I searched the forums and found one good post from 2014.
Is that information still good? More or less you can get a dpo license but it is only good upto the license you have and sea time needs to be from a dpo boat as well.
I have no idea were I need to be looking to research this.
Minimum Requirements for starting the DP Scheme
Following the 2010 Manila amendments to the STCW Convention and Code, The Nautical Institute has implemented the following criteria for entry into the DP Operators training scheme:
The minimum qualification is set at STCW Regulation II/1 ‐ II/2 ‐ II/3 Deck, Regulation III/1 – III /2 – III/3 – III/6
Engine and Regulation III/6 for ETOs
| STCW | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| II/1 Deck | Officers in charge of a navigational watch on ships of 500 GRT or more. |
| II/2 Deck | Master or chief mate on ships of 3,000 GRT or more. |
| II/3 Deck | Officers in charge of a navigational watch and Masters on ships of less than 500 GRT. |
| III/1 Engine | Officers in charge of an engineering watch in a manned engine‐room or designated duty engineers in a periodically unmanned engine-room. |
| III/2 Engine | Chief engineer officers and second engineer officers on ships powered by main propulsion machinery of 3,000kW propulsion power or more. |
| III/3 Engine | Chief engineer officers and second engineer officers on ships powered by main propulsion machinery of between 750kW and 3,000kW propulsion power. |
| III/6 ETO | Electro-Technical Officer |
Alternative appropriate Marine Vocational Qualifications (MVQs) will be considered on a case by case basis. The NI defines an MVQ as a non-STCW Certificate of Competency issued by a white list Maritime Administration for use in the administration’s local waters only.
Thank you. It looks like I could take mate 500T and qualify as well. If I understand correctly.
I am on a boat with ass internet so thank you again
Reach out to the schools that offer DP classes, they may have better answers.
Completing Basic Training with 100NC will Qualify you for II/3 - OICNW less than 500 tons International.
Marc
No, it won’t. See 46 CFR 11.321 and NVIC 13-14.
A 100 ton master can get a DP certificate but you have to be employed as the company has to write a letter stating the need for you to acquire the certificate.
If you don’t currently work for a company that has a DPO vessel that allows you to get appropriate time you are wasting your time. In appropriate time I mean it is classed and in the NI’s system. Plenty of vessels with DP systems in the GOM that are not classed.
The easiest way to tell if it is classed is there a FEMA and updates from trials done every year onboard.
It’s amazing that so many people believe that bullshit. There is a lot more to “having STCW” than just taking BT
Another route to explore is the OSVDPA:
Become a DPO (I have no DP experience)
There’s actually a small nugget of plausibility to this. See 46 CFR 11.301(g):
(g) Notwithstanding §11.901 of this part, each mariner found qualified to hold any of the following national officer endorsements will also be entitled to hold an STCW endorsement corresponding to the service or other limitations of the license or officer endorsements on the MMC. The vessels concerned are not subject to further obligation under STCW because of their special operating conditions as small vessels engaged in domestic, near-coastal voyages. [List of vessel types follows]
See also 46 CFR 15.1101(a)(2).
Anyone getting an STCW endorsement under 46 CFR 11.301(g) will have a limitation that is only valid for near-coastal domestic voyages, i.e. it’s not valid where STCW is required. As far as DPO, very few, if any, of the listed vessel types have DP.
For an STCW endorsement that’s valid where an STCW endorsement is required, see the regulation and policy I cited above.
FMEA
I’m a stickler for the details considering for the last few years I’ve been writing and performing the trials to prove the validity of the documents.
I’d say the best way to find out is to check the class certificate - for ABS it would need to be DPS1 or higher. There are vessels out there with an unclassed DP system that have a FMEA in place. In fact some older ships may even be in the NI database - having lost their class notation at some point - you may be required by NI to prove the vessel was classed while you were on it so beware.
Just out of curiosity, but how big would a 100GT vessel be? The smallest DP classed ship I know of would be a ~100ft multi-cat and they are still in the order of 300GT.
100 GRT in the US is usually about 200 GT.
However, the tonnage system in the US is a regulatory game full of exceptions and loopholes. There are 200’ OSVs and 150’ tugs that are only 99 GRT. US tonnage is a scam, not a meaningful system measurement.
When Multicats are eventually built in the US, they will all be under 99 GRT.
