Use Vessel Class Finder in Claude and other AI assistants

Data from the IACS Vessels in Class dataset, as of 30 September 2026. Refreshed weekly.

Vessel Class Finder has a remote MCP server at https://vessel-class-finder-production.up.railway.app/mcp, so Claude and other AI assistants can look up any IACS-classed ship's class society, class status and survey dates by IMO number. Single-ship lookups work without an account; connect with an API key for batch lookups of up to 100 ships.

Tools

Tool	API key	What it does
`lookup_vessel`	Optional	One ship by IMO: society, status, in class or not, last and next survey, reason for the latest status change
`lookup_vessels`	Required	1–100 ships in one call, plus the IMOs not found in IACS data
`check_usage`	Required	Your plan and lookups used and remaining this month

All tools are read-only. Without a key, lookup_vessel uses a shared free daily allowance; with a key, every lookup counts against your plan (Free: 100 a month).

Add it to Claude

In Claude, open Settings → Connectors and choose Add custom connector (or find Vessel Class Finder in the connector directory once it's listed).
Enter the URL https://vessel-class-finder-production.up.railway.app/mcp.
Ask, for example: "Is IMO 9321483 in class, and when is its next survey?"

Claude Code

# Single-ship lookups, no key
claude mcp add --transport http vessel-class-finder https://vessel-class-finder-production.up.railway.app/mcp

# With your API key for batch lookups
claude mcp add --transport http vessel-class-finder https://vessel-class-finder-production.up.railway.app/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Cursor and other MCP clients

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vessel-class-finder": {
      "url": "https://vessel-class-finder-production.up.railway.app/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

Leave out headers to use single-ship lookups without a key. Get a free key at vesselclassfinder.com.

Example questions

Which classification society classes IMO 9321483, and is it in class?
Check these 20 IMO numbers and list any with suspended or withdrawn class.
Which of these ships has a class survey due in the next three months?
How many lookups do I have left this month?

Limits

Data is the IACS Vessels in Class dataset, refreshed weekly. It covers ships classed by the 12 IACS members and is not a substitute for class certificates or the society's own records. See what each status means.

Frequently asked questions

Can Claude check a ship's class status?

Yes. Add Vessel Class Finder as a connector (URL https://vessel-class-finder-production.up.railway.app/mcp) and ask Claude, for example, "Is IMO 9321483 in class?". Claude calls the lookup_vessel tool and answers from the IACS Vessels in Class data.

Do I need an API key?

No for single-ship lookups, which share a free daily allowance. Yes for batch lookups of up to 100 ships and for usage checks: connect with your API key, and lookups count against your plan exactly as API calls do.

Which AI tools does it work with?

Any client that supports remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP, including Claude (web, desktop and mobile), Claude Code and Cursor. A local stdio version is also available as an npm package.

What data does the connector send to Vessel Class Finder?

Only the tool calls: the IMO numbers looked up and, if you connect with one, your API key. It never receives your conversation. See the privacy policy for details.

Support: info@wearefabbrik.com · Privacy policy