Vessel Ownership Data tracks and maps the layered structure of entities associated with a vessel’s legal, operational, and financial control. These ownership “trees” can span up to seven levels, each representing different stakeholders in the vessel’s lifecycle:

• Beneficial Owner / UBO – The natural person(s) who ultimately controls or benefits from the vessel’s operations.

• Registered Owner – The legal titleholder of the vessel, typically a corporate or trust entity.

• Technical Manager – Manages physical upkeep, repairs, crewing, and operational readiness.

• ISM Manager – Responsible for International Safety Management (ISM) compliance and certification.

• Charterer / Third-Party Operator – An external party operating the vessel under a charter agreement or on behalf of the owner.

• Commercial Operator – Manages the commercial employment of the vessel (e.g. charters, bunkers, port ops).

• Nominal Owner – Financial institution or vehicle behind the vessel’s acquisition.

Coverage

Ownership datasets attempt to cover the global merchant fleet, but completeness and granularity vary depending on:

• The vessel’s jurisdiction and corporate transparency laws

• The depth of the supplier’s investigative processes

• Regional biases (e.g. stronger coverage in OECD countries)

Sources

Ownership data is compiled from a mix of:

• Company registries and corporate filings

• Ship registries and flag state disclosures

• Port state control and inspection records

• Chartering documentation

• Direct investigations and disclosures

• Manual Research

Methodology

Ownership hierarchies are created by mapping legal and functional relationships across entities. Steps include:

• Associating each vessel (via IMO or MMSI) with its registered owner and management entities

• Identifying and linking intermediate companies, operational managers, and ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs)

• Cross-referencing data from multiple jurisdictions and formats to resolve naming inconsistencies

Why This Data?

Ownership data is critical for risk assessment, compliance, and commercial due diligence:

• Enables flagging of high-risk vessels based on past incidents, UBO ties, or operational management

• Supports sanctions checks, chartering decisions, and insurance risk models

• Helps analysts and commercial users understand operational behaviour patterns linked to specific owners or managers

Benefits:

• Adds essential context to vessel activity and historical behaviour

• Enables compliance teams to pierce corporate veils and uncover true ownership

• Useful in fraud prevention, and supply chain management