# VesselFinder Scraper — Ships, IMO, MMSI, Destination & ETA (`yugenox/vesselfinder-scraper`) Actor

Scrape the VesselFinder ship database by type, flag, year, size or name, or look up IMO/MMSI numbers: vessel name, IMO, MMSI, call sign, flag, type, year built, GT, DWT, length, beam, destination, ETA, draught, navigation status and last position area. No login.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/yugenox/vesselfinder-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Yugenox Corp](https://apify.com/yugenox) (community)
- **Categories:** Travel, Lead generation, Automation
- **Stats:** 5 total users, 3 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.50 / 1,000 vessels

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## VesselFinder Scraper: ships, IMO, MMSI, destination and ETA

Scrape the **VesselFinder** ship database: search by **ship type, flag, year built, length, gross tonnage, deadweight or name**, or look up vessels by **IMO or MMSI number**. Every vessel comes with its **name, IMO, MMSI, call sign, flag, type, year built, gross tonnage, deadweight, length and beam**, plus its **destination, ETA, current draught, navigation status and where and when it was last seen**. No login, no cookies, no VesselFinder account.

### What you get

| | |
|---|---|
| **Identity** | Name, IMO number, MMSI number, call sign, ship photo, VesselFinder link |
| **Registry** | Flag (country and two-letter code), ship type, VesselFinder category, AIS type, year built |
| **Size** | Gross tonnage, deadweight, length overall, beam; TEU, net tonnage and cargo capacities when VesselFinder shows them for free |
| **Voyage** | Destination (with the port's UN/LOCODE when VesselFinder matched it to a port), ETA (as shown and as an ISO date), current draught, navigation status |
| **Last position** | When it was received ("2 hours ago" and in minutes), sea area, coordinates rounded to whole degrees, course and speed |
| **History** | Earlier names and flags |

Turn **Include vessel details** off for a fast list (name, IMO or MMSI, type, flag, year, GT, DWT, size): one request per 20 vessels instead of one per vessel.

### How to use it

Pick one or more of:

- **Ship types**, e.g. Container Ship, Bulk carrier, Crude Oil Tanker, LNG Tanker, Cruise Ship, Tugs.
- **Flags**, e.g. Panama, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Singapore, Malta.
- **IMO / MMSI numbers or ship names**: `9342516`, `IMO 9987225`, `MMSI 565747000`, or a name.
- **Ship name search**: the start of a name, e.g. `EVER`, `MSC`, `CMA CGM`.
- **Filters**: year built, length, gross tonnage and deadweight ranges; include ships that are not in service.

Each ship type is searched in each flag. **Max vessels** is the total for the run, shared fairly between your searches.

#### Input examples

Singapore-flagged container ships, newest first:

```json
{
  "shipTypes": ["403"],
  "flags": ["SG"],
  "sortBy": "built",
  "maxItems": 100
}
```

Crude and product tankers under the Malta and Liberia flags, built since 2015, over 100,000 t deadweight:

```json
{
  "shipTypes": ["601", "602"],
  "flags": ["MT", "LR"],
  "minYear": 2015,
  "minDWT": 100000,
  "maxItems": 500
}
```

Look up specific vessels:

```json
{
  "vessels": ["9342516", "9987225", "MMSI 563318300"]
}
```

You can also paste VesselFinder list URLs (`vesselfinder.com/vessels?…`, the filters in the URL are kept) or vessel URLs (`vesselfinder.com/vessels/details/9342516`) into **VesselFinder URLs**.

