These terms are the agreement between you and Innovesting OÜ for the use of the VesselSOS app and this site. Section 01 is the one that matters most on the water — read that even if you skip the rest.
VesselSOS is an aid. It is not a rescue service, and it does not replace a VHF radio, an EPIRB or PLB, a lifejacket, a flare, or a call to your local emergency number.
The app depends on things we do not control: your phone’s battery, its GPS receiver, mobile coverage at your position, and the networks that carry the call or message. Any one of them can fail at sea. Plan your safety equipment as if the app were not there, and treat it as the backup that happens to always be in your pocket.
The app covers the maritime rescue centres of Europe’s seas — the Baltic, the North Sea and Norwegian Sea, the Atlantic coasts and islands, the Mediterranean and the western Black Sea (30 countries; not Russia, Belarus or Ukraine) — and picks the responsible one from your position using approximate area boundaries. In the United Kingdom it dials 999, as HM Coastguard asks; in Malta, 112; in Albania, 125 (the national sea emergency line). In United States waters — the coasts, the Great Lakes and inland lakes and rivers of all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam — it dials 911 (from app version 1.4) and, on the coasts and the Great Lakes, also shows the responsible Coast Guard sector. In Canadian waters — the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coasts, the Gulf and River St. Lawrence, the Great Lakes and Hudson Bay — it dials the responsible Canadian Coast Guard search and rescue centre (a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre or Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre) on its published number, and on Canadian inland lakes and rivers it dials 911 (from app version 1.8). In Australian waters — the coast, bays, rivers and lakes, including Tasmania, the Torres Strait and Lord Howe Island — it dials 000, and in New Zealand waters, including lakes, rivers and the Chatham Islands, it dials 111; in both, the call script asks for Police (from app version 1.5). On European lakes and rivers and outside these areas it shows the nearest centre and 112 — use the local emergency number there. Phone numbers come from each authority's official pages and can change. Tapping “Yes, a life is in danger” dials the rescue centre immediately. You remain the master of your craft: every decision on the water is yours, and the app’s suggestions do not replace your judgement or your duties under maritime law.
You need to be at least 16 years old in the European Union, or 13 elsewhere, and able to enter into this agreement. By installing the app you accept these terms; if you do not accept them, delete the app.
The app is for recreational and small-craft use. It is not certified equipment for commercial shipping under SOLAS or GMDSS, and it must not be relied on as the sole means of distress alerting on a vessel where the law requires certified equipment.
The app is only as good as what you put in it. Craft name, type, length, colour, MMSI, call sign and the number of people aboard go straight into the call script and MAYDAY text you read to a rescue centre. Keep them current, and update the number of people aboard before you leave the dock. The phone number on your account must be your own. Emergency contacts are someone else’s personal data — add them only with their knowledge, and tell them they may get an automatic SMS from VesselSOS if you are overdue. Anyone who has your live tracking link can see your position until the trip ends, so share it with care.
Position, the emergency call and the filled-in MAYDAY are available without paying. We will not put a paywall in front of a distress call.
Pro costs CA$3.99 a month or CA$19.99 a year, with a 14-day free trial once per person. The store shows its own price in its own currency (Canadian dollars on the Canadian App Store) and applies sales taxes as shown before you confirm. Subscriptions are sold and billed by the Apple App Store (and Google Play once the Android app exists), renew automatically for the same period unless cancelled at least 24 hours before it ends, and are charged to that store account. The exact price and period are shown before you confirm.
Cancel any time in your App Store or Google Play subscription settings; the subscription runs to the end of the paid period. Because those stores are the seller, refunds and the EU right of withdrawal for digital content are handled through them — Apple Support or Google Play’s refund form. Write to support@vesselsos.com if you get stuck and we will help you push it through.
Sending a knowingly false distress alert puts rescuers at risk and is a criminal offence in most countries, Estonia included. Do it and we close your account, and we cooperate with the authorities.
Also not allowed: reverse-engineering or copying the app, automated access, reselling it or presenting it as your own service, and using it to track another person without their knowledge.
