Deckwatch & VTS

1. PHILOSOPHY
God gave man the totality of his being that through his acquired
DISCIPLINE he may achieve self-fulfillment.
Education is Life and Life as an ever changing process must be
progressive, but progress is best attained only when one has achieved
DISCIPLINE as a way of Life.
People know that they are HUMAN-BEING, but sometimes they forgot
for BEING-HUMAN.

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4. Lesson 13 The use of routing in accordance with the general
principles for ship reporting system and with VTS procedures
• At the end of this module, the students should be able
to:
• LO13.1: Describe the use of reporting in accordance
with the general principles for ship reporting systems
and with VTS procedures

5. 1
• Vocabulary
• You will come across the following terms in this module. Be able to learn them well in relation
to this topic:
• Term 1. Definition
• Competent authority – the authority made responsible, in whole or in part, by the
Government for safety, including environmental safety, and efficiency of vessel traffic and the
protection of the environment.
• VTS authority – the authority with responsibility for the management, operation and
coordination of the VTS, interaction with participating vessels and the safe and effective
provision of the service.
• VTS area – the delineated, formally declared service area of the VTS. A VTS area may be
subdivided into sub-areas or sectors.
• VTS centre – the center from which the VTS is operated. Each sub-area of the VTS may have its
own sub-center.
• VTS operator – an appropriately qualified person performing one or more tasks contributing to
the services of the VTS.
• VTS traffic image – the surface picture of vessels and their movements in a VTS area.
• VTS sailing plan – a plan which is mutually agreed between a VTS Authority and the master of
a vessel concerning the movement of the vessel in a VTS area.

6. Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) – Purpose, Organization and its
components
• Vessel Traffic Service or VTS is a shore-based system implemented by a
competent authority to:
• Improve the safety and efficiency of navigation
• Safety of life at sea
• Protection of the marine environment.
• VTS is governed by SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 12 together with the guidelines
for Vessel Traffic Services IMO Resolution A.857(20) adopted on 27 November
1997.
• A Vessel traffic image is compiled and collected by means of advanced sensors
such as radar, AIS, direction finding, CCTV and VHF or other cooperative system
services.

7. 1
• A modern VTS integrates all information into a single operator
screen i.e his working environment for ease of use and in order to
allow for effective traffic organization and communication.
• In areas that are covered with VTS, there are certain procedures for
vessels to follow such as Area Procedures, Sector Areas, Arrival and
Departure Reports, Approach Procedures, Pilotage Procedures and
many more. Each of the above procedures is named with respect to
the area that they serve. For eg. in English Channel - Dover
coastguard VHF 11
• ships entering a VTS area report must to the authorities, usually by
radio, and may be tracked by the VTS control center.
• Ships must keep watch on a specific frequency for navigational or
other warnings, while they may be contacted directly by the VTS
operator if there is a risk of an incident or, in areas where traffic
flow is regulated, to be given advice on when to proceed.

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9. VTS Services
• VTS should comprise at least an information service and may also include others, such
as a navigational assistance service or a traffic organization service, or both, defined as
follows:
• 1. Information service is a service to ensure that essential information becomes
available in time for on-board navigational decision making. This information service
is provided by broadcasting information at fixed times and intervals or when deemed
necessary by VTS or at the request of the vessel.
• 2. Traffic organization service is a service to prevent the development of dangerous
maritime traffic situations and to provide for the safe and efficient movement of vessel
traffic within the VTS area. It concerns the operational management of traffic and the
forward planning of vessel movements to prevent congestion and dangerous situations.
• 3. Navigational assistance service is a service to assist on-board navigational decision
making and to monitor its effects. The navigational assistance service is essentially
important in difficult navigational or meteorological circumstances or in case of
defects or deficiencies.

10. Communication and Reporting
• Communication between a VTS authority and a
participating vessel should be conducted in accordance
with the Guidelines and Criteria for Ship Reporting
systems and should be limited to information essential to
achieving the objectives of the VTS.
• IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases should be
used where practicable. In any VTS message directed to a
vessel or vessels, it should be made clear whether the
message contains information, advice, warning, or an
instruction.

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•Summary
•Contracting Governments to establish VTS where traffic
volume or risks justify it.
•VTS to follow guidelines adopted by IMO.
•VTS can only be mandatory in territorial seas.
•Ships to be encouraged by Administrations to use VTS.

12. END
• Lab 13..