### Output example

```json
{
  "imo": "9987225",
  "mmsi": "563318300",
  "name": "CMA CGM GRAND PALAIS",
  "shipType": "Container Ship",
  "shipCategory": "Cargo vessels",
  "aisType": "Cargo ship (HAZ-A)",
  "flag": "Singapore",
  "flagCode": "SG",
  "callsign": "9V6664",
  "yearBuilt": 2026,
  "grossTonnage": 237742,
  "netTonnage": null,
  "deadweight": 220923,
  "teu": null,
  "lengthOverall": 400,
  "beam": 62,
  "currentDraught": 12.2,
  "destination": "Port Klang, Malaysia",
  "destinationLocode": "MYPKG",
  "destinationCountryCode": "MY",
  "etaText": "Oct 7, 21:00",
  "eta": "2026-10-07T21:00:00Z",
  "navigationStatus": null,
  "lastPositionReceived": "15 hours ago",
  "lastPositionAgeMinutes": 900,
  "area": "Indian Ocean",
  "approxLatitude": -3,
  "approxLongitude": 82,
  "courseDeg": 47,
  "speedKnots": 11.5,
  "inService": true,
  "crudeOilBbl": null,
  "gasM3": null,
  "grainM3": null,
  "baleM3": null,
  "nameHistory": [{ "year": "2026 Mar", "flag": "Singapore", "name": "CMA CGM GRAND PALAIS" }],
  "photoUrl": "https://static.vesselfinder.net/ship-photo/9987225-563318300-…/1?v1",
  "url": "https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/details/9987225",
  "detailsFetched": true,
  "searchInput": "IMO 9987225",
  "position": 2,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-01T22:20:17.704Z"
}
```

Every row has the same columns; a value VesselFinder doesn't show is `null`.

### Use cases

- **Fleet lists**: every LNG carrier, every Panamax bulker under a flag, every ship of an operator's naming series (`MAERSK`, `EVER`, `MSC`).
- **Lead lists for maritime services**: bunkering, ship supply, inspection, crewing and insurance teams targeting vessels by type, size and age.
- **Voyage monitoring**: schedule a run on your IMO list to get each ship's destination, ETA and last-seen area every day.
- **Market research**: fleet age and size profiles by flag and ship type.
- **Data enrichment**: turn IMO or MMSI numbers from your own records into names, flags, call signs and dimensions.

### FAQ

**Do I need a VesselFinder account, cookies or a login?** No. The scraper reads the same public pages any visitor sees. It never logs in and needs nothing from you except a search or a list of numbers.

**How precise are the positions?** VesselFinder's free pages round the last position to whole degrees and show when it was received ("15 hours ago"). The scraper returns exactly that, plus the sea area, course and speed. It's good for "which ocean, heading where, arriving when", not for live tracking.

**Why are owner and manager missing?** VesselFinder only shows registered owner, manager and ISM manager to paying subscribers, so they are not part of the free pages and this scraper doesn't collect them.

**How many vessels can one search return?** VesselFinder shows the first pages of a search only (a few thousand vessels). If a search has more, the run says so; split it by flag, ship type, year built or size to get the rest.

**How fast is it?** About 20 vessels per second without details, and 3 to 4 vessels per second with details (one page per vessel).

**Which proxy should I use?** Keep the default (Apify Proxy, datacenter). It comes with every Apify plan, including the free one. If VesselFinder refuses datacenter IPs for a while, the run switches to residential proxies when your account has them, and carries on without them when it doesn't.

**What does a run cost?** You pay per vessel saved, per vessel page read for details, per search, and a small fee per run. See the Pricing tab. IMO or MMSI numbers that VesselFinder doesn't know are never charged, and numbers that can't be a ship (a wrong IMO check digit, for example) are skipped before any request.

**Is it legal to scrape VesselFinder?** This Actor only collects publicly available data: vessel information that anyone can see on VesselFinder without an account, such as a ship's name, IMO and MMSI numbers, flag, type, dimensions and its AIS-reported voyage. Collecting publicly available data is generally legal, but you're responsible for how you use it. Ships are not people, and the scraper doesn't collect owner, manager or crew details. You must follow privacy laws such as GDPR, PIPEDA and CCPA where they apply, as well as VesselFinder's terms. If you're unsure, check with a lawyer. More on this: [Is web scraping legal?](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/)

**Does it access any private data?** No. Everything comes from pages VesselFinder shows to any visitor without logging in. It never uses a login, never touches paid features or accounts, and follows the site's robots.txt.

