Week No.

7
Voyage Data Recorder
1. Define the Voyage Data Recorder ?
Voyage data recorder, or VDR, is a data recording system designed for all vessels
required to comply with the IMO's International Convention SOLAS Requirements (IMO
Res.A.861(20)) in order to collect data from various sensors on board the vessel.

2. Illustrate functions of the Voyage Data Recorder.

It then digitizes, compresses and stores this information in an externally mounted
protective storage unit. The protective storage unit is a tamper-proof unit
designed to withstand the extreme shock, impact, pressure and heat, which could be
associated with a marine incident (fire, explosion, collision, sinking, etc.).

3. Demonstrate how to operate Voyage Data Recorder.

Description of when and how to use
• It should be clearly stated in the company’s procedures which types of incidents
and
near-misses that should be preserved for securing of evidence and sharing of
lessons
learnt. Owners/managers are also recommended to include such information in the
emergency response section of the vessel’s Safety Management System (SMS).
• A poster on the bridge positioned near the VDR equipment setting out the
procedures, such as when and how to use the VDR (both saving and retrieving data),
roles and responsibilities by the bridge team and a short user description.
• The data will often be saved in a format that is not readily accessible to a
third party without the necessary software. Owners should check whether the
information on
their equipment can be readily downloaded.

4. Illustrate the prepared maintenance which is also included in the PMS?

A planned maintenance system allows shipowners and operators to plan, perform and
document vessel maintenance at intervals complying with Class and manufacturer
requirements. The objective is to ensure safe and reliable vessel operations,
including equipment, in addition to compliance with all applicable regulations.
A planned maintenance system on ships is mandatory according to the International
Safety Management Code (ISM). An effective planned maintenance system not only
helps meet safety and environmental objectives laid out in the ISM Code, it is also
an investment in the protection of the assets and optimization of their management.

5. How to recover the Data on VDR recorder.

Recovery of the VDR information should be undertaken as soon as possible after an
accident in order to best preserve the relevant evidence for use by both the
accident investigators and the ship owner.
The VDR loop function may offer an option to retain data from a longer period of
time than the 12 hour window required by the IMO performance standard. By adjusting
this default the Master has an increased opportunity to preserve the data. Masters
should be
reminded that the records will be overwritten within the implemented time frame if
the data is not promptly savedHowever, the emphasis should be on stopping the VDR
overwriting data. Retrieval
can always be done at a later stage.

Failure to retrieve VDR information may lead to counterparty allegations that might
have been prevented and/or proceeded against in a less costly manner had it not
been for the lack of VDR evidence.
One vessel may retrieve VDR data and might be in an advantageous position should
the other vessel have none. Masters and their bridge team should therefore be
familiar with the practicalities of data saving and data retrieving, both with
regards to advantages and limitations as well as the importance of correct storage
of data.