Nautical Institute DP Inductions Courses

Phase one – NI DP Induction course + online examination
Phase two – 60 to 90 days DP seatime (see notes on sea time days)
Phase three – NI DP Simulator course
Phase four – 60 days DP sea time. Note the last 30 days must be on Class 2 vessel if you are applying for unlimited DPO certificate.
Phase five – Statement of suitability signed off by Master of last DP vessel

This course provides participants with basic knowledge of Dynamic Positioning (DP), the principles and practical use of DP systems. This course involves both theory and practice on a DP simulator. On successful completion of both the Induction Course and Induction online exam, the trainee DPO will be issued with an NI DP logbook in which the courses, DP sea time, tasks and the Statement of Suitability are recorded.

The Course duration: 5 days
Course Assessment: Nautical Institute online and practice test on simulator.
Pre-requisite: The course is designed for Deck Officers, and personnel working toward an STCW Certificate of Competency (COC) who wish to start The Nautical Institute’s DP Operator Training Scheme.

This course provides participants with basic knowledge of Dynamic Positioning (DP), the principles and practical use of DP systems.

This course involves both theory and practice on a simulated DP system and covers the following topics:
Principles of DP
Elements of the DP system
Practical operation of the DP system
Position reference systems
Environment sensors and ancillary equipment
Power generation and supply and propulsion
DP operations.

On successful completion of both the Induction Course and Induction online exam, the trainee DPO will be issued with a NI DP logbook in which the courses, DP sea time, tasks and the Statement of Suitability are recorded. The subsequent DP sea time following the Induction Course provides the opportunity to complete the task sections in the logbook.
The new grey logbook is only issued to trainee DPOs that started their training after 1st January 2015. Trainee DPOs who have entered into the training scheme before this date or are repeating the Induction Course shall continue to use their existing logbooks.

The course is designed for Deck Officers, Engineer Officers and personnel working toward an STCW Certificate of Competency (COC) who wish to start The Nautical Institute’s DP Operator Training Scheme.

Participants must hold appropriate STCW certification, or state equivalent or be studying towards an appropriate recognised certificate. Please note that participants may only accrue a maximum of 30 days’ recognised seatime on completion of this course as a cadet or trainee. Please see www.nautinst.org or contact FSOSC for further information.

A minimum of 28 hours teaching time is required for this course; if additional time is required to run exams or deal with paperwork, this time shall be added to the 28 hours. It is expected that 80% of the time is spent on teaching DP theory and 20% on practical exercises. Usually the Induction Course is delivered over four or five days. There is an option to deliver the course over a maximum six-week period, with instruction taking place on a given day in each of those weeks. This option is particularly suited to cadet training institutions as it allows the training to fit into the already existing class schedule. In all other aspects the course must conform to all other training scheme standards.

In order to be awarded a certificate of completion for the Induction Course the trainee must pass an online assessment at the training centre. The exam is composed of multiple choice questions and shall be completed in 1 hour 15 minutes. The online assessment will consist of 40 questions and shall be completed in one hour with a pass mark of 70%.
Students who fail at the first attempt are allowed to have another two attempts within six months of the first attempt; however, the second attempt must be undertaken within 96 hours of the first attempt. Failing these three initial attempts, the student is required to repeat the Induction Course and undertake the assessment again. On successful completion of the Induction Course and online assessment, the trainee Dynamic Positioning Operator will be issued with a Nautical Institute Dynamic Positioning Operator’s logbook in which his/her courses, DP sea time, task completion and Statement of Suitability as a DPO are recorded.

At the end of the course the student should:

Have acquired knowledge of the principles of DP.
Have acquired a basic understanding of how to set up a DP system.
Have an understanding of the practical operation of associated equipment, including position reference systems.
Be able to recognize the various alarm, warning and information messages.
Be able to relate the DP installation to the ship system, including (but not limited to) power supply, maneuvering facility, available position reference systems and nature of work.
Be able to relate DP operations to the existing environmental conditions of wind, sea state, current/tidal stream and vessel movement.

In order to be awarded a certificate of completion for the Induction Course the trainee must pass an online assessment at the training centre. The exam is composed of multiple choice questions and shall be completed in 1 hour 15 minutes. The online assessment will consist of 40 questions and shall be completed in one hour with a pass mark of 70%.

Students who fail at the first attempt are allowed to have another two attempts within six months of the first attempt; however, the second attempt must be undertaken within 96 hours of the first attempt. Failing these three initial attempts, the student is required to repeat the Induction Course and undertake the assessment again.

On successful completion of the Induction Course and online assessment, the trainee Dynamic Positioning Operator will be issued with a Nautical Institute Dynamic Positioning Operator’s logbook in which his/her courses, DP sea time, task completion and Statement of Suitability as a DPO are recorded.