This Actor is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by VesselFinder.

# Actor input Schema

## `shipTypes` (type: `array`):

Search VesselFinder ship database by type, e.g. Container Ship, Bulk carrier, Crude Oil Tanker. "All …" entries cover a whole group. Each type is searched separately (and combined with each flag).

## `flags` (type: `array`):

Flag states (country of registration), e.g. Panama, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Singapore. Each flag is searched separately.

## `vessels` (type: `array`):

Look up specific vessels: IMO numbers (7 digits, e.g. 9342516), MMSI numbers (9 digits, e.g. 565747000) or VesselFinder vessel URLs — one vessel page each. Anything else is searched as a ship name (prefix match: "MAERSK" finds every MAERSK …).

## `names` (type: `array`):

Ship names or the start of a name, e.g. "EVER", "MSC", "CMA CGM" (at least 2 characters). Combined with the ship types, flags and filters below.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of vessels for the whole run, shared fairly between your searches. 0 = everything (VesselFinder shows up to a few thousand vessels per search; split big searches by flag or type).

## `includeDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Also open each vessel page for the MMSI, call sign, destination, ETA, current draught, navigation status, last position (area, rounded coordinates, course, speed) and name history. One extra request per vessel. Turn off for a fast list of name, IMO, type, flag, year, GT, DWT and size.

## `minYear` (type: `integer`):

Only vessels built in or after this year.

## `maxYear` (type: `integer`):

Only vessels built in or before this year.

## `minLength` (type: `integer`):

Only vessels at least this long (length overall, metres).

## `maxLength` (type: `integer`):

Only vessels at most this long (metres).

## `minGT` (type: `integer`):

Only vessels with at least this gross tonnage.

## `maxGT` (type: `integer`):

Only vessels with at most this gross tonnage.

## `minDWT` (type: `integer`):

Only vessels with at least this deadweight (tonnes).

## `maxDWT` (type: `integer`):

Only vessels with at most this deadweight (tonnes).

## `includeOutOfService` (type: `boolean`):

Also list ships VesselFinder marks as not in service (scrapped, laid up, lost). Off = ships in service only, like the website.

## `sortBy` (type: `string`):

Order of search results. Default: largest gross tonnage first.

## `sortOrder` (type: `string`):

Descending = newest / biggest first.

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Optional: VesselFinder vessel list URLs (vesselfinder.com/vessels?… — the filters in the URL are kept) or vessel URLs (vesselfinder.com/vessels/details/<IMO or MMSI>).

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Apify Proxy (datacenter) is the default and comes with every Apify plan. If VesselFinder refuses datacenter IPs for a while, the run switches to residential proxies when your account has them.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "shipTypes": [
    "403"
  ],
  "flags": [
    "SG"
  ],
  "maxItems": 20,
  "includeDetails": true,
  "includeOutOfService": false,
  "sortBy": "default",
  "sortOrder": "desc",
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All scraped vessels.

## `run` (type: `string`):

Status and statistics for this run.

## `report` (type: `string`):

RUN_REPORT: how the run ended, counts, requests and proxy use.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "shipTypes": [
        "403"
    ],
    "flags": [
        "SG"
    ],
    "maxItems": 20,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("yugenox/vesselfinder-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "shipTypes": ["403"],
    "flags": ["SG"],
    "maxItems": 20,
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("yugenox/vesselfinder-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "shipTypes": [
    "403"
  ],
  "flags": [
    "SG"
  ],
  "maxItems": 20,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call yugenox/vesselfinder-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,yugenox/vesselfinder-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/BPU0Fb5FYJfpto5qP/builds/S9TidfjKTll6em2rI/openapi.json