I second that @john !
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Also don’t for a minute think that civilian captains who lead by example and blow the whistle are the only ones who have career risk. The shoreside manager is a corporate fiduciary and he is breaking the law if he does not put shareholder profit above all else (luck for him running a safe operation is the most profitable in the long run).
And I know many USCG and Navy officers who have done the right thing and demanded enforcement of the rules BUT almost all of those leaders I know got passed over for promotion.
I assume these DPO’s are just that, DPO’s. Surely the vessel must have others onboard that fulfill the requirements of the Safe Manning Certificate, making the 500 ton captains supernumaries who hold the onboard function of DPO …
…which then begs the question: Who is in charge of the watch? The DPO button pusher or the officer with the license appropriate for the size vessel?
I watched this game play out at a large US flag OSV company when the office tried to put the limited tonnnage DPO with a non-DPO mate who held the proper license …
To me this is the important. Drillship power design includes many facets. The main one is to be able to maintain their position under the sea conditions and depth they will be operated in. During the design phase everyone is concerned about the cost of the drillship and the ability to meet the prospective client’s requirements. While the design is being formulated they assume all functions of the ship will be properly maintained and able to perform as designed when needed. There is redundancy built in but they cannot factor in bad cement jobs, improperly maintained tensioners, improperly maintained thruster engines or things of that nature. Those matter are up to the ship’s management once the ship is operational. The designers are only concerned with being able to stay latched up under expected drilling conditions where they will be operating. Throw in poor maintenance due to the company being on the verge of bankruptcy and not having the money to maintain the vessel along with a promise from a current client of future funds I can see where bad decisions would be made. It’s all about the money. They could care less about any regulatory authority, regulatory authorities are just annoying. Roll the dice, pay a smidgen to civil complainants from insurance funds and carry one. Geez, it’s been that way for a very long time and works well.
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I totally understand your assessment and agree. Like commercial fishing sector of our industry, drill ships and the companies that own/operate them are oil boys first and last. They are NEVER seafarers. Thus we see and understand HOW and WHY they make decisions and operate they way they do. To be clear, that does NOT mean any of us true mariners condone or agree with much of what the energy sector guys want. But it is a fact of life.
And yes, they see the Deck Officers/Captain as a pain in the ass they have to “accommodate” for reasons not so clear to them.
I’m all for creating a new chain of command for our industry, that connects the FINAL decision-making authority to accountability of the individual with the “final say” in any matter of conflict. Give the shoreside boss half way around the world what he wants. But let him feel the weight of that decision. Its easy, yes? Well, THEY apparently think so.
This system would be unique to these ships, as there is ample history of conflicts in recent years … and the dire results.
Indeed, they hire a Captain to make decisions, the tough ones. If the owner/management doesn’t like the decision made, they can surely override the Captain, but must wholly accept and document their conflict and “veto power” of what the Captain chose to do and how, why, when they took over that authority.
It likes a ship where the Captain walks onto the bridge in the middle of the Third Mate doing something stupid in heavy ship traffic. The Captain wants to take over and correct the situation. He is supposed to say something along the lines of "Ok, I have the conn now. " And then starts rattling off hem commands to the AB at the wheel. At that moment everyone knows who is in charge. If the situation is salvaged, great! If not and a collision occurs, it’s the Captain who is accountable.
If the owner/contractor/charterer (or whatever you want to call him) of the drillship wants to tell the Captain what to do, fine. Knock yourself out. But just know and agree ahead of time, if people get hurt or die, they are coming for you.
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To stand DPO on a vessel over 500 tons you have to a license or COC for the tonnage of that vessel. The NI manual specifically states that to stand the watch you need a DP certificate and a license or COC for that size vessel.
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I was unaware that the NI was a regulatory authority.
Please cite a relevant regulation from a flag state.
In all reality, it is the demands of the client that drive the certification requirements of the DPO. The NI, DNV-GL, OSVDPA, all offer DPO certificates, but I do not believe they have any regulatory authority.
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Also, could you please provide a screenshot or a link to a verifiable cite that supports this statement?
Edited:
I found it on page 6 of the THE NAUTICAL INSTITUTE CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION STANDARD Vol.1 – Training and Certification January 2021 – Version 1
And again, it is the client requirement, maybe a company requirement, as opposed to flag state regulation that determines who will be a DPO
The non-DPO mate is in charge of the watch, no question.
My interpretation:
For you to be a DPO on a vessel it is two part requirement. You MUST have the Unlimited DPO certificate AND a COC or license for that class/size of vessel.
I believe that was original intent. Nitpicking intent is ridiculous and is just to save money.
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And again, I do not believe that there is any flag state, the United States included, that has regulations concerning DPO’s. I would love to see them if you are aware of any.
Believe what you want.
The final answer will be calling NI and asking the question (I did) or waiting until there is casualty and it goes to court.
The USA believed that only one BOP was good for drilling in Deepwater and Ultra-Deepwater prior to DWH. The GOM was the only place you could do this.
If I was a class society, I would want the DPO to have a COC or license for the size of the vessel just as it is written so I would have a leg to stand on in court. NI will NOT indemnify a DPO operating a unit or facility that does not have both parts (Certificate AND license/COC) of their requirement.
Believe what you want. I won’t risk my license or certificate. You can do as you please.
The. NI. is. a. certifying. agency.
They. are. not. a. regulatory. agency.
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I know. So if you don’t fulfill their requirements for use, their certificate is not with the paper or plastic it is printed on.
Settle down Beavis. Nothing we discuss here means anything in reality anyway.
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Class has no oversight of manning. Class societies are recognized organizations by flag states in regards to suitability of building and technical standards. In the hierarchy, class is below flag.
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EXXXXXACTLY. Tim seems butthurt because a 500 ton Master is working as a DPO. It doesn’t matter what the NI, or Class, says. It is the client requirements that dictate. Some clients want, and will pay for, 2 DPO’s on the bridge. Others do not. This kind of stuff is written into contracts, into ASOG and WSOG, you will not find it on a COI, Safe Manning Certificate, or anywhere else.
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Another point to keep in mind is it is “minimum safe manning.” I always thought that was humorous. Minimum in flat calm seas with well maintained equipment or what? I found it especially funny when new drillships required higher minimums for engineers on a long voyage than while drilling. The workload is actually higher while drilling.
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I think more people are bothered by the fact that 100 ton guys are running as DPO’s on large OSV’s that do not have an AB ticket, RFPNW, or even a damn radar cert. Manning is the problem and that is created by the Coast Guard but would you feel good having to leave someone like that at the console when you have to eat or hit the head? And the Nautical Institute has sent out guidance stating they do not consider those DP certs to be valid, in an attempt to distance themselves from the shit show and try to preserve the integrity of their scheme.
This is an interesting statement, and I can honestly say that I have not run across a situation like the one that you describe. Have you personally witnessed a 100 ton guy running as DPO on a large OSV?