Veslink standardizes voyage communications to help you collect and analyze current positions and other critical voyage data and share information with a network of trusted partners.
Veslink has a number of special fields and controls defined, some with calculations, that are on the defined forms and that you can add to forms. When forms include these fields, the data is validated, to make sure that required data is entered and values are valid, before users can save the form. Examples of special fields are:
Date/Time Fields
Dates can be selected from a calendar and must be entered in the date format specified on the System Configuration page. The GMT offset appears next to the Time field; times must be entered in HH:MM format, like 08:10.
On the Arrival Notice or Departure Notice, other logic is associated with the Arrival and Departure fields. For example, on the Departure Notice, the Departure Date/Time updates the Departure Date/Time for the port call and changes the vessel's state from In Port to On Sea Passage.
On a form with a frequency of Daily (which generally means the Noon Report), Veslink issues a warning message if:
The form has already been submitted for that date.
A form was not submitted for the previous date, unless it was outside the current voyage or unless the form is required only when the vessel is in passage, and it is not in passage.
Latitude and Longitude Fields
These fields accept both decimal and degree formats, as shown in placeholder text in the fields; they also accept negative values for directions corresponding to South or West.
Weather Fields
Arrival Notice and Departure Notice weather fields:
Noon Report weather fields:
Notes:
Bad Weather Hours: This field maps to Bad Weather hrs on IMOS Activity Reports.
Sea Height: This number must be entered in decimal format.
Swell Height: This number must be entered in decimal format.
Current: Current speed, in knots (Noon Report only).
Current Direction: With or Against (Noon Report only).
Cargo Handling Control
The Cargo Handling control is a grid on the Cargo Handling form with a line for each cargo, where you can record the details of cargo being loaded or discharged. The control can manage two or more cargoes with the same type and operation, or multiple liftings of the same cargo in a port.
For Time Charter Out Voyages, you can submit a Cargo Handling form for a port with multiple Cargo Handling lines having the same Cargo name.
In the Cargo Handling control, to add a cargo, click the bottom line of the grid. The control includes the following fields:
Cargo: When you select from the current cargoes, additional fields appear:
Alternative unit figures: You can select a Unit and enter the BL Gross and/or Ship Gross figures corresponding to that unit.
Charterer
Consignee
Receiver
Shipper
Destination
Letter of Protest
Berth
L/D: Port Function: L (Load) or D (Discharge).
BL Code: Bill of Lading code.
BL/Disch Date: Bill of Lading or Discharge date.
Unit
BL Gross: Quantity of cargo loaded, according to the Bill of Lading.
Ship Gross: Vessel gross capacity.
When a form is approved that has a Cargo Handling control, Cargo and Cargo ID populate in the IMOS Veslink Forms List and Voyage Manager Veslink Forms tab.
For Bunkering
The Bunkers ROB, Event ROBs, and Bunker Consumptions controls, Bunker Tanks table, and Bunkering field enable Masters to send detailed fuel-consumption information to shore.
These controls and field display Fuel Types and consumption categories specified as applicable to the particular Vessel Type (for Veslink only) or IMOS Vessel.
Bunkers ROB Control
The Bunkers ROB control is a grid with information for each Fuel Type applicable to the particular vessel. For each Fuel Type, the control displays the Last ROB amount and the Unit of measure. The ROB control can capture ROBs by sulfur content within a particular Fuel Type. It can also capture auxiliary-engine fuel consumption separately from main-engine fuel consumption.
Each ROB control is associated with a Date/Time field on the same form that tells the date and time when the ROB readings were effective. If a form includes more than one ROB control, each must be associated with a Date/Time field. The Date/Time entry must be completed before the ROB value can be entered.
Veslink performs validations to ensure that the ROB quantity entered does not exceed the sum of the last previous ROB quantity plus any subsequent bunkerings. These validations are based on chronological sequence, so careful attention must be paid to the dates/times given for each ROB and bunkering entry.