We work to keep the service running, but we do not promise uninterrupted availability. Maintenance, network outages, store policy changes and the limits of mobile coverage all interrupt it. The app is designed so that position, the call script and the MAYDAY text work on the device even with no connection — that is the part we care about most. The live tracking link, SMS login and uploading your position need a data connection; positions recorded without one are sent when it returns. If you set a return time and do not answer the app’s “Are you OK?” question, our server sends an automatic SMS to up to 5 of your contacts set to Emergency or Live at your return time plus your chosen delay plus 10 minutes, with your name, craft, how late you are and the live map link; when you answer, they get an all-clear. This works only if the phone had mobile data at least once after the trip started, and it depends on mobile networks and the SMS provider, so a message can be late or not arrive at all. It never alerts a rescue service: your contacts decide whether to call for help.
The app is provided as it is. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for loss caused by an alert that did not arrive, a position that was inaccurate, rescue-centre data that had changed, a flat battery, a lost signal, or a decision you made using the app. Our total liability is limited to what you paid us in the twelve months before the claim.
Nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited by law — including death or personal injury caused by our negligence, intent, gross negligence, or a consumer’s statutory rights.
The app, its name and its design belong to Innovesting OÜ. You get a personal, non-transferable licence to use it. Rescue-centre numbers come from each national authority's official pages and the area boundaries in the app are approximate. Maps on the tracking page © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and OpenSeaMap (CC BY-SA); their terms apply to that content.
We may change these terms; if a change matters to you we tell you at least 30 days before it takes effect, and you can stop using the app. You can end the agreement by deleting your account. We may suspend an account that breaches section 05.
Estonian law applies and the courts of Estonia have jurisdiction. If you are a consumer in the EU, this does not take away the protection of the mandatory law of your own country, and you may use your national consumer dispute body — in Estonia the Consumer Disputes Committee (tarbijakaitse.ee).
Invite only people who know you and agree to be your friend in the app, and enter a phone number that belongs to that person. Friends you accept see your name, phone number and main craft and, while you are on a trip with “Show friends when I’m at sea” on, your position. You can turn sharing off or remove a friend at any time. Using Friends to follow someone without their knowledge is misuse under section 05.
Hazard reports come from other users. We do not check them, and they may be wrong, out of date, late or missing. They never replace your own lookout, nautical charts or official navigational warnings — an empty hazard map does not mean the water is safe.
Report only what you have seen yourself. No false or abusive reports. We may remove reports and suspend accounts that misuse the feature. If a report is wrong or abusive, tell us at support@vesselsos.com.
These points apply when a rental company (“you” in this section) uses VesselSOS Fleet — the dashboard, the Fleet API and the integrations — together with the rest of these terms. Fleet is for businesses; the data processing agreement we sign with you is part of this agreement. If you rent a craft from a rental company, see the last point.
Fleet is in its pilot, with a small group of rental companies. Features, limits and these conditions may change while we build it with you, and we may end the pilot. There is no service level agreement: we do not promise availability, response times or that a feature will stay. Any fee is agreed with you in writing before it applies.
Fleet helps your staff keep an eye on your rentals. It is not a rescue service, it is not connected to any rescue centre, coastguard or emergency number, and it does not replace VHF channel 16 or DSC, 112 or the local emergency number, your own rescue boat, or a lookout from the shore. A customer’s SOS in the app calls the rescue centre from their phone; Fleet only shows it to your staff, and nobody is alerted on anyone’s behalf. Everything Fleet shows depends on the customer’s phone, its battery and GPS, mobile coverage, and the networks that carry notifications and SMS: a position can be old or inaccurate, and an alert can be late or not arrive. A customer without a phone on the water cannot be seen at all. When someone may be in danger, act on what you know and call the rescue centre — do not wait for the dashboard.
You remain responsible for your rentals: the licences and permits you need, the safety rules for your craft and waters, equipment and lifejackets, age and licence checks, weather decisions, the briefing you give each customer, and the people who watch the water. Fleet does not change any of these duties and does not tell you whether a rental is safe or lawful.
You draw the allowed areas, choose the craft types and set the rules (grace time, battery level, zone buffer). Make sure they match the law and what you tell your customers at the briefing. The out-of-zone check uses the phone’s position and your buffer, so it is approximate. Keep your crafts, bases, phone number and staff list up to date.
