Before today, had you heard of VDES in maritime communication?
Anonymous Poll
11%
Yes, familiar with it
26%
Heard of it, not sure how it works
53%
No, first time hearing this
11%
Not relevant to my role
The bridge already carries radar–ARPA, AIS, NAVTEX, and multiple communication inputs within the same watch.
Each feeds the picture. Each demands attention.
VDES now enters that environment with structured data arriving directly into the workflow.
How much information can the bridge realistically absorb?
https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/04/27/vdes-and-ais-what-actually-changes-on-the-bridge/
Each feeds the picture. Each demands attention.
VDES now enters that environment with structured data arriving directly into the workflow.
How much information can the bridge realistically absorb?
https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/04/27/vdes-and-ais-what-actually-changes-on-the-bridge/
The DeepDraft
VDES and AIS: What Actually Changes on the Bridge
There is a familiar sequence in shipping whenever a new system enters the bridge environment. The technology is positioned as a solution, the regulatory framework follows, and equipment begins to a…
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A quick visual recap of how VDES is entering the bridge environment.
Galaxy Leader: From Seizure to Wreck | A War-Risk Lesson for Shipping
https://youtube.com/shorts/hLj4uapb1dg?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/hLj4uapb1dg?feature=share
YouTube
DeepDraft
Galaxy Leader: From Seizure to Wreck | A War-Risk Lesson for Shipping
A detailed look at how VDES changes information flow on the bridge. https://youtu.be/oB8CaECuZoc
YouTube
VDES Explained: The Future of Maritime Communication (AIS 2.0)
Is the VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) the ultimate successor to AIS?
In this explainer video, we break down what VDES (often called "AIS 2.0") actually means for modern maritime operations and bridge teams . While the Automatic Identification System (AIS)…
In this explainer video, we break down what VDES (often called "AIS 2.0") actually means for modern maritime operations and bridge teams . While the Automatic Identification System (AIS)…
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VDES is being developed with authentication and cybersecurity considerations, especially around message integrity and spoofing resistance.
But that does not mean every VDES-fed input is automatically trustworthy, or that the bridge can relax verification.
But that does not mean every VDES-fed input is automatically trustworthy, or that the bridge can relax verification.
DeepDraft
VDES is being developed with authentication and cybersecurity considerations, especially around message integrity and spoofing resistance. But that does not mean every VDES-fed input is automatically trustworthy, or that the bridge can relax verification.
Detailed Analysis On - https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/04/27/vdes-and-ais-what-actually-changes-on-the-bridge/
The DeepDraft
VDES and AIS: What Actually Changes on the Bridge
There is a familiar sequence in shipping whenever a new system enters the bridge environment. The technology is positioned as a solution, the regulatory framework follows, and equipment begins to a…
UAE leaving OPEC is being treated as an oil-market story, but the maritime question is sharper: where can the barrels actually move?
Fujairah sits outside Hormuz, while Das Island, Zirku Island and Jebel Dhanna remain inside the Gulf risk map. Sohar and STS loading now sit inside the same tanker-risk conversation.
Full DeepDraft analysis: https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/05/04/uae-leaves-opec-gulf-crude-map-fujairah-hormuz-tanker-routes/
Fujairah sits outside Hormuz, while Das Island, Zirku Island and Jebel Dhanna remain inside the Gulf risk map. Sohar and STS loading now sit inside the same tanker-risk conversation.
Full DeepDraft analysis: https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/05/04/uae-leaves-opec-gulf-crude-map-fujairah-hormuz-tanker-routes/
The DeepDraft
UAE Leaves OPEC: From Quotas to Chokepoints in the New Gulf Crude Map
The UAE’s exit from OPEC is being read as an oil market headline. That is too narrow. For the maritime professional, it may mark a structural shift in the Gulf’s energy geography. It marks the mome…
Full video briefing now live: why UAE leaving OPEC matters for Fujairah, Hormuz, STS loading and the tanker-route risk map.
https://youtu.be/YDRm7ZPjmsA
https://youtu.be/YDRm7ZPjmsA
YouTube
The UAE’s Secret Map: Why They Really Left OPEC
The UAE’s exit from OPEC isn’t just a market headline, it’s a massive structural shift in energy geography. In this video, we dive into the "New Gulf Crude Map," where terminal geometry and maritime chokepoints have become as critical as production quotas.…
Beyond the glamour - The crisis of leadership and maritime training . https://youtu.be/fiToV6ueqRI?si=jRdE1peL0Whxjp6Q
YouTube
Beyond the Glamour: The Crisis of Leadership and Safety in Maritime Training
The Merchant Navy was once promised as a world of adventure and glamour, but for many young seafarers, the reality is a brutal test of endurance that sometimes ends in tragedy. In the past five years, the industry has seen a disturbing rise in "unexplained"…
Hormuz has entered blockade risk as GNSS degradation, kinetic threats, clearance uncertainty, and insurance pressure reshape Gulf transit.
This week’s brief also examines the UAE strategic pivot toward Fujairah and why non-Hormuz export routes are becoming central to Gulf crude logistics and tanker routing. https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/05/10/deepdraft-weekly-maritime-brief-may-10-2026-hormuz-blockade-risk-impacts-on-gulf-crude-logistics/
This week’s brief also examines the UAE strategic pivot toward Fujairah and why non-Hormuz export routes are becoming central to Gulf crude logistics and tanker routing. https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/05/10/deepdraft-weekly-maritime-brief-may-10-2026-hormuz-blockade-risk-impacts-on-gulf-crude-logistics/
The DeepDraft
DeepDraft Weekly Maritime Brief | May 10, 2026: Hormuz Blockade Risk – Impacts on Gulf Crude Logistics
Hormuz is approaching a blockade condition. This week, the Strait entered a “zero crossing” phase, with more than 1,500 vessels trapped, waiting, or unable to secure safe passage. Kinetic attacks, …
For those who wish to listen - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3l8UPcZmAkv0hdWMoCZKQt?si=j5kvcq1oTvmKZg2PwH3Drw
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ECDIS certification proves training. Competence is proven on watch.
Detailed Analysis - https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/05/11/ecdis-certification-is-not-the-same-as-ecdis-competence/
The DeepDraft
ECDIS Certification Is Not the Same as ECDIS Competence
The Certification Paradox ECDIS carriage requirements were introduced through 2009 SOLAS amendments that entered into force on 1 January 2011 and were phased in by ship type and build date from 1 J…
ECDIS certification is not competence.
https://youtu.be/k6f0fPQ0A_I?si=FXYZmTfuDRnX33SK
https://youtu.be/k6f0fPQ0A_I?si=FXYZmTfuDRnX33SK
YouTube
ECDIS Certification Is Not Competence | The Navigation Risk Nobody Talks About
ECDIS certification proves that training was completed. It does not always prove current competence on the actual ECDIS installed onboard.
In this DeepDraft maritime explainer, I examine the gap between ECDIS certificates, type-specific training, onboard…
In this DeepDraft maritime explainer, I examine the gap between ECDIS certificates, type-specific training, onboard…