What Map Layers and Tracking Tools MyShipTracking Offers

MyShipTracking provides four map styles (Standard, Dark, Satellite, Navionics), toggleable overlays such as OpenSeaMap and a graticule, vessel-type icon filters, a playback mode for past tracks, a distance-measuring tool, and weather layers for wind, temperature, cloud cover, rain, and pressure. All of these sit in the map's layer and tool menus and are aimed at casual, informational vessel and port monitoring rather than operational navigation. The site itself states that its data is provided "AS IS" for informational purposes only, without warranties of reliability or accuracy.

Map Styles and Overlays

The base map can be switched between four styles, each suited to a different viewing task:

On top of the base map you can enable overlays: OpenSeaMap (chart-style detail), a Graticule (coordinate grid), and a Daylight indicator. These are toggled independently, so you can combine, for example, Satellite with the graticule to read approximate positions against the imagery.

Vessel Filters and Label Options

The layer menu includes a Contributors option and an Icons & Labels section. Vessel icons are grouped by type — Tug/Pilot, High speed, Passenger, Cargo, Tanker, Yacht/Others, Fishing, Base Station, Air Craft, and Navigation Aid — and you can choose which groups to display. This is the practical way to declutter a busy port area: hide categories you don't care about and keep only Cargo and Tanker, for instance.

Label settings control what text appears next to each vessel. You can show or hide labels at lower zoom levels and choose which tags appear on a label: Name, Speed, Destination, Calculated ETA, and Received Time. General options let you put a background behind labels for readability.

Playback, History, and Past Tracks

Playback mode replays vessel movement over time. Within it you can:

• Set playback speed at x1, x10, x100, x1000, or x10000
• Toggle a wind layer on the route or on the asset
• Color the track based on speed, or use a random color
• Show old/new positions and adjust track visibility
• Remove points, save a view, or get coordinates for a spot

A History Track option and an Add Vessel control are also available in this view. Playback is the tool to use when you want to see where a vessel came from rather than where it is now — for example, reconstructing the approach path of a ship that has already berthed.

Measuring Distance and Reading Conditions

The Measure Distance tool lets you click points on the map to get a distance reading, then exit the mode when done. It is useful for rough questions like how far offshore a vessel is or the straight-line gap between two ports.

Weather layers add environmental context: Wind, Temperature, Cloud Cover, Rain, and Pressure. The interface notes that you need to zoom in to activate the weather view. These layers are informational and are not a substitute for official marine forecasts.

Time, Coordinates, and Display Settings

Display settings affect how you read times and positions across the map:

• Date format: YYYY-MM-DD, DD.MM.YYYY, or MM.DD.YYYY
• Time reference: My Local Time, UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), or Port's Local Time
• Language: the interface is available in English, Dansk, Deutsch, Ελληνικά, Français, Nederlands, Русский, and Svenska

Setting the time reference to UTC is the safer choice when comparing timestamps with other AIS sources, since port local time varies by location.

What These Tools Are and Aren't For

The layer and tool set supports observation: filtering traffic by type, replaying a track, measuring a distance, and layering weather over positions. It does not claim precision. The site's own disclaimer states the services are provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties, and that reliability and accuracy are not guaranteed. Treat positions and calculated ETAs as indicative, and do not rely on them for navigation, collision avoidance, or scheduling decisions where accuracy matters.