I recently finished DP induction and have been getting mixed information about Nautical institute certification. What are the requirements for just DP limited? People have been telling me I have to go back to simulator after 30 days service, I thought that was for unlim DP?
For either DP Limited or Unlimited the required courses are the same. It is just the DP class of the vessels you gain your watchkeeping time on that differentiates between the two. You have to take the Induction (Basic) course, get your 30 days familiarization and section C logbook tasks completed, then take the Simulator (Advanced) course, then 180 days of DP watchkeeping time. For a unlimited certificate at least 60 days of that time has to be on DP class 2 or 3 vessels and time on class one vessels in only credited at 0.5 days per 1 day. For a limited certificate the time can be all DP class 1 and the time is credited day for day. You should check out the info on the Nautical Institute website. http://www.nautinst.org/en/dynamic-positioning/faqs/index.cfm
Thanks … Cleared that up. Last question I have is: at what point can I hold my own DP watch in the GOM . I don’t actually have to be DP certified by NI to hold my own watch on a DP 1 vessel correct?
There is currently no regulation (other than STCW 2010) that requires DP certification. The need for certification comes from industry standards. In other words, if you are on a boat working a contract with an oil major they will probably have a rule that any vessel operating next to one of their installations must be operated by a certified DPO.
The MSMC on my vessel clearly states that when operating in DP mode at least 2 persons on board shall be properly trained in Dynanic Positioning
Are you on a US flag DP1 workboat operating in the US GOM? It says something like that on our Safe Manning too, but it doesn’t say certified. It says properly trained, like yours. We have a Liberian Flag. I’d be excited to hear that on a DP1 workboat. It’d be a good step in the right direction, IMHO.
[QUOTE=dgillum214;86203]Are you on a US flag DP1 workboat operating in the US GOM? It says something like that on our Safe Manning too, but it doesn’t say certified. It says properly trained, like yours. We have a Liberian Flag. I’d be excited to hear that on a DP1 workboat. It’d be a good step in the right direction, IMHO.[/QUOTE]
I am on a Marshall Island’s flagged vessel. You make a valid point concerning properly trained vs certified
And how would one show proof of properly trained without certification?. That’s pretty much the definition of properly trained.
I held a DP watch on Chouest and Rigdon boats without being certified in 2005-07. I would say I had been trained, maybe I could have provided some sort of evidence if audited. There were not enough certified DPOs back then and we apparently did what we had to do to get the job done. Of course there wasn’t a SMC to say that I needed to be certified, or even trained. I think things are changing… slowly… changing for the better.
I understand that. I ran a DP1 equipped vessel without certification for over a year. My point is that certification IS the proof of “proper” training. That’s why the majors want it.
We get certificates for every BS class we attend, Safe Gulf, environmental compliance, VSO, Radar, HUET…the list goes on forever. Without the little piece of paper, my training can’t be validated as proper. All certification means is I’ve been trained by a qualified instructor to a measurable set of standards and the certificate is my evidence.
Certification isn’t legally required to operate a DP vessel. The customer wants it(some) as a liability buffer in case of a potential incident at which time they limit their liability by having “certified” operators. Nothing more.
I think we are on the same page rigdvr. It’s sometimes a bit of a catch 22, but it is what it is. In reality because there isn’t any competition for NI, NI certification happens to be about the only way to show training, complete training at least.
I’d be curious to know if a training certificate from kongsberg k-pos class would demonstrate training as it relates to flag state, Liberia or Marshall Islands. It doesn’t really matter though.
Personally, while I don’t usually hate on things too much, I don’t appreciate the NI scam, I mean scheme.
Legally I would say (technically) he could stand a DP watch, uncertified. Realistically probably not for a major oil contract.