\ (Windows).

Authentication error

Verify your Vinkius token is correct. Go to cloud.vinkius.com to regenerate it if needed.

Tools not showing in chat

Click the 🔌 icon at the bottom of the chat input. If it shows 0 tools, the server may still be connecting. wait a few seconds.

VesselAPI + Claude Desktop FAQ

Common questions about integrating VesselAPI MCP Server with Claude Desktop.

How does Claude Desktop discover MCP tools?

When Claude Desktop starts, it reads the claude_desktop_config.json file and connects to each configured MCP server. It calls the tools/list endpoint to fetch the schema for every available tool, then surfaces them as clickable options in the chat interface via the 🔌 icon.

What happens if the MCP server is temporarily unavailable?

Claude Desktop handles disconnections gracefully. if the server is unreachable at startup, the tools simply won't appear. Once the server becomes available again, restarting Claude Desktop will re-establish the connection. There is no timeout penalty or error loop.

Can I connect multiple MCP servers simultaneously?

Yes. You can add as many servers as you need in the mcpServers section of the config file. Each server appears as a separate tool provider, and Claude can use tools from multiple servers in a single conversation turn.

Is there a limit on the number of tools per server?

Claude Desktop can handle hundreds of tools per server. However, for optimal LLM performance, Vinkius servers are designed to expose focused, well-documented tool sets rather than overwhelming the model with too many options.

Does Claude Desktop support Streamable HTTP transport?

Yes. Claude Desktop supports both SSE (Server-Sent Events) and the newer Streamable HTTP transport that Vinkius uses. Simply provide the server URL. Claude auto-negotiates the transport protocol.