INTRODUCTION TO AMVERSEAS
Under a cooperative agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U. S. Coast Guard (USCG), software has been created to assist Volunteer Observing Ships (VOS) in submitting Shipboard Environmental data Acquisition System (SEAS) reports and participating in the Automated Mutual-assistance Vessel Rescue system (AMVER).
The SEAS reports consist of marine weather and ocean data. The VOS program allows ships to report marine weather to the National Weather Service (NWS) so that high seas forecasts will be as timely and accurate as possible.
The AMVER system allows ships to report their intended voyage track so that in the event of an emergency all available resources may be focused on aiding ships in distress.
Both of these systems are voluntary and are intended to aid ship traffic on the high seas. All transmission costs are paid by the U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA. The ship will not be charged for any transmission costs, provided messages are sent to the address specified in this user's guide.
Ships may participate in either the AMVER or SEAS program, but there are benefits to participating in both. A ship can reduce reporting requirements, since AMVER position reports are created from every weather message and are automatically forwarded to the U.S. Coast Guard.
A typical voyage would require the submission of an AMVER Sail Plan before departure, submissions of weather reports four times per day and the submission of an Arrival Report upon arrival. A Deviation Report is only submitted if the ship deviates from its original plan. Ships that follow the same routes repeatedly get an additional benefit since Sail Plans can be stored in the system and recalled and modified rather than creating new ones.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
After completing the AMVER/SEAS software installation follow the prompts to create a transmit file for the Administrative Report. This is the file that is written to diskette and then Transmitted (See INMARSAT C transmission). AMVER, SEAS, and Other Reports can now be created and saved.