Data for fuel consumption can be further defined by engine breakdown.
Unless Use Basic Consumption is selected for the Form Group, the Consumption column includes:
Main: Protected, calculated as the difference between Total and Aux.
Aux: Editable.
Total: Editable, required.
In the Used For section, the Adj field is protected, calculated as the difference between Total under Consumption and the sum of all quantities in the section.
When an Offline Form containing an ROB control is imported into Veslink, data entered into the Consumption section is validated. Veslink calculates consumption values by taking the difference between the current ROB values and the previously recorded ROB values, and compares these values to those entered. If there is a discrepancy between the two values (calculated versus user-entered), the calculated value takes precedence: the Main value is recalculated, and the Aux value continues to display what the user entered. The Total field is highlighted in red with a tooltip that displays the calculated value and the value entered. After approval of the form, if necessary, the fuel values will be updated.
Example: The ROB of IFO as of Jan. 1 at 8:00 a.m. is 100 MT. Another 500 MT of IFO is added on January 2 at 10:00 a.m., for a total of 600 MT. The system would permit entering an ROB quantity of 590 MT as of January 2 at 10:30 a.m., but not as of January 2 at 9:30 a.m., which is before the bunkering time, so the quantity would remain 100 MT.
The Consumed amount is calculated, except under these conditions:
This is the first ROB entry for the Fuel Type.
This is the first ROB entry for the voyage, and the voyage is not consecutive.
If the current ROB entered is greater than the Last ROB amount, a message to complete a Bunkering form appears. Until the bunkering information is entered, a draft of the original form can be saved, but the form cannot be submitted.
In addition to entering the total ROB amount, the breakdown of the system-calculated consumption value across various categories (Propulsion, Generator, etc.) can be specified. The system automatically calculates an adjustment to balance the category breakdown with the total consumption. However, if all fuel Consumption Breakdown categories have been disabled, the bunker Consumption Breakdown categories do not appear.
Event ROBs Control
The Event ROBs control records Bunkers ROB for specific events and time frames.
Bunker Consumptions Control
The Bunker Consumptions control captures total volume as well as the Time (hrs) used within each consumption category, which can assist with performance reporting. For example, in the IMOS Report Designer, you can create a Bunker Consumption Breakdown report that shows daily bunker consumption broken down by category and Fuel Type.
A table appears for each Fuel Type applicable to the particular vessel.
Customizing Consumption Category Labels and Tooltips
To specify labels and tooltips for parts of the Bunkers ROB and Bunker Consumptions controls:
Click to expand any of the following sections, click add to add a row, and then complete the fields.
Customize Consumption Control: For the Bunker Consumptions control only. Note: Changes made in this section override those made in the Customize Bunker ROB Control section. In the Bunker Consumptions control, consumption categories and engines will appear in the same order as they are entered.
Category Name: Consumption category or engine name.
Tooltip: Text to appear when the mouse pointer is held over the Category Name in the Bunker Consumptions control.
Engine: If the Category Name and Tooltip are for an engine, select this check box. If they are for a consumption category, clear this check box (default).
Customize Bunker ROB Control: For the Bunkers ROB and Bunker Consumptions controls.
Consumption Category: Field to rename.
Category Name: New name to appear on the form.
Tooltip: Text to appear when the mouse pointer is held over the Category Name.
To save the changes, click.
To delete a row, click del; to reset consumption category labels and tooltips to default values, click .
Bunker Tanks Table
The Bunker Tanks table uses the master data from IMOS Vessel details to populate the tank information, allowing vessel-side users to submit volume and ROB data. This data is not imported into Operations and can only be used for reporting via the API or IMOS Report Designer.
ROBs entered in the Bunker Tanks table update the Bunkers ROB control, if both are on the form, and vice versa.
When Fill % is over 100.00, a warning appears to the vessel-side user. You can also configure a warning to display if capacity is over a set Fill Capacity Warning %.
