SINK or… WIN?

By Doug Wiklund
ACR European Sales Manager

Samuel Plimsoll “drew the line” more than 130 years ago in his struggle to make shipping safer in Britain. He brought about one of the greatest shipping revolutions ever known by convincing Britain to make reforms, which have been emulated internationally and saved the lives of countless seamen worldwide. Experiencing adversity and personal loss, Plimsoll fought to make shipping safer by clinging doggedly to the facts.

Despite the continuing advent of improved ship designs, navigation systems, safety equipment, weather forecasting, communications and rescue organisations, ships still sink. How, in this day of safety consciousness and high technology, does tragedy still strike big ships? Anyone who cares wants to know why – and usually for good reason – to avoid and prevent further such losses. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) does care and hence we now have mandatory requirements for most ships to be equipped with a Voyage Data Recorder (VDR). VDRs capture and preserve information on the condition and operation of the ship leading up to the moments of an accident. The information is frequently stored in a fixed capsule bolted to the ship. However, is the “fixed capsule” the right answer?

Since the late 1800s when Samuel Plimsoll and the “bottom line” achieved so much there is now a greater chance of survival for the crew of a foundering ship courtesy of lifeboats, personal flotation, survival gear, EPIRBs, excellent rescue organisations, the increased numbers of ships and the heroic actions of fellow seaman. When ships go under we need to know why. Following the lead from the well known aviation “black box” flight recorder, the maritime industry adopted a similar device – the VDR. VDR is relatively “new” in shipping. The attitudes and policies surrounding it are still evolving. One very significant facet of that evolution is the recovery of the VDR “black box.”

Just as with aircraft, when a ship goes down the VDR fixed capsule goes down with her. This single fact is at the heart of perhaps the biggest issue concerning the value of VDR. It is of absolutely of no use for the information contained in the fixed capsule to rest at the bottom of the sea.  It must be recovered before the data can be retrieved and put to good use. Recovery of the VDR from the sea floor can be hazardous, time consuming and expensive. And in certain circumstances it may not be retrievable.

Who is responsible for VDR recovery and who pays? That debatable issue involves money and politics so it is destined to go on and on. Samuel Plimsoll must be stirring in his grave. So, why not learn from the past and avoid that vexing issue altogether?  Why not allow the VDR “memory module” to eject and float freely to the surface? That concept has taken root and now several manufacturers such as ACR Electronics produce a “Float Free Memory Capsule” for Simplified VDR to address the vexing question of retrieval.

Another significant “plus” for the Float Free Memory Capsule is that it contains an EPIRB or satellite detectible locator beacon. Herein lies a totally independent, automatic backup emergency alert system capable of saving lives even before its main purpose of Float Free Memory Capsule recovery is served!!!

Surprisingly in spite of these winning advantages, Float Free Memory Capsules do not seem to have “caught on” as readily as we might expect. Why not, when they are such an obvious advantage over the standard fixed capsules?

The answer lies in several areas. While fixed-capsule VDR is mandatory for many ships and new-builds, the adoption of the float-free capsule does not meet the mandatory requirement in all instances, because it is not fixed. Then there is a general mindset heavily biased toward the “traditional” secured-in-place “black box.” New fangled add-ons or alternatives are not considered.  Finally, there is the misperception that Float Free Memory Capsules, being inherently lighter and constructed of buoyant materials, are relatively fragile and many suspect they will not survive a catastrophic fire or explosion onboard a ship. 

This last concern is an irrational fear as Float Free Memory Capsules are designed to function on the proven platform of the 406MHz EPIRB. 406MHz EPIRBs have a highly successful record of surviving catastrophic events onboard ships since their introduction in the late 1980s.  Over nearly two decades, 406MHz, Float Free EPIRBs have proven themselves at deploying and transmitting to the authorities in all types of tragedies at sea.  The 406MHz EPIRB enjoys an enviable reputation of working successfully when all else has failed.

Technically, integration of the float free capsule with a range of existing VDR products is not a barrier and solutions for most of the combinations are developed and approved by authorities. At least one Government has seen the light and made it compulsory to fit the Float Free Memory Capsules while another has it implied by charging ship owners with the cost of recovery of the data. If the Float Free Memory Capsule concept is to succeed, we need other authorities to follow suit and IMO to provide direction.

What should a well-designed Float Free capsule offer? It should:

• Have a full enclosure cover for protection from sunlight, ice or other environmental elements.

• Be constructed of non-corrosive materials designed for the marine environment.

• Contain a reliable and tested automatic release mechanism that provides effective separation from the ship both physically and electronically.

• Meet all the stringent IMO requirements for recording and storing data.

• Be readily locatable (contain a 406MHz satellite detectible beacon and 121.5MHz homing signal) for at least a week in the worst possible conditions.

• And since lives are at stake, it should be built by a manufacturer whose primary business is building reputable safety equipment and who will remain in business and offer service for many years to come—like ACR Electronics, Inc.

At first glance one could conclude that a memory storage device made from steel, fixed to the deck and designed to survive fire, explosion and the depths of the sea is the right method for storing data.  When you examine the facts, though, it becomes apparent that preserving vital data is only half the job. The other half involves recovering it. Depending on how a sinking ship lands on the ocean floor, the water depth and distance from shore, it is obvious that retrieval of a fixed capsule can be expensive, risky and impractical.  What good is preserving the data if it is irretrievably lost or the retrieval costs too great?