Participating in Amver

Why Should My Ship Participate?

Amver's success is tied directly to the number of merchant vessels regularly reporting their position. The more ships on plot, the greater the chance a ship will be identified near the position of distress.

Ships incur no additional obligation to respond than already exists under international law of the sea. Since Amver identifies the best ship or ships to respond to a ship in distress, it releases other vessels to continue their voyage, saving fuel, time and payroll costs.

Information sent to Amver is protected and used only in a bonafide maritime emergency.

Amver provides an additional measure of safety "insurance" by allowing rescue coordinators to compress the search area in the event a participating ship is unreported or overdue.

Who Can Participate?

Participation in Amver is free, voluntary, and open to merchant ships of all flags. Participation is generally limited to ships over 1000 gross tons, on a voyage of 24 hours or longer. Recently, however, enrollment has been expanded to accommodate vessels outside the normal criteria, such as cruise ships, research vessels and fish processors.

Advantages to Participating in Amver

  • Participation is voluntary, free of cost, and open to ALL SHIPS of ALL FLAGS.
  • Amver participation satisfies the requirements of 46 CFR, Part 307.11 for U.S.-Flag vessels to file position reports with the U.S. Maritime Administration.
  • Participation in Amver satisfies the requirements of 47 CFR 80.905 for U.S. vessels transporting more than six passengers for hire, operated more than 200 nautical miles from the nearest land.
  • Amver information is protected as "commercial proprietary" information and is released only to recognized national search and rescue authorities, and only in an emergency.
  • Amver represents "free" safety insurance during a voyage by improving the chances for aid in an emergency.
  • By regular reporting, someone knows where a ship is at all times on its voyage in the event of an emergency.
  • Regular Amver reports compress the area of a search if a ship is unreported or overdue, because Amver position reports verify that a ship arrived at a certain point on its voyage at a particular date and time.
  • Amver reduces time between notification and rescue response.
  • Amver can reduce the time lost for vessels responding to calls for assistance by coordinating a rescue response, utilizing ships in the best position or with the best capability, and thus eliminating unnecessary diversions by other vessels.
  • Amver participants are under no greater obligation to render assistance during an emergency than a vessel which is not participating. On the contrary, ships unfavorably located on the Amver plot may be released from their obligation to otherwise respond by SAR mission coordinators.
  • Amver exchanges information with the Japanese Ship Reporting System (JASREP), the Australian Ship Reporting System (AUSREP), the Chilean Ship Reporting System (CHILREP), and the U.S. Maritime Administration (MAREP), so reports need only be made to any one system with a keyword inserted in the "Y" line to authorize exchange with another system.
  • Reports transmitted by AMVER/SEAS compressed message software provide reporting information to both systems simultaneously (Amver and SEAS), thus reducing reporting workload and cost.
  • Amver provides a ready fleet of vessels to provide assistance, in place and on call, in remote areas of the world's oceans.
  • Amver is a demonstration of international humanitarian cooperation, mariner helping mariner, by assisting any person in distress at sea regardless of nationality or status.
  • Your ship might be the one called upon to divert and assist. Consider that it might also someday be the ship in distress!

To enroll in Amver, please go to our online Enrollment Section for more information, or contact us at:

Amver Maritime Relations
U.S. Coast Guard
1 South Street
Battery Park Building
New York, NY 10004
Phone: (011-1) (212) 668-7764
Fax: (011-1) (212) 668-7684
Telex: 127594 AMVER NYK