FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about VesselNow, licensing, trials, and FleetView.
What is VesselNow?
VesselNow is the onboard platform for Guest, Bridge, IT, AV, and AMS — one server on the boat. You run VesselNow Core yourself (Windows, Docker, or an appliance). Licenses and the signed-in Overview live at vesselnow.io.
How does licensing work?
Licenses are issued at vesselnow.io and activated on your VesselNow Core install. Choose a monthly subscription or a perpetual license (one-time purchase with 36 months of updates and online access). One key unlocks the surfaces you bought.
Can I try before I buy?
Yes. Start a 7-day trial from Get started — no admin console required. Install VesselNow Core, enter the trial key, and convert to a subscription or perpetual license when you are ready.
What is FleetView?
FleetView is the product that streams position and telemetry from the boat to vesselnow.io. Signed in, you get Overview, Map, Vessel home, and Around vessel (crowd AIS from licensed hosts). The public landing map is a demo — not live traffic.
Where does VesselNow run?
On your hardware — a small PC, NAS, Docker host, or appliance aboard. Your data stays on the boat. vesselnow.io only handles licenses, trials, the telemetry you choose to upload, and optional notifications.
How do I get updates?
For Docker installations, use the in-app update check to install the latest version; your license and data are preserved. Perpetual licenses include 36 months of free software updates; after that you can keep using or optionally renew for continued updates and online services.
Where can I download and run VesselNow with Docker?
You can pull and run the official VesselNow image from Docker Hub: hub.docker.com/r/gmtsgroup/vesselnow. Use the in-app Settings or your own docker-compose to configure ports, volumes, and environment. After starting the container, open the web interface (e.g. http://localhost:8000), then register for a trial or enter a license key. Data is stored in your chosen volume so you can update the image without losing config or history.
Docker pull says “authentication required” on Unraid or a NAS
The official image gmtsgroup/vesselnow is public — you do not need a GMTS Docker login. Pull gmtsgroup/vesselnow:latest. Unraid and some NAS Docker UIs show “unauthorised: authentication required” when a leftover Docker Hub login is stale, or when they try to pull build attestation layers. Use the :latest tag, add a Docker Hub account under Unraid Settings → Docker if asked, or log out of Docker Hub on the NAS and pull again. Do not point the template at a private GitHub registry.
More about Docker: install, test, and data
Docker is the recommended way to run VesselNow on a server or NAS. Pull the image, run with a persistent data volume, and set VESSELNOW_LICENSE_SERVER to https://vesselnow.io/wp-json/vesselnow/v1 (or your license server) so the app can validate licenses and trials. Use the in-app update check to pull the latest image and restart; your license and data are preserved. For detailed steps see the Docker Hub page and the project documentation.
How does VesselNow connect to vesselnow.io, NMEA, and my devices?
VesselNow connects to different things for different purposes:
- vesselnow.io (this website): Your VesselNow instance contacts vesselnow.io for license validation, trial registration, and (if you enable it) FleetView reporting. We do not host your dashboards or sensor data; we only handle licensing and optional fleet visibility.
- NMEA and data sources: On your network, VesselNow connects to NMEA 0183/2000, SignalK, UDP/TCP, and serial sources you configure. It can also use device GPS, router GPS (e.g. Starlink, Peplink), and USB–N2K adapters. All of this runs locally on your server; data does not need to go through vesselnow.io.
- FleetView and push: If you register a vessel for FleetView, position and optional history are sent to vesselnow.io so you can see the fleet map and vessel detail when logged in. Schedule and notifications can be pushed from vesselnow.io to your vessel, or from the vessel to the website, depending on how you set them up.
What is the difference between VesselNow Bridge and VesselNow AMS?
VesselNow Bridge is the crew watch hub: cameras, SEA.AI (when configured), AIS/status, Status Board, and situational charts. Bridge Navigation is not certified navigation software and must not be used as a plotter or ECDIS. Guest services and Infotainment live on the Guest surface (included with Bridge). VesselNow AMS is the engine-room automation surface (Overview, Systems, Generators, cameras/alarms). Both run on one VN-Core install; buy Bridge, AMS, or both.
Is Guest a separate license?
No. Guest infotainment is included with the Bridge license. The Guest surface is the default: every browser on the vessel LAN lands on Guest, and crew sign in to reach Bridge, IT, or AMS.
