In 2021, we started to put the spotlight on our passionate ship spotters. Each month, we showcase a different photographer of FleetMon.com. In January 2022, you’ll meet a maritime enthusiast from South Korea (User name: Lappino) who joined FleetMon in 2019 and has been very active ever since.

Each month, we announce an update on how we extended our terrestrial AIS coverage worldwide. Become an AIS Partner and contribute to Global Maritime Transparency. Take a look at the latest achievements regarding FleetMon’s AIS station network extension.

Every month, we would like to introduce a new team member working at FleetMon. This month, we present André of the Sales and Controlling Team.

I am happy about the new challenges that await me every day at FleetMon.

There are plenty of phrases we have integrated into our daily use of language so that we no longer even know where they actually come from and what meaning they originally had. We would like to introduce to you seven sayings of maritime origin and explain their meaning.

Sailing under a false flag

This refers to deceptive maneuvers or covert operations conducted by another third party to conceal identity. The action is thus actively attributed to an uninvolved third party for appearances. The actual actor is thereby acting “under a false flag.” In English, the much-publicized deceptive maneuver is also called “sailing under false colors,” while a courageous flagger is sailing with true colors.

Welcome to the seventh and last edition for 2021 of the FleetMon Maritime Gallery. Each month, you’ll find a special section on our blog featuring the Best Maritime Photos in a certain category. You’ll not only get to view the most popular photos being voted by our community for “Photo of the Week” and “Photo of the Month”. We also present special shots which are less noted but in the same way extraordinary.

December is all about the beauty of the night. It is about ships appearing in the shadow of the darkness and shining in the lights surrounding them.

Enjoy the most beautiful night-shots taken by ship spotters from our community on FleetMon.com. 

To all our ship spotters out there: We truly appreciate your work. Keep it up, guys!

In 2021, we started to put the spotlight on our passionate ship spotters. Each month, we showcase a different photographer of FleetMon.com. In December, you’ll meet a maritime enthusiast from Canada (User name: KevinBaird) who has been with us almost from the start of the platform.

We share our view on China’s AIS Coverage Drop.

Recently the maritime industry became aware of what has been stated in the media as “China’s terrestrial AIS data blackout”. Following two new data security laws in China, the reception of data from China became challenging. The new Data Security Law (DSL) and Personal Information Protection Law, both coming into effect on Nov 1, 2021, intend to increase government control over domestic and overseas companies collecting and exporting China’s data. Industry experts are concerned about how those changes might impact ocean supply chain visibility in China, especially taking into account the country’s leading role in global container shipping and coal and iron ore import. Besides, mainland China is home to six of the world’s ten largest container ports.

FleetMon collaborates with several Chinese companies and AIS Partners to receive terrestrial vessel position data from Chinese coastal waters. The new rules restrict foreign access to important data like vessels’ AIS signals collected in China without the government’s prior notice and approval. Some of our loyal AIS Partners and data sharers from China have paused transmitting data in fear of massive fines announced by the Chinese government in case of law violations.

Now, how severe is the impact of China’s new Data Security Laws on AIS coverage in the region?

Why is the Spotlight on Methanol?

With the advent of new and troubling climatic phenomena, governments and international organizations all across the world are scrambling for solutions to the increasing carbon and GHG content in the atmosphere. The spillover of this is being felt in the marine industry as well, such as IMO’s 2030 and 2050 goals. Methanol is shaping up to become a promising alternative fuel, as it ticks most of the boxes that shipping operators desire in a fuel of the future. And acceptability of methanol is increasing probably due to the consideration that a perfect fuel that solves all our problems may never be discovered in time.

What Boxes Does Methanol Tick on the Perfect Fuel List?

Methanol has many things going for it but indisputably the most important factor in its favor is the maturity of the technology in handling methanol. Methanol has many uses in production and manufacturing other than it being used as a fuel, such as being used in the production of polymers namely, plastics, paints, varnishes, and cleaning products. All this has put methanol on the list of top 5 transported commodities in the world already, with a remarkable base of knowledge regarding the handling and transport of methanol present. This is a considerable edge over competitors such as Hydrogen and electricity used to drive ships as there is a well-developed infrastructure and supply chain already available for the production and transport of methanol.

Every month, we would like to introduce a new team member working at FleetMon. This month, we present Diego of the Data Quality Team.

The work on the different research projects is fascinating, and I like that you can see results at the end.

Welcome to the sixth edition of the FleetMon Maritime Gallery. Each month, you’ll find a special section on our blog featuring the Best Maritime Photos in a certain category. You’ll not only get to view the most popular photos being voted by our community for “Photo of the Week” and “Photo of the Month”. We also present special shots which are less noted but in the same way extraordinary.

Our November gallery is all about snow, ice, and cold. We’ve collected the most beautiful winter-themed shots taken by ship spotters from our community on FleetMon.com. Enjoy the different types of ships that make their way through the icy cold water. And one – that lights up the New Year’s morning off Norway.

To all our ship spotters out there: We truly appreciate your work. Keep it up, guys!