The Hidden Risk in "Safe" Conditions
You've followed the protocols. Wave heights are within acceptable limits, 3.5 meters, well below the 4-meter threshold. Your vessel is on schedule. Then the call comes: cargo has shifted. Damage reported. Schedule disrupted. Explanations needed.
How did this happen in "safe" conditions?
This scenario plays out across the maritime industry because traditional safety metrics miss what actually causes damage: how your specific vessel moves in those conditions. Wave height tells you about the ocean. It doesn't tell you about your ship.
A 3-meter sea with the wrong wave period and angle can generate violent rolling that shifts cargo. Meanwhile, 5-meter following seas might allow smooth passage. Because wave height alone doesn't tell the whole story, relying on it as a sole metric can lead to unexpected routing challenges.
Ship Motion technology closes this critical gap. It transforms standard marine weather forecasts into precise predictions of your vessel’s actual physical response.
What is Ship Motion?
Ship Motion is an advanced add-on to Weathernews' OSR (Optimum Ship Routeing) service that predicts how your specific vessel will behave in forecasted sea conditions. Ship Motion uses VESTA simulation to model your vessel to forecast actual rolling, pitching and the acceleration that the cargo experiences. Route recommendations based not just on weather conditions, but on how your ship will actually move.
The Technology
Ship Motion is powered by VESTA (Vessel Performance Evaluation Tool in Actual Seas), a ship performance simulator developed by Japan's National Maritime Research Institute, highly recognized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in collaboration with Weathernews.
Purpose-Built for Practical Maritime Operations
VESTA is purpose-built for routing and focuses on what matters for routing decisions:
- Vessel-specific motion predictions - rolling, pitching, and acceleration
- Cargo damage risk assessment - acceleration that actually impact your cargo
- Route optimization analysis - balancing safety with operational efficiency
The technology accounts for your vessel's unique characteristics, hull form, loading condition, speed profile and calculates how these factors interact with forecasted wave height, period, and direction.
OSR with Ship Motion: Advanced Fleet Intelligence
Helping Everyone Make Smarter Decisions
Our Ship Motion tool gives everyone real data instead of guesswork:
- Shoreside operation teams: Show clear proof when changing routes or explaining delays to customers.
- Fleet managers: See safety risks across all ships at once and apply the same safety standards everywhere.
- Ship Masters: Get scientific calculations that back up your experience - especially helpful for new officers or unfamiliar routes.
Real-World Application Example
Scenario: Shipping Company A's original route (Route 2) encounters 6m wave height and pitching
Alternative route: Route 3
- Avoids 4m wave height; high risk of pitching and rolling due to beam sea
- Runs along the Hawaii ECA, substantial ETA change
Alternative route: Route 1
- Encounter 4m wave height, but least pitching and rolling
- Closer to original route, minimum ETA change
- FOC savings
Final Decision: Change to Route 1
→Achieve maximum cargo safety, minimum ETA change, FOC savings
Getting Started
Ship Motion is available as an enhancement to OSR service, requiring minimal integration into existing operations. Weathernews Operations staff provides the monitoring and analysis, while your team retains final decision authority, now backed by vessel-specific data.
While OSR with Ship Motion adds a new layer of safety and operational certainty to your planning, you can close the loop by comparing these predictions against your voyage’s actual results using our PMS (Performance) menu.
Read more on our OSR + PMS synergy here.
Ready to see how Ship Motion can enhance your fleet's safety and efficiency? Let’s discuss how it can be configured for your specific vessels and operational needs.