The following is a list of the objectives to be attained by trainee DPOs by the successful completion of the Induction Course.
By the completion of the training session or period for the DP control station the trainee should be able to:
1. Define Dynamic Positioning.
2. Explain the need for Dynamic Positioning in various types of vessel.
3. Describe the six freedoms of movement of a vessel.
4. State which of the six freedoms of movement are controlled under DP and which are monitored.
5. Describe the following aids to manoeuvring commonly fitted to DP vessels, including their practical and operational advantages and disadvantages: fixed and controllable-pitch propellers, azimuth thrusters, Azipod thrusters and tunnel thrusters.
6. List the seven main components of a DP system; DP Operator, DP computer (or controller), DP Operator station, position reference systems, sensors, power supply and thrusters.
7. Describe the various modes of DP operation, including manual control, semiautomatic control and automatic control. In addition, describe the following common specialist functions: ROV follow (follow sub), follow target, track follow (autotrack), minimum power (weathervane) and riser angle mode.
8. Discuss the concept of mathematical modelling of vessel behaviour characteristics and appreciate the advantages and limitations/disadvantages of this technique.
9. Outline the power requirements of a DP vessel system and describe a typical diesel-electric power installation.
10. Describe the following position reference systems commonly associated with DP installations: INS, Differential GNSS, hydroacoustic, taut wire, Artemis, FMCW Radar and laser-based systems.
11. Describe the following sensors associated with DP installations: vertical reference sensor/unit, motion reference unit, gyro compass, wind sensor (anemometer) and manual draught input sensor.
12. Describe the concept of centre of rotation and the provision of alternative centres of rotation.
13. Describe consequence analysis as carried out by a Dynamic Positioning system.
By the completion of the training session or period, for the power generation and management the trainee should be able to:
14. Describe the power generation and distribution arrangements in a typical diesel-electric DP vessel, with particular reference to system redundancy as described in IMO MSC Circ. 645 and vessel FMEA.
15. Describe the power supply and distribution arrangements in a typical hybrid diesel/diesel-electric DP vessel. (Main CPP or Az drive which are direct drive)
16. Recognise the power requirements of DP vessels and explain the concept of available power and spinning reserve in worst case failure.
17. Describe the functions of a power management system as installed on Class 2 and Class 3 DP vessels.
18. Describe the provision of uninterruptible power supply to the DP system, with particular reference to power shortages, failures and system redundancy.
By the completion of the training session or period for the propulsion units the trainee should be able to:
19. Describe the following types of propulsion system commonly installed in DP equipped vessels: main propellers and rudders, azimuth thrusters, Azipod thrusters and tunnel thrusters, Waterjet, Voith Schnieder, etc.
20. Describe the importance of monitoring the displayed values of setpoint and feedback data for thruster and propeller rpm, pitch and/or azimuth.
21. Describe the operational characteristics and common failure modes of the different types of propulsion systems as described in 19 above.
By the completion of the training session or period for the position reference systems (PRS) the trainee should be able to:
22. Describe the operation of hydroacoustic position reference (HPR) systems.
23. Describe the principles of position-fixing using underwater acoustic systems working in SSBL/USBL, LBL and SBL modes.
24. Describe the various types of hydroacoustic beacon: transponder, responder and pinger/Beacon.
25. Describe the layout of a typical Hydroacoustic system including operator station, transceiver, transducer pole and transducer.
26. List the operational advantages and limitations of acoustic systems as a position reference for DP.
27. Describe the principle and operation of the Artemis position reference system.
28. List the operational advantages and limitations of the Artemis position reference system.
29. List the different types of taut wire position reference system: vertical lightweight, vertical deep water, vertical moon pool, horizontal and horizontal gangway.
30. Describe the display of taut wire reference data in the DP system.
31. Describe the principle of position reference using the taut wire system.
32. List the advantages and limitations of the taut wire position reference systems.
33. Describe the principles of the Differential GNSS (DGNSS) system.
34. Outline the operation of a typical commercial DGNSS network where corrections are delivered by satellite communications.
35. List the sources of error and inaccuracy associated with the DGNSS system, describing the effects on the quality of positioning.
36. List the available quality data associated with the DGNSS system.
37. List the advantages and limitations of the DGNSS system when compared with other PRS.
38. Describe the principles used in relative DGNSS systems.
39. Describe the principles of position reference using laser-based systems.
40. Outline the method of setting up a laser system to provide best position information.
41. List the advantages and limitations associated with a laser-based PRS.
42. Describe the principles of position reference using FMCW Radar-based systems.
43. List the advantages and limitations associated with FMCW Radar-based PRS.
44. Describe the principle of Inertial Navigation (INS) and the methods of using INS to enhance existing PRS performance.
45. Discuss the relative accuracy and reliability of the aforementioned PRS, together with the methods used to apply weighting and pooling and voting when more than one PRS is used. Median rejection of PRS when three or more are used and the importance of monitoring the position reference page.
46. Describe other PRS that may be used in conjunction with a DP system.
By the completion of the training session or period for the heading and motion reference systems the trainee should be able to:
47. Describe the function of gyro compasses and their redundancy within a DP system.
48. Describe how to obtain pitch, roll and heave information for input into a DP system.
49. Describe the reason for inputting pitch, roll and heave into a DP system.
By the completion of the training session or period for the environmental reference systems the trainee should be able to:
50. Describe the provision of wind sensors within the DP system.
51. Describe the wind feed-forward facility and its importance within the DP system.
52. Recognise the limitations of wind sensor inputs. Explain the reasons for and the consequences of deselecting wind sensor inputs.
53. Describe the method by which the DP system determines the value for DP current or Sea Force (the residual error resulting from unmeasured errors & unmeasured forces acting on the vessel).
54. List the reasons for discrepancy between the displayed value of DP current (or Sea Force) on the DP system and the true current or tidal stream value.
By the completion of the training session or period for the external force reference systems the trainee should be able to:
55. Describe the use of external force reference systems such as hawser tension, plough cable tension and pipe tension monitoring.
By the completion of the training session or period for the DP operations the trainee should be able to:
56. Describe the procedures to be followed when approaching a worksite and transferring from conventional navigation to DP control.
57. Discuss the need for completing pre-DP and other checklists prior to and during DP operations.
58. Explain the need for keeping logbook records of all DP operations, failures and incidents.
59. Explain the need for keeping records of operation, maintenance and repairs of DP and ancillary equipment.
60. Describe the need for effective communications during the conduct of DP operations.
61. Outline the procedures to be followed by the DPO when taking over the control of the vessel’s positioning and manoeuvring.
62. Describe the structure of alarm / warning and information messages provided on the DP system displays and on the DP printer.
63. Recognise the alarms/warnings associated with loss of redundancy after worst case failure and the possible loss of heading or position if another failure occurs after a worst case failure (part loss of some thrusters and power) and catastrophic failure (loss of heading and/or position control). ASOG, TAM and CAM.
64. Outline the navigational projections, spheroids and datums that may be used in operations involving Dynamic Positioning.
65. Explain the use of worksite diagrams using Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates.
Appendix B DPACCSTD-v1.1-Jan 2017 25 | P a g e
66. Explain the need for planning DP operations, including emergency and contingency situations ASOG, TAM and CAM.
67. List the various following providers of documents containing statutory requirements and guidance relating to DP operations, including:
IMO (including IMO MSC/Circ. 645 of 1994 Guidelines for Vessels with Dynamic Positioning Systems)
Classification society DP rules (example from classification society which is member of IACS)
International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA)
Marine Technology Society (MTS)
68. Explain the purpose of documentation associated with DP operations, such as DP operations manuals, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and capability plots. ASOG, TAM and CAM.
69. Describe the IMO (DP) equipment classes and their application, with reference to the IMO Guidelines for Vessels with DP Systems.
70. Understand that classification societies use either numbers (e.g. ABS DPS-2) or letters {e.g. Lloyd’s Register DP (AA) to denote the DP Class allocated to the vessel.
71. Describe in outline the DP operations conducted by the following vessel types:

