Maritime surveillance: This expert helps you see at sea

Should you ever be lost in the depths of marine CCTV, give Mr. Anders Bjerketveit a call.

[Lysaker, September 2024]

It’s a sunny September afternoon on a ferry port just outside Oslo. We’re about to embark on the ferry along somebody who has completed our upcoming trip a four-digit-number of times.

His name is Anders Bjerketveit, and he lives on the peninsula Nesodden. Close to the city, yet sufficiently far away – at least that’s how he sees it.

• To me, this is perfect, he says as we step off the ferry, gesturing for us to observe the land we’ve just set foot on.

“The ships I help equip are designed to perform exceedingly difficult tasks, in exceedingly challenging conditions”

And we have to give it to him: Life at Nesodden does look idyllic, not to mention convenient. Buses, synced to the ferry schedule, are lined up and ready to go, ensuring commuters waste no time on their journey to or from work. The scenery is spectacular, with a calm Oslofjord mirroring the skyline of its namesake city.  

On days like these, the sea presents as a peaceful domain. But professional mariners know all too well what awaits them out there. And Anders, having spent a lifetime in the industry, knows too.

• The ships I help equip are designed to perform exceedingly difficult tasks, in exceedingly challenging conditions. That’s the context of what we do here at Hatteland Technology, he says.

Your man for boats and electronics

Becoming a go-to company for anything is no overnight endeavor; the skills, culture, and stature can take decades to develop. When it comes to marine CCTV, Anders represents all those things. 

“Ferries and fishing vessels, which was the scope of my work initially, would have between 6–8 analog cameras.”

We invite him to hit rewind for us and explain how he ended up an expert in that particular field.

• Growing up, my nearest neighbor was the fjord. I’ve always loved boats. My friends and I would spend countless hours on the water, just for getting around or for racing each other. I carried that interest onwards by serving my conscription period with the Navy, he says.
  
  

Above: Anders knows his way around the ship’s deck.

Anders spent two years in the Navy, completing his introductory course on marine electronics. That put him on track for what he’s been doing ever since. And onboard surveillance has evolved quite a bit since he first started out.

• I was first introduced to onboard surveillance in 1985. Both the vessels and the CCTV equipment have changed a lot since then…both with the introduction of network cameras, and the number of cameras involved. Ferries and fishing vessels, which was the scope of my work initially, would have between 6–8 analog cameras. Those cameras would be connected to a handful of monitors via simple, analog video switches, he says.

Anders explains how coverage was limited to cranes, anchoring, and other critical systems.

• Then came the nineties and the video matrix. It was still analog technology, but it transformed the surveillance discipline as it enabled us to route multiple camera feeds to multiple displays. Not least, you could now handle many more cameras than before.

This meant you could suddenly channel any signal to any monitor, and also stream the same video feed to separate locations. Another big thing the video matrix spawned was PTZ controls (pan, tilt, zoom).

• So not only did vessels start getting more cameras; you’d have the ability to operate them remotely. Those systems actually had a lot in common with today’s CCTV systems. Except that the infrastructure has become digital, Anders says.

The age of network cameras

Digital surveillance systems started to emerge in the 90s, when network cameras were invented. Little by little, an analog discipline turned digital.

Today, vessels are equipped with full-blown computer networks, not dissimilar to industrial buildings on land; they carry switches, monitors, servers, computers, automation systems, network cameras and more.

“(…) there are ways to use IP and analog in parallel,
and still keep infrastructure economy at a sensible level.”

 
But despite the digitalization of shipping, onboard CCTV is a domain where analog lives on:

• Network cameras are better in almost every aspect. But there are still use cases that call for analog connections – generally where signal delays must be kept at a minimum. Luckily there are ways to use IP and analog in parallel, and still keep infrastructure economy at a sensible level, Anders explains.

Breathing new life into old CCTV systems

The harmonization of analog and digital systems happens to be a specialty of Anders’; retrofit projects represent a significant share of the requests he gets. Most of the vessels he helped supply analog systems to 10–20 years ago, return with requests to get help converting those systems to digital.

Having lived through the transition from analog to digital, not many marine CCTV professionals have the depth of knowledge that Anders does.

• One of my younger colleagues sometimes says she wishes she could plug a USB stick into my head and download everything, he says and laughs.

Marine electronics professionals: Anders (2nd from the left) and a few colleagues at the Hatteland Technology stand, Nor-Fishing 2022.

Anders admits that knowing both the analog and the digital world is a big advantage. For him, it provides the self-assurance that comes with experience. But most of all, it helps him keep costs down for the client. 

• Getting an upgrade doesn’t necessarily mean you should replace all your equipment. It often makes sense to keep many of the analog cameras and install converters instead. Not least because the cabling can be substantial, and often cumbersome to replace.

No place like home

When you work in the shipping industry, the ships don’t come to you. You go to them. As a result, Anders has seen places he likely never would have got to visit otherwise.  

• CCTV systems are part of the safety-critical infrastructure on board. If they malfunction, you’re not allowed to sail. That’s why I used to do lots of commissioning work, to help get the ships compliant and ready, Anders says, and adds it’s consistently one of Hatteland Technology’s most in-demand services.

He reminisces about journeys to Brazil, China, the United States, and Tanzania – to name only a few of the stamps in his passport. His favorites among them all? 

• Dar el-Salaam and Rio de Janeiro.
  

Our CCTV expert doesn’t travel much for business anymore, but happily leaves that to younger colleagues. He is more than content with doing the calculations and the paperwork.  

• I’m less eager to travel the world now. I’d rather spend time with my wife and our kids, and our dog, preferably out in nature somewhere. Or in my greenhouse, where I grow most of the produce I cook, he says and lights up.
  

Even for the most avid technologists, some of the best things in life are offline. For Anders, cooking is one such thing. While there are many hobby chefs out there, you get the sense it runs a little deeper with Anders.

He confesses that when he is around, his wife knows there’s no point in asking who’s going to make dinner. And given his love for the marine environment, there can be no doubt what’s on the menu.

• We eat seafood five days a week – at least, he says and smiles.

To learn more about Hatteland Technology and how we can assist your project, please visit our home on the web.

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CCTV solutions for maritime applications: The most important things to consider
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An introduction to computer networks on board ships
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