After 7 years I’m finally off a DP vessel and LOVE IT…
it’s refreshing to take a step back sometimes - back to basics - especially in my segment of the shipping industry which is known for being “tech heavy” (oil & gas exploration & production).
not sure how long it’ll last but for now its good.
not sure how long it’ll last but for now its good.
Ah for those sweet first kiss moment with Taylor Swift blissful happy times…they tend to turn into the old overweight WalMart hag with a small mustache problem times oh so quickly.
Enjoy the voyage.
.
The only time I allow DP to be used when I am master is at the rig where the contract requires it. If anybody asks about using it anywhere else, I politely tell them perhaps they should ask for a transfer or I will be more than happy to do it for them.
[QUOTE=BMCSRetired;64126]The only time I allow DP to be used when I am master is at the rig where the contract requires it. If anybody asks about using it anywhere else, I politely tell them perhaps they should ask for a transfer or I will be more than happy to do it for them.[/QUOTE]
That has to be one of the most ridiculous things I have heard in a long time.
[QUOTE=Capt. Lee;64127]That has to be one of the most ridiculous things I have heard in a long time.[/QUOTE]
Indeed i think i would ask for a transfer if i ended up on that vessel.
[QUOTE=richard8000milesaway;64120]After 7 years I’m finally off a DP vessel and LOVE IT…[/QUOTE]
[B]Happy for ya.
I guess the “Dr. Throckmorton” quote stayed with the vessel ?[/B]
[QUOTE=Capt. Lee;64127]That has to be one of the most ridiculous things I have heard in a long time.[/QUOTE]
Absolutely, he probably is overwhelmed by the use and cannot grasp the concept. I bet the company that spent a lot of money to install that DP system is sure proud of that backwoods mentality.
Yeah, we don’t need no fancy bells and whistles on dis here boat, we can drive morer betterer den sum silly com-PU-tor! And we don’t use no radios and radars, a real cap’n can smell his way tru da bayou!
Maybe “BMCSRetired” is like me in a way: I acknowledge DP is great for multitudes of operations and I’m glad I’m an experienced DPO, but even so it’s nice to get back to basics again.
Not a maybe…
Too many times have I seen guys go into an immediate panic when they don’t have DP or it burps on them. I have worked DP boats for 8 years straight now out of 30 with the license. It can do many things better than I can but you still need the skill to handle the boat without it just in case. That’s why I train my guys to work as much as possible without DP so they are the complete package not a DPO.
For Capt. Lee; As a licensed officer, I would never diss you in public or private. I am a professional. We met in person before and while we may not agree on certain things, if i did feel I had to talk to you about something you wrote here, I would do it private like an adult not like a kid on the playground…
…which is kinda what I am doing here, unfortunately. PM me.
Hypothetical situation: You are alongside a rig on a large DP2 supply boat. You have an explosion in the engine room. everything goes dark, yet miraculously, you have control of steering and one main engine. Do you have the confidence and experience to get the vessel clear of the rig in that situation, or are you so reliant on DP that you just freeze up and stand there pushing buttons trying to get the DP working again until you have a collision? I believe that is the point BMCS was trying to make.
I have already encountered similar issues with some junior officers on R/V’s: “You can’t do this without DP”, “You can’t do that without DP”, when referring to evolutions that were conducted on the original Atlantis (Woods Hole) on a single screw SAILBOAT. In my opinion, what GPS did for navigation, Dynamic Positioning is doing for ship-handling. Making it much easier, and making many people much lazier. Can many of the operations that we conduct today be done without DP? Obviously not. But we shouldn’t rely on it exclusively and let our other skills go to pot.
You know slow sailor the only way to get out of those situations is to have an unlimited tonnage master onboard God knows they are the only ones smart enough to drive boats err I mean ships err big supply boats you know what how bout anything that floats I recently saw an unlimited masters license lo and behold there it was on page 8 of his little red book PHD in Astro Physics first thing I thought of was c.captain was right all along
There is a huge difference between the ‘Art of boat handling’ and the ‘technology of boat handling.’ It would appear THAT is what Senior Chief is referring to.
Too many guys want all the bells and whistles EXCLUSIVELY for use all the time.
Admittedly, I am NOT and never will be DPO. But there does seem to be merit in having ALL operators aboard being somewhat proficient with manuvering alongside. ANY schmuck can be a ‘sea mate’ and call the Captain when I’m gonna crash, But how many mates can actually stand their own watch, to the masters head in the bunk? That may be more what is important.
[QUOTE=Slowsailor45;64142] In my opinion, what GPS did for navigation, Dynamic Positioning is doing for ship-handling. Making it much easier, and making many people much lazier. Can many of the operations that we conduct today be done without DP? Obviously not. But we shouldn’t rely on it exclusively and let our other skills go to pot.[/QUOTE]
Not simply making them lazier, but they never even get to hone their skills to the point of competence. Sometimes us ‘old timers’ forget how long and hard we honed our skills to jump into the chair. It didn’t/doesn’t come over night, and all the neat techno shortcuts don’t make up for time on the sticks, and time in a stumulator won’t EVER add up to real world asshole pucker experience.
Well said cappy208.
Capt. Lee you big meanie do you need a hurt feelings report to send . Being on a vessel for 5 years manually holding position in a 25 foot circle so the ROV can dive and doing bottom work I was very glad to have the little button to push when we finally got it. 12 hrs at the controls at a time I will take DP when i can. this is me everyone runs there own vessel there way. he don’t want it don’t do it.To each his own.
Whether we like it or not, when the client contracts for a DP vessel, they want a DP vessel; and as such, require the vessel to utilize the DP system for certain evolutions. The result of this, unfortunately is that the bridge crew never gets an opportunity to truly learn live boat handling skills in various sea states or close quarters situation. I’m afraid that is the nature of the offshore world these days. We that choose to participate must take the good with the bad.
I applaud Richard for doing apparently what was in his heart to make the switch if that is what was important to him.
Not simply making them lazier, but they never even get to hone their skills to the point of competence. Sometimes us ‘old timers’ forget how long and hard we honed our skills to jump into the chair. It didn’t/doesn’t come over night, and all the neat techno shortcuts don’t make up for time on the sticks, and time in a stumulator won’t EVER add up to real world asshole pucker experience.[/QUOTE]
That is a fact. I like to turn off the chart plotter and other amenities when I have a trainee onboard, even for myself. I didn’t learn where I was going and what to do when I got there by following a line. I know that’s not related to DP, but I believe its mostly technology we’re talking about here. If we don’t use the skills we’ve acquired over the course of our careers, we’ll only lose them. Or at the least we won’t be as proficient.
Sent from my PiratePhone using gCaptain
Good going Richard. Never too late to do something new, and you know you can always head back to DP when you choose. Best of luck in your new “old school” endeavor.
Sort of the same dilemma as ATBs.
The company wants guys with towing experience. But I can envision in a few years there will be a lot of ‘rusty’ tugboaters who haven’t put a barge on the wire. And quite a few masters and mates who either haven’t done it or only got a TOAR write off. Much less the deckhand/Tankerman who have never seen it done.
[QUOTE=BMCSRetired;64138]
For Capt. Lee; As a licensed officer, I would never diss you in public or private. I am a professional. We met in person before and while we may not agree on certain things, if i did feel I had to talk to you about something you wrote here, I would do it private like an adult not like a kid on the playground…
…which is kinda what I am doing here, unfortunately. PM me.[/QUOTE]
I can say this. I take my lumps when I have to. If you post something in an open forum, you best have your man pants on.