Sofar Ocean has launched Wayfinder Explore, a self-service voyage optimisation platform that allows masters and shore teams to test and compare routing decisions using the company’s weather forecasts and vessel performance models.
The system is designed for operators that manage voyage routing in-house, providing tools to optimise, edit and compare routes while showing the resulting fuel, time and cost implications.
Users can move waypoints, adjust engine inputs such as RPM or power, and re-simulate a voyage after each change. Routes can also be optimised against a required time of arrival while respecting vessel safety limits, with teams able to optimise speed independently or combine speed and route optimisation.
Wayfinder Explore is built on Wayfinder Core, the same platform used by Sofar’s own routing team. Its weather data is derived from Sofar’s Spotter ocean sensor network, while individual vessel performance models are retrained using noon reports and daily weather data.
The system also allows routes to be shared between vessels and shore teams, while recording the forecast, vessel model, options considered and route activated for subsequent review.
Initial fleet trials of Wayfinder Explore are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter.
“Masters and shore teams want autonomy over their routing decisions, and they want to see what each one costs,” said Dennis Rong, Head of Product at Sofar Ocean.
“Having routed thousands of vessels, we know a route is only as good as the weather and vessel data behind it. Wayfinder Explore gives those teams the same foundation our own routers use every day.”