What is VesselNow IT?
VesselNow IT is the vessel monitoring-tools surface, included free with the Bridge license: internet/WAN status (Starlink, VSAT, Peplink), LAN health (UniFi, switches, clients), UISP and Teltonika read-only status, topology, camera health, UPS/PDU via SNMP, host CPU, IT alarms with Time Machine, and an AMS-style IT page on vesselnow.io when FleetView upload is enabled. Open it from the top-left surface switcher or at /it after signing in. It is not a sold NMS overlay. Entertainment monitoring and Fusion live on VesselNow AV, not IT.
What is VesselNow AV?
VesselNow AV is the entertainment surface, included with Bridge. Crew open it from the logo switcher (/av) for monitoring tools (live Sonos / WiiM / Denon / Marantz status, processor health, rooms, driver reachability) and Fusion stereo (writes stay gated until capture is verified). Guests get a simpler now-playing face from the hub (/av-guest). Shore-side, vesselnow.io has an AMS-style AV monitor when FleetView upload is enabled. Crestron, RTI, and Lutron stay as registry stubs until a documented API is verified on the boat. Vendor control never runs from the cloud.
Where did Engineering go?
Engineering is part of VesselNow AMS (Overview, Systems, Generators), not a Bridge hub tile. Open AMS from the top-left surface switcher after crew sign-in. Legacy /engineering may still work on some installs; prefer /ams/overview.
How do crew sign in on board?
Open the top-right menu → Crew login (mobile: More → Crew login), pick your user from the dropdown and enter your PIN or password. Every vessel ships with a built-in user "Crew" with PIN 5522 so you can reach Bridge and Settings out of the box — change that PIN under Settings → Crew Accounts after commissioning. Crew memberships on vesselnow.io can sync onboard (Settings → Crew Accounts → Sync); first login sets a local password. Accounts then work fully offline; sessions last about 30 days per device. Signed-in crew admins can edit routes without the shared kiosk password.
How do I switch between Bridge, IT, AV, and AMS?
After signing in, tap the top-left VesselNow logo — it opens a surface switcher listing VesselNow Bridge, VesselNow IT, VesselNow AV, and VesselNow AMS (depending on the vessel license). You can also pin a specific device to always land on IT or AMS under Settings → Crew Accounts → This device.
What are History & Wildlife Packs?
History & Wildlife Packs are offline Nature & History libraries for the Guest History map — coastal places and stories, wildlife and fish catalogs, and reserves. VesselNow ships 150+ corridors worldwide with dual licensed images per site/species where available, multi-language stories, onboard QR codes (no internet), and volume installers (Pacific, Australia, US, Europe) including extra Australia / New Zealand / Pacific places and Kiribati and Tuvalu packs. Markers wrap with the globe; clicking a species that exists in several regions keeps the local summary. Install via Content Manager; Core stays slim and Extras remains drivers/CCTV only. Vessels that already have older packs need a refresh to see new places and fish. Crew can still add local overlays without editing the packs.
What can I do from vesselnow.io while I am ashore?
Sign in for the Dashboard, vessel members, and the download page. The picture shows position, sensors, and status the vessel has uploaded. Remote into Vessel opens a live onboard client through the cloud — the same as being on the vessel, over a secure session. Logins and changes are recorded. Entertainment vendor control and plant control do not run from the cloud except through that Remote into Vessel session.
Can I see sensor history in the cloud portal?
Yes. On the Dashboard and AMS pages, tap a sensor tile to open a chart. Choose 1 hour, 7 hours, or 24 hours. Power-source changes use a longer window. History depends on FleetView upload from the vessel.
Does AMS upload data to the cloud?
AMS validates its license online but does not upload operational or telemetry data. Bridge can optionally upload FleetView position and alarms when enabled.
Do I need two servers for Bridge and AMS?
No. One VN-Core Docker container serves Bridge/Guest at / and AMS at /ams/. Configure once in Settings.
Do you support Siemens PLC / MQTT?
Yes, via project profiles (e.g. B89) and an MQTT gateway such as Node-RED. Bridge shows read-only PLC data; AMS can send write commands when licensed.
Are there mobile apps?
VesselNow Guest, Bridge, and AMS companion apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android are launching soon — check the Download page for availability. VesselNow for Apple TV (guest infotainment) is already available.