VesselAPI MCP for AI. Track Global Shipping Positions & Schedules
Works with every AI agent you already use
…and any MCP-compatible client








Connect to your AI in seconds.
VesselAPI tracks global maritime vessels and ports via AI agent. Check current positions, audit full vessel metadata by IMO number, or map out upcoming port schedules instantly.
It lets you run complex supply chain research—like monitoring a ship's real-time location against its planned route—without ever opening a specialized shipping dashboard.
What your AI can do
Check api status
Confirms if the VesselAPI service is up and running.
Get vessel position
Retrieves the most current geographical coordinates (AIS position) for any ship.
Get vessel schedules
Gets a detailed list of planned port calls and historical schedules for a vessel.
Verify if the entire VesselAPI service is currently operational.
Retrieve full metadata for a specific ship using its unique IMO number.
Fetch the most recent, real-time Automatic Identification System (AIS) coordinates for any vessel.
Audit a ship's planned port calls and historical movement timelines.
Access a list of globally supported maritime ports and their associated metadata.
Find vessels by searching through names or partial identifiers.
Ask an AI about this
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VesselAPI MCP: 6 Tools for Maritime Data Retrieval
These tools allow you to search, locate, and build a complete picture of any vessel or port across the globe.
Make your AI actually useful.
Add this MCP to Claude, Cursor, or Windsurf and your AI stops guessing. It gets real tools to look things up, take action, and handle the stuff you keep doing by hand.
Start using VesselAPI on VinkiusCheck Api Status
Confirms if the VesselAPI service is up and running.
Get Vessel Position
Retrieves the most current geographical coordinates (AIS position) for any ship.
Get Vessel Schedules
Gets a detailed list of planned port calls and historical schedules for a vessel.
Get Vessel Details
Pulls full metadata for a vessel using its IMO number, including flag and type.
List Maritime Ports
Provides a list of all global ports supported by the API, along with localized...
Search Vessels
Searches for ships based on name or other partial identifiers.
Security and governance baked right in.
Pick your AI client below to get set up. Just create a Vinkius account, subscribe, and you're instantly up and running. We handle the entire backend infrastructure, delivering out-of-the-box support for HTTPS Streamable, SSE, and OAuth2—zero messy routing required.
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Build Your Own
Turn any API into an MCP. Import a spec, define Agent Skills, or deploy with MCPFusion.
- Import from OpenAPI, Swagger, or YAML specs
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- Built in DLP, auth, and compliance on every call
- Real time usage dashboard and cost metering
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Make Your AI Do More
Start with VesselAPI, then connect any of our 5,100+ other servers whenever your AI needs more. One click, no limits.
- Use this MCP plus 5,100+ others, all in one place
- Add new capabilities to your AI anytime you want
- Every connection is secured and compliant automatically
- Track usage and costs across all your servers
- Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and more
- New servers added to the catalog every week
Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by VesselAPI. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.
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Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and more
The Model Context Protocol standardizes how applications expose capabilities to LLMs. Instead of operating in isolation, your AI gains direct access to external platforms, live data, and real-world actions through secure, standardized connections.
This connection provides 6 powerful capabilities that interface natively with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and other compatible AI platforms. No middleware. No custom integration required.
Tracking shipping movements used to be a nightmare of dashboards and spreadsheets.
Before this MCP, checking a vessel's status meant jumping between three or four specialized, proprietary websites. You had to copy the IMO number from one site, paste it into another for schedules, then open a third dashboard just to see if its current location matched the projected route.
Now, you ask your agent once: 'What is the current position and next scheduled stop for vessel X?' Your agent handles all those handoffs. It brings back one clean answer showing both real-time coordinates and future port plans.
The VesselAPI MCP gives you a single source of truth.
You skip the manual steps of cross-referencing data points. You don't have to manually verify if the position is current or if the schedule has changed; your agent does it all and structures the output for immediate use.
What's different now is that maritime intelligence isn't a series of disconnected searches—it's one continuous flow of actionable data, right in your chat window.
What your AI can actually do with this
VesselAPI gives your agent the ability to manage global maritime intelligence. You stop manually clicking through multiple logistics dashboards and start asking natural language questions about shipping movements. Your agent can pull high-resolution data, instantly tracking vessels by IMO number or pulling real-time AIS positions across the globe. It also lets you check upcoming port calls and audit historical schedules to maintain a clear picture of global trade flow.
This MCP works with your AI client from Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, or any compatible tool. If you're building multi-step automations—for instance, chaining this data with a financial tracking MCP to flag high-risk delays—the whole thing runs through Vinkius. The platform keeps all credentials secure using a zero-trust proxy and gives you full visibility into every call via Vinkius AI Analytics.
019d8498-c62c-73cc-a813-9ff9150d8114 Here's how it actually works
The bottom line is: you ask a complex logistics question once, and your agent handles all the data retrieval from multiple sources automatically.
Subscribe to this MCP and provide your unique VesselAPI key.
Connect the service to your AI client (e.g., Claude, Cursor).
Ask your agent a natural language question about vessel movements or ports.
Who is this actually for?
This MCP is for operations leads who are tired of jumping between proprietary shipping dashboards. It's for supply chain analysts who need instant data on a ship's position, and trade researchers who have to manually audit global port schedules.
Needs to monitor vessel movements by name or IMO number and verify if they are heading toward the right destination.
Must perform rapid audits of vessel positions and check upcoming port schedules to flag potential delays before they happen.
Needs to verify global shipping patterns, checking both past port calls and current operational statuses across different regions.
What Changes When You Connect
You get immediate confirmation of API health using the check_api_status tool, so you never waste time on a downed service.
Instead of guessing which ship is where, you can instantly pull real-time coordinates by running get_vessel_position, giving you current location data right away.
You don't have to rely on separate databases for vessel history. Using get_vessel_details pulls complete metadata—flag, type, build date—all in one go.
Need to plan a route? Start by listing all available ports with list_maritime_ports and then audit specific schedules using the get_vessel_schedules tool.
If you only know the ship's name, not its IMO number, use search_vessels first. That gives you the ID needed to pull detailed positions or schedules later.
See it in action
Investigating a potential delay
The ops lead asks: 'Check IMO 9243394's schedule and its current position.' Your agent first uses get_vessel_schedules to see the next port, then runs get_vessel_position to verify if it’s off course or delayed, giving a clear answer in one interaction.
Mapping out a new route
A planner asks: 'What ports are near Singapore?' The agent uses list_maritime_ports to get local metadata, then uses that list to plan the optimal sequence of stops for their team.
Auditing a new client's fleet
A researcher asks: 'Give me details on all vessels named 'Maersk'.'. The agent runs search_vessels and then uses the IDs found to execute get_vessel_details for a complete audit report.
Checking operational status
A user needs quick confirmation: 'Is the API running? And where is vessel XYZ?' The agent first calls check_api_status, and if successful, immediately uses get_vessel_position to answer the core query.
The honest tradeoffs
Looking up positions without IDs
Asking for 'the position of the big ship in Suez.' This is too vague; the agent can't guess which vessel you mean.
First, use search_vessels to find potential matches by name. Then, run get_vessel_position using the specific IMO number or name returned by the search.
Confusing metadata with live data
Asking for 'the latest status' but only providing a date range. The agent can't tell if you mean planned or actual movements.
To check what should happen, use get_vessel_schedules. To see what is happening right now, use get_vessel_position.
Assuming a single tool covers everything
Asking for 'the full history of this ship.' This is too broad; the system can't know if you mean port calls or just positions.
Break it down. Use get_vessel_details for static data (flag, type), then use get_vessel_schedules for time-based history.
When It Fits, When It Doesn't
Use this MCP if your job involves tracking specific ships or ports globally and you need to combine real-time location data with scheduled plans. Don't use it if you only need general industry news—that requires reading articles, not querying databases. If you just need a list of global hubs without checking vessel status, list_maritime_ports is all you need; don't build a multi-step workflow just for that.
Questions you might have
How do I get the current position using get_vessel_position? +
You provide the vessel's IMO or name. The agent executes the tool and returns the latest latitude and longitude coordinates, showing where it is right now.
Can I find a ship if I only know its name? How does search_vessels work? +
Yes. You use search_vessels with partial or full names. The tool returns a list of potential matches, giving you the specific ID needed for subsequent checks.
What if I need to check multiple ports? Do I use list_maritime_ports? +
Yes, list_maritime_ports provides the global catalog. You can then ask your agent to cross-reference those listed ports against a specific vessel's planned route.
How do I combine schedules and details? Do I need multiple steps? +
You tell the agent what you want: 'Give me everything on this ship.' It automatically chains calls, first getting get_vessel_details for metadata, then running get_vessel_schedules to build a full report.
I need to verify my access before running complex queries; how should I use the `check_api_status` tool? +
Use check_api_status first. It confirms if the API endpoint is operational and your credentials are active, giving you confidence that subsequent calls will work. This saves time troubleshooting connectivity issues.
If I run many queries using `get_vessel_details`, how do I manage rate limits or optimize for high volume? +
The system manages throttling, but you should structure your calls efficiently. Grouping related requests and checking the monitoring tools helps maintain a reliable data flow without hitting usage caps.
What specific metadata does `get_vessel_details` provide about a vessel that isn't just its name or position? +
It returns high-resolution details, including the vessel's flag state, type of ship (e.g., container), and build specifications. This depth is key for supply chain analysis.
When I call `get_vessel_schedules` and get an error, how do I know if the issue is with my input or the vessel's data? +
The response details pinpoint the failure reason. Check that your IMO number format is correct; sometimes a missing schedule simply means no planned calls exist yet.
How do I find my VesselAPI Key? +
Log in to your VesselAPI dashboard, 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.
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