Voyage data recorders (VDR) collect and process shipboard sensor data to give valuable insight in the aftermath of an incident at sea. They are basically black boxes for the maritime industry, designed to identify the cause of marine accident and contribute to prevention.

VDRs and S-VDRs have been fitted to all vessels of three tons gross or more constructed on or after 1 July 2002. A VDR/SVDR is article a storage medium that is able to endure pressures and shocks from marine incidents such as sinking, fire, collision or even sinking.

The system is designed to collect data from various sensors aboard a vessel before digitizing and compressing it before storing it in an enclosure that is secured externally. The tamperproof container is designed to withstand the most severe shock, impact and heat as well as pressures, that may be encountered in a marine incident, such as a collision or fire.

Members may wish to consider upgrading their VDR/S/VDR systems to give them the capability to retain data for longer periods. At present, the IMO performance standard only requires the VDR/S-VDR to store data for a maximum of 12 hours after the incident before it’s erased.

A growing number of manufacturers provide a MantaDigital S-VDR which can be interrogated from a distance, similar to how airlines’ FDR data are analyzed following an incident. This allows remote diagnosis of technical issues aboard and assists in implement proactive maintenance processes. Regular shoreside playbacks also assist bridge teams in analyzing the trends in their performance and identifying improvement opportunities.