For your customers’ rental data you are the controller and we are your processor, under the data processing agreement. You need a legal basis for the processing and must tell your customers how you use their data — the Fleet section of our privacy notice can help, but it does not replace your own notice. Use Fleet only for rentals the customer has accepted in the app, and do not put health data or other special categories of data in notes or terms.
The rental terms you enter in your settings are shown to the customer in the app before they accept. The rental agreement is between you and your customer; Innovesting OÜ is not a party to it and does not check it. You are responsible for its content and for consumer law in your country. Templates on our site, such as the rental agreement template among the free tools, are not legal advice.
Invite only your own staff and people who work for you, give each the role they need (owner, staff or rescue), and remove people who leave. Keep sign-in links, API keys and webhook secrets confidential; you are responsible for what is done with your accounts and keys. Tell us at support@vesselsos.com if you think an account or key has been misused.
Not allowed: tracking anyone outside a rental they accepted, sending misleading messages to customers, entering false data, testing the security of Fleet without our written permission, circumventing rate limits, scraping, reverse engineering, or reselling Fleet or giving access to third parties without our agreement. Section 05 applies as well.
You connect booking systems (such as Booqable or Bókun), the Fleet API and webhooks with your own accounts and keys, and you must be entitled to do so. Those services are run by third parties under their own terms and fees, which you accept with them; we are not responsible for their availability or data, or for the systems that receive your webhooks. We keep your keys encrypted, use them only to do what you set up, and you can disconnect at any time.
Section 07 applies to Fleet. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, lost revenue or bookings, or loss caused by an alert or message that did not arrive, a position that was old or inaccurate, a customer’s phone, or a decision you or your staff made using Fleet. Our total liability to you for Fleet is limited to the fees you paid us for Fleet in the twelve months before the claim. Nothing limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including for intent or gross negligence, or for death or personal injury caused by our negligence.
You can stop using Fleet at any time by telling us at support@vesselsos.com; we can end it with 30 days’ notice by email, or end the pilot. We may suspend an account at once if it breaches these terms or puts customers or the service at risk. A suspended account cannot start new rentals or use the API and integrations, but rentals that are running can still be watched and returned. When Fleet ends for you, your customers’ data is handled as the data processing agreement says.
Your rental agreement is with the rental company, on its terms — shown to you in the app before you accept. These terms still apply to your use of the VesselSOS app. The rental company sees your position only from your Accept until it marks the craft returned; the Fleet section of our privacy notice explains the rest.
These points apply when a club or other race organiser (“you” in this section) uses VesselSOS Racing — the race office at racing.vesselsos.com, the public live page and race mode in the VesselSOS app — together with the rest of these terms. Racing is for clubs and other organisations; the data processing agreement we sign with you is part of this agreement. If you race in a race run with VesselSOS Racing, see the last point.
Racing is in its pilot, with a small group of clubs. Features, limits and these conditions may change while we build it with you, and we may end the pilot. There is no service level agreement: we do not promise availability, response times or that a feature will stay. Racing is free during the pilot; any fee after it is agreed with you in writing before it applies.
Racing helps your race committee keep an eye on the fleet. It is not a rescue service, it is not connected to any rescue centre, coastguard or emergency number, and it does not replace VHF channel 16 or DSC, 112 or the local emergency number, your safety and rescue boats, or a lookout from the committee boat. A competitor’s SOS in the app calls the rescue centre from their phone; Racing shows it to your race committee and lets you ask the nearest boats to assist, but nobody is alerted on anyone’s behalf. Everything Racing shows depends on the competitors’ phones, their battery and GPS, mobile coverage, and the networks that carry notifications and SMS: a position can be old or inaccurate, a boat can drop off the map, and an alert can be late or not arrive. A boat without a tracking phone cannot be seen at all, and marking boats ashore from the harbour area is approximate — keep your own check-out and check-in. When someone may be in danger, act on what you know and call the rescue centre — do not wait for the dashboard.
Racing detects the start, mark roundings and the finish from the phones’ GPS, and it only flags: a possible early start (OCS), a possibly missed mark or a finish crossed too early is a flag for the race officer, never a decision. The race officer decides on starts, marks, finishes, retirements and scores, and can correct any of them. Times, places, gaps and corrected times are calculated from phone positions and are approximate; projected values are estimates. The start countdown and sounds in the app are an aid — the official signals are your visual and sound signals under the Racing Rules of Sailing. Results are provisional until you mark the race complete and your protest time has passed, and they are final only as you confirm them under your sailing instructions. Racing does not replace your race committee, your timing, a protest committee or your results software, and it does not apply the Racing Rules of Sailing for you.
