Vessel Tracking and Security Group Adds Weather Details to Existing Fleet Programmes

UK – WORLDWIDE – Vessel fleet security and monitoring specialist, Pole Star, has joined forces with Tidetech and integrated the oceanography specialist’s meteorological data into its commercial marine services. The collaboration means that customers using Pole Star’s Fleet Management, SSAS Alert Advanced and Marine Asset Tracker 2.0 systems will benefit from current and up to seven day weather forecasts displayed as graphical overlays with available weather conditions including sea surface temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction.

Pole Star’s systems are used to track nearly 40,000 vessels (more than half the world’s fleet). Its secure, web-based tracking and SSAS services operate using Pole Star’s IsatData Pro and IsatM2M terminals, the ship’s Inmarsat-C terminal or other third-party hardware (such as Transas ShipGuard), allowing users to track their fleet in a single system irrespective of the hardware installed aboard the ship. Peter Davies, the company’s Chief Technology & Marketing Officer, commented:

“We are pleased to announce that we have rolled out Tidetech weather to our commercial marine customers. With up to seven day forecast weather every six hours, our customers will be able to monitor forecast sea conditions, plan departures from port, build a complete situational picture of their fleet and improve their route planning capabilities.”

Tidetech uses oceanographic science to create data models that benefits all types of commercial and offshore operations. Collating, analysing and calculating a vast array of inputs and observations, Tidetech produces accurate oceanographic met-ocean data including tidal streams, ocean currents, sea surface temperatures, wave forecasts and meteorological data. Tidetech Managing Director Penny Haire, observed:

“The partnership is an opportunity to support Pole Star and its broad range of customers with advanced met-ocean data, and work together to identify the growing information needs of global shipping. Collaborating with Pole Star is further affirmation of the importance of met-ocean data in fleet management and vessel optimisation.”