SONNE (Research vessel, Germany flag) was last seen on AIS on Oct 3, 2026, 16:53 UTC, under way at 2.3 kn, near Vancouver (North Pacific Ocean). The crew-entered destination was US SAN (voyage report via AISstream.io global terrestrial AIS, received Oct 3, 2026, 16:53 UTC). This report does not confirm the ship’s current route.

What kind of ship is SONNE?

SONNE is a research vessel sailing under the flag of Germany, built in 2014 by Meyer Werft. The vessel is 118.4 m long with a beam of 20.6 m and has a gross tonnage of 8,554.

Who is recorded as the owner or manager of SONNE?

Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space is recorded as Registered owner for SONNE (source: Wikidata). This source record does not independently confirm today’s ownership or management.

What sanctions and inspection records does Voydar hold for SONNE?

Voydar has no matched sanctions record displayed for SONNE from the OFAC SDN list, the UK Sanctions List, the Canadian autonomous sanctions list, the EU list of designated vessels, the New Zealand Russia Sanctions Register and the French national asset-freeze register. Coverage may be incomplete; this is not sanctions clearance. No matched inspection records are displayed for SONNE. Missing records do not establish whether the ship has been detained.

SONNE

Research vessel · Germany · built 2014 · AIS Class A

IMO9633927MMSI211627240Call signDBBELast AIS position Oct 3, 2026, 16:53 UTC

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In short

SONNE (Research vessel, Germany flag) was last seen on AIS on Oct 3, 2026, 16:53 UTC, under way at 2.3 kn, near Vancouver (North Pacific Ocean). Its crew-entered AIS destination is US SAN (San Diego), with an ETA of Oct 13, 2026, 16:00 UTC; its reported draught is 6.6 m (voyage report via AISstream.io global terrestrial AIS, received Oct 3, 2026, 16:53 UTC). Registered owner: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (source: Wikidata).

Vessel type: Research vessel
Flag: Germany
Year built: 2014
Gross tonnage: 8,554
Size (length × beam): 118 m × 21 m
Registered owner: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space

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Last reported position

received Oct 3, 2026, 16:53 UTC

Position: 49.2959° N, 123.0828° W
Area: North Pacific Ocean
StatusWhat do AIS statuses mean?: Under way using engine
Speed: 2.3 kn
Course: 196°
Heading: 201°

49.2959° N, 123.0828° W

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Voydar detected no port call in the last 30 days.

Port calls are detected by Voydar from AIS (at least 30 minutes slow inside a harbour area); see Port calls below.

A year of history in the Terminal (Plus) · the full archive since June 1, 2026 (Pro)

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Identity & particulars

Name: SONNE
IMO numberWhat is an IMO number?: 9633927
MMSIWhat is an MMSI?: 211627240
Call signWhat is a call sign?: DBBE
Flag: Germany
Vessel type: Research vessel
AIS ship type: Other
Gross tonnageGross tonnage vs deadweight: 8,554
Deadweight (DWT): Source: Wikidata, record Q11510312. Added to Voydar on September 23, 2026. Licence: CC0 1.0.6,500 t
Length overall: 118.4 m
Beam: 20.6 m
Year built: 2014

A tag next to a value names the register that supplied it (hover or tap it for the record and date). Values without a tag come from the ship's own AIS broadcasts or from Wikidata. Position and identity are derived live from AIS.

Ownership & management

Each line shows where the fact comes from. Links backed by an identifier point to the company page.

Registered owner: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.8 · retrieved Sep 22, 2026
Operator: Briese Schiffahrt(not linked to a company record)
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.6 · retrieved Sep 23, 2026
Q915184(not linked to a company record)
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.6 · retrieved Jun 10, 2026
Builder: Meyer Werft
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.8 · retrieved Sep 22, 2026

Timeline

Dated events for this ship from every source Voydar holds, newest first. Each line names its source; derived items say how they were derived.

Date	Event	Source
Sep 6, 2019, 02:02 UTC	Reported departure from Hong KongAuthority-reported	Hong Kong vessel arrivals & departures (incl. VTMS daily reports)
Sep 3, 2019, 00:52 UTC	Reported arrival at Hong KongAuthority-reported	Hong Kong vessel arrivals & departures (incl. VTMS daily reports)
Jun 5, 2016	Reported departure from PonceAuthority-reported	USACE foreign traffic vessel entrances & clearances
Jun 3, 2016	Reported arrival at PonceAuthority-reported	USACE foreign traffic vessel entrances & clearances

Owner, operator and manager changes found by comparing yearly EU MRV reports are dated to the reporting year ("during 2025"), not to a day. Port calls here are the most recent only; the full lists are further down.

Port calls

Two kinds of evidence, kept apart: calls Voydar detected from the ship's AIS positions, and arrivals and departures published by port authorities and customs records.

Reported by authorities Authority-reported

Port	Record	Date (UTC)	Berth	Source
Hong Kong HKHKG	Arrival	Sep 3, 2019, 00:52 UTC	CMKEN	Hong Kong vessel arrivals & departures (incl. VTMS daily reports)
Ponce PRPSE	Departure	Jun 5, 2016(date only)	—	USACE foreign traffic vessel entrances & clearances
Ponce PRPSE	Arrival	Jun 3, 2016(date only)	—	USACE foreign traffic vessel entrances & clearances

Records published by the authority named on each row. Earliest record for this ship: June 3, 2016.

Source: Marine Department, HKSAR Government — DATA.GOV.HK. Licence: DATA.GOV.HK Terms and Conditions.

Source: US Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (US CBP entrance/clearance records). Licence: US Government work — public domain.

About SONNE

RV Sonne (German for Sun) is a German deep ocean research vessel. The ship became available for science in December 2014 and it operates mainly in the Pacific and the Indian Oceans. She is registered in Wilhelmshaven and replaced its predecessor of the same name.

Summary from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked questions

Where is SONNE now?: SONNE (Research vessel, Germany flag) was last seen on AIS on Oct 3, 2026, 16:53 UTC, under way at 2.3 kn, near Vancouver (North Pacific Ocean). The crew-entered destination was US SAN (voyage report via AISstream.io global terrestrial AIS, received Oct 3, 2026, 16:53 UTC). This report does not confirm the ship’s current route.
What kind of ship is SONNE?: SONNE is a research vessel sailing under the flag of Germany, built in 2014 by Meyer Werft. The vessel is 118.4 m long with a beam of 20.6 m and has a gross tonnage of 8,554.
Who is recorded as the owner or manager of SONNE?: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space is recorded as Registered owner for SONNE (source: Wikidata). This source record does not independently confirm today’s ownership or management.
What sanctions and inspection records does Voydar hold for SONNE?: Voydar has no matched sanctions record displayed for SONNE from the OFAC SDN list, the UK Sanctions List, the Canadian autonomous sanctions list, the EU list of designated vessels, the New Zealand Russia Sanctions Register and the French national asset-freeze register. Coverage may be incomplete; this is not sanctions clearance. No matched inspection records are displayed for SONNE. Missing records do not establish whether the ship has been detained.

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