You remain responsible for your races: the notice of race and the sailing instructions, the safety plan, safety and rescue boats, permits and notifications to the authorities, the decision to start, postpone or abandon, weather decisions, the skippers’ briefing, checking boats out and back in, and the people who watch the water. Racing does not change any of these duties and does not tell you whether a race is safe or lawful.
You set the course, the start and finish lines, the harbour area, the visibility for competitors and the public, and the entries. Make sure they match your sailing instructions. Detection uses the phones’ positions and the zones you set, so it is approximate. Keep the entry list, the skippers’ phone numbers and the ashore contacts correct and up to date, and your club’s phone number, email and race team too — your race committee relies on them in an emergency. Wind from MET Norway is a forecast for the race area, not a measurement at the course.
For your competitors’ race data you are the controller and we are your processor, under the data processing agreement. You need a legal basis for the processing — including importing entries, the public live page and publishing results — and must tell your competitors before the race how their data is used: that the race office sees their position during the race, that other boats and the public live page see it as your visibility settings say, and that results stay published. The notice of race or the sailing instructions is the place for it; the Racing section of our privacy notice can help, but it does not replace your own notice. Enter only boats and people who take part, and do not put health data or other special categories of data in messages or entry fields.
Messages you send reach competitors’ phones as typed; keep them factual, and do not use them instead of VHF and your visual signals for anything safety-critical or required by the rules. Ask boats to assist only during an SOS — whether and how a boat helps is its own decision under the rules and the law.
Invite only your own race team and people who work for you, give each the role they need (owner, officer or viewer — owners and officers see competitors’ phone numbers, ashore contacts and the number of people on board), and remove people who leave. Keep sign-in links confidential; you are responsible for what is done with your accounts. Tell us at support@vesselsos.com if you think an account has been misused.
Not allowed: tracking anyone outside a race they joined, using race data for anything other than running the race and its results, sending misleading messages to competitors, entering false data, testing the security of Racing without our written permission, circumventing rate limits, scraping, reverse engineering, or reselling Racing or giving access to third parties without our agreement. Section 05 applies as well.
Section 07 applies to Racing. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, or loss caused by an alert or message that did not arrive, a position, time or place that was old or inaccurate, a flag that was wrong or missing, a competitor’s phone, or a decision you or your race committee made using Racing — including a decision about a start, a result or a protest. Our total liability to you for Racing is limited to the fees you paid us for Racing in the twelve months before the claim. Nothing limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including for intent or gross negligence, or for death or personal injury caused by our negligence.
You can stop using Racing at any time by telling us at support@vesselsos.com; we can end it with 30 days’ notice by email, or end the pilot. We may suspend an account at once if it breaches these terms or puts competitors or the service at risk. A suspended club cannot create races, change courses or entries or start a sequence, but it can still watch races that are running, message the fleet, ask for assistance and mark boats safe or ashore. When Racing ends for you, your competitors’ data is handled as the data processing agreement says.
Your race is run by the organiser, under its notice of race and sailing instructions; the Racing Rules of Sailing and the race officer’s decisions apply, not the app’s flags, and results are provisional until the organiser confirms them. These terms still apply to your use of the VesselSOS app, and section 01 applies in full: race mode does not change how the SOS works. The race office sees your position from joining until you are ashore, other boats and the public see it as the organiser sets it, and the Racing section of our privacy notice explains the rest.
Innovesting OÜ aims to meet WCAG 2.1 level AA in the VesselSOS app and on this site, in line with the European Accessibility Act. In an emergency app this is not a formality: the emergency button is large and reachable one-handed, every control is at least 44 by 44 points, text scales with your system setting, contrast is tested against the AA thresholds, and colour is never the only way information is conveyed.
Known gaps we are working on: screen-reader labels on the map of the web tracking page are incomplete, and the coordinate readout in the app is not yet announced automatically when it updates.
If something is unusable for you, write to support@vesselsos.com. We answer within one working day and treat accessibility bugs as safety bugs.
Photos on this site come from Wikimedia Commons and are used under their licences: