How do I install Vesselapi?

Vesselapi is a local plugin. Install it using npm package: vesselapi-mcp and add the generated configuration snippet to your AI app's MCP config file. Then restart your AI app.

Is Vesselapi safe to use?

Yes. Vesselapi passed MCP Marketplace's automated security scan with a score of 10/10 (low risk). Every server on MCP Marketplace is security-scanned before it's listed; see the full security report on this page for the findings and permissions.

What AI apps work with Vesselapi?

Vesselapi uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and works with any MCP-compatible AI app, including Claude, ChatGPT / Codex, Gemini, Copilot, Cursor, and more.

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Vesselapi MCP Server

by bncbodrogi

Developer ToolsLow Risk10.0Local

Free

MCP server for the VesselAPI — maritime vessel tracking, port events, emissions, and navigation data

About

MCP server for the VesselAPI — maritime vessel tracking, port events, emissions, and navigation data

Security Report

10.0

Low Risk10.0Low Risk

Valid MCP server (2 strong, 7 medium validity signals). No known CVEs in dependencies. Package registry verified. Imported from the Official MCP Registry.

9 files analyzed · 1 issue found

Security scores are indicators to help you make informed decisions, not guarantees. Always review permissions before connecting any MCP server.

How to Install

Add this to your MCP configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io-github-vessel-api-vesselapi-mcp": {
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "vesselapi-mcp"
      ],
      "command": "npx"
    }
  }
}

Documentation

View on GitHub

From the project's GitHub README.

VesselAPI MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that exposes maritime data from the VesselAPI to AI assistants like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, and Claude Code.

Prerequisites

Sign up at dashboard.vesselapi.com
Create an API token in your dashboard
Use the token as VESSELAPI_API_KEY in the configuration below

Resources: Documentation | API Explorer | Dashboard | Contact Support

Features

19 tools covering vessels, ports, location search, and emissions
Vessel search, positions (single and batch), ETA, emissions, and casualties
Port search, details, port events (arrivals/departures), and port event search across all covered ports
Geographic vessel search (bounding box and radius)
Manual pagination to control API quota usage

Quick Start

No installation required. Configure your AI client with npx:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vesselapi": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "vesselapi-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "VESSELAPI_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration

Add the JSON above to the config file for your client:

Client	Config file
Claude Desktop	`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` (macOS) or `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` (Windows)
Cursor	`.cursor/mcp.json` or `~/.cursor/mcp.json`
Claude Code	`claude mcp add`, which writes `.mcp.json` in the project or `~/.claude.json` for user scope
Windsurf	`~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`

Tools

Vessel Tools

Tool	Description
`search_vessels`	Search vessels by name, IMO, MMSI, flag, type, callsign, or year built
`get_vessel`	Get detailed vessel information
`get_vessel_position`	Get the latest stored vessel position (lat/lon, speed, heading, timestamp); it may be hours or days old
`get_vessel_eta`	Get the ETA the vessel last reported (declared, not predicted)
`get_vessel_emissions`	Get EU MRV emissions reports (CO2, fuel consumption)
`get_vessel_casualties`	Get marine casualty records
`get_vessel_positions_batch`	Get positions for multiple vessels at once (with optional time range)

Port Tools

Tool	Description
`search_ports`	Search ports by name, country, type, size, region, harbor size, or harbor use
`get_port`	Get port details by UN/LOCODE
`get_port_inbound`	Get vessels reporting a port as their destination, within an ETA window
`get_port_events`	Get arrivals/departures for a port (last 2 hours unless `timeFrom` is given)
`get_port_events_by_vessel`	Get port events for a vessel (last 2 hours unless `timeFrom` is given)
`list_port_events`	List port events across all covered ports, with filters for time, country, port, vessel, or event type
`search_port_events_by_port`	Search port events by port name
`search_port_events_by_vessel`	Search port events by vessel name
`get_vessel_last_port_event`	Get the most recent port event for a vessel

Emissions Tools

Tool	Description
`list_emissions`	List EU MRV emissions reports, with an optional reporting-year filter

Location Tools

Tool	Description
`get_vessels_in_area`	Find vessels with an AIS position in a bounding box (default last 2 hours, at most 4 hours)
`get_vessels_in_radius`	Find vessels with an AIS position within a radius of a point (default last 2 hours, at most 4 hours)

Pagination

All list endpoints support limit and nextToken parameters for manual pagination. When more results exist, the response includes a nextToken. Pass it in the next call to get the next page.

Development

git clone https://github.com/vessel-api/vesselapi-mcp.git
cd vesselapi-mcp
npm install
npm run build

npm run build        # Build the server
npm run typecheck    # Type-check without emitting
npm run clean        # Remove build artifacts

Testing with MCP Inspector

VESSELAPI_API_KEY=your-key npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node dist/index.js

Data Sources & Attribution

Emissions and casualty data: © European Union. Source: European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA): THETIS-MRV (EU MRV, Regulation (EU) 2015/757) and the European Marine Casualty Information Platform (EMCIP). Reused under the European Commission reuse notice (Commission Decision 2011/833/EU), which authorises reuse for commercial and non-commercial purposes with acknowledgement of the source. Data may be transformed and combined; EMSA does not endorse this service.