Like an ROB field, a Bunkering field must be associated with a Date/Time field located on the same form that must be completed before the Bunkering value can be entered.
A Bunkering field must also be associated with a particular Fuel type.
Bunkering Table, Bunkering Completed, and Supplier
When you add certain bunkering elements to a custom form, the required elements are automatically added to ensure that the necessary data is recorded:
When you add:
The following required elements are automatically added:
Bunkering Table
Bunkering Completed
Bunkering Completed
Bunkering Table
Supplier
Bunkering Completed and Bunkering Table
For Port Activities
Port Activity Control
The Port Activity control enables you to update Date From, Time, and Remarks for all Port Activities in IMOS (instead of for an individual activity using the Port Activity element type).
It includes the following columns:
Activity: A list of activities from the database, as established in IMOS, or from a Voyage Template. Because Port Activities tend to be repetitive from port call to port call, default Port Activity lists can be established that will automatically populate the Port Activity control. The lists can be based either on Port Function (loading, discharging, etc.) or on a particular combination of Port Function and Voyage Template. This would allow, for example, more than one default list of Port Activities to be defined for loading, each applicable to a certain type of vessel or voyage. The Port Activity control also checks to ensure that no more than one Port Activity of type PS (port start) has been entered. When completing the Port Activity control, to supplement the default lists of Port Activities, select from the list other activities to cover any deviations from the standard ones and delete any activities that did not occur; activities left blank when the form is submitted are not recorded. As part of the Port Activity setup in IMOS, the activity (or activities) that mark the start and end of cargo operations can be indicated; these are coded OS and OE, respectively. (This information is needed for the IMOS Demurrage calculation.) The Veslink Port Activity control validates that each OS activity entered is balanced by a corresponding OE activity and, if not, issues an error message. The way the list of Port Activities appears defaults either from the template or from previous edits to the Port Activities in the port.
Cargo: Either the cargo, if there is only one, or a selection list of cargoes being loaded or discharged by this ship in this port. The list includes columns for Cargo Type, BL Code, BL Date, and BL Quantity. This field is only active for Port Activities having Port Activity Type OS (cargo Operation Start) or OE (cargo Operation End).
Charterer: For Port Activities with Charterer selected in the IMOS Data Center, you can select a Charterer.
Remarks: A line of free-form text.
Date/Time: A standard Date/Time control. The date component has a calendar control. Each date and time can be selected, but when the time is completed for a row, if the date in that row is blank, it is copied from the last nonblank row above it (in case the activity in the previous row was skipped). After entering an initial date, most of the Port Activity control can be completed by just entering times.
To add any of the following, click the links at the bottom of the Port Activity control:
Port Activity: Select a single Port Activity.
Berth: Select from all Port Activities that have their Berth column selected and Cargo column cleared in the IMOS Data Center. If a Port Activity Template exists, only those activities defined in the template are available.
Cargo: Select from all Port Activities that have their Cargo column selected in the IMOS Data Center. If a Port Activity Template exists, only those activities defined in the template are available.
ROBs for each Fuel Type for each Activity: With Track Event ROBs selected for the Form Group, click Show ROBs on the bottom of the Port Activity control.
Delay Events Table
Note: When setting up Port Activities in the IMOS Data Center, at least one Delay End (DE) activity must PairWith a Delay Start (DS) activity Code.
The Delay Events table enables you to update Date From, Time, and Remarks for paired Delay Start (DS) and Delay End (DE) Port Activities in IMOS.
It includes the following columns:
Delay Start Type: Select from a list of DS Port Activities that are paired with DE activities.
Delay Start Time: Updates Date From on the DS Port Activity line.
Delay End Time: Updates Date From on the DE Port Activity line.
Remarks: Updates Remarks on the DS Port Activity line.
Upcoming Ports Control
The Upcoming Ports control is on the Offline Noon Report (for locations at sea only) and the Offline Departure Notice. This control allows the captain to enter ETAs for ports to be called next. Configuration options can be set on the Forms page.