Diving and underwater support vessels
Drilling ships and semi-submersibles
Cable lay and repair vessels
Pipelay vessels
Rock dumping and dredging vessels
Shuttle tanker and FPSO/FSO operations
Flotel (accommodation) vessels
Crane barges and construction vessels
Anchor-handling and platform supply vessels
Cruise ships and luxury yachts

72. State and describe the hazards associated with DP operations conducted in areas of shallow water and/or strong tidal conditions.
73. Describe the hazards associated with DP operations in very deep water.
By the completion of the training session or period for the practical operation of a DP system the trainee should be able to:
74. Demonstrate the use of the joystick to manoeuvre the vessel and bring the vessel to a stop in a seamanlike manner.
75. Demonstrate the correct procedure for setting up the DP system in both manual and automatic modes.
76. Demonstrate position and heading change manoeuvres, using both automatic and manual DP facilities.
77. Demonstrate the use of commonly provided functions on the DP control panel. As a minimum, including Gain, Fixed Azimuth mode and Thruster bias.
78. Demonstrate the use of common modes found on a DP system, as a minimum Track Follow, Minimum Power and ROV Follow.

This course requires the ability to read and interpret typical project specifications, procedures, technical manuals and safety information as provided to operators. Writing is required to the level of completing workplace forms and completing logs and reports. The training and assessment are conducted in English

5 days. Day 1 – 8:30am to 4:30pm Day 2 – 8:30am to 4:30pm

Day 3 – 8:30am to 4:30pm Day 4 – 8:30am to 4:30pm

Day 5 – 8:30am to 4:30pm