This is a brief review article on the Voluntary Observing Fleet (V.O.F.). The scheme of Voluntary Observing Fleet as a: part of World Meteorological Organisation is of basic importance in collections Meteorological observations on voluntary basis from the sea areas, thus functioning as floating weather observatories.

Other non-meteorological observations which have bearing on the related sciences such ii Marine Biology, oceanography and Astrophysics are also collected by the ships under the heading of special phenomena.

World Meteorological Organisation and other Institutions such as the National Oceanographic Institute. U.K., undertake certain research schemes for which special observations from sea area, besides routine meteorological observations, are necessary. The ships of V.O.F. collect these observations according to special requirements and co-operate whole heartedly for such endeavours.

In this article the historical development of the organisational set-up and the present activities of the V.O.F. are reviewed and it is also discussed how the observations of this Fleet are utilised in furthering the development and progress of the oceanic and atmospheric spaces.