DP Advanced/Simulator course

[DPott]

Hello All,
I have a questio about Dynamic Positioning.
Basically I am on a DP 2 class ship at the moment as 2nd mate, it is a one of trip and at the end I will have the 30 days required to be able to go back and do the Simulator course.
I was wondering if anoyone has any experience of this and whether you think the 30 days is enough?

Thanks in advance

[laura]

Umm.. do you mean you have the basic course and then are going back to do the advanced. Thirty days should be enough unless NI have suddenly changed the requirements- are you getting DP log book filled out and all the tasks done/ signed off? Remember that after taking the advanced course you still have 6months seatime before you get a full DP ticket anyway.

As for if it's enough... as per the rules yes, don't worry about experience that comes even after you've got the ticket... been on DP boats for 5/6 years now and I'm still learning s**tloads on different jobs/ different ships/ crews. Is that what you meant when you said is it enough?

[laura]

If you meant going to do the basic course you can go and do that without even having seen a DP boat, it's the seatime that counts and the tasks in DP logbook ... which in some cases you can backdate if you have the experience but not the course.

[noworries182]

DEFINITELY!! I learnt more in 10 minutes using the DP system onboard and talking to the DPO's than I ever did during the basic and advanced courses!

[Pash87]

Laura has already pointed out that you need to have you book correctly stamped and signed within those 30 days before returning for the advanced course.

If you haven't already the link below should keep you right.

http://www.nautinst.org/en/dynamic-positioning/guidance/index.cfm

[laura]

Also should point put that the system seems to assume a 4 weeks on/ off pattern, but they allow completion of the task in 28 days as well and you don't need to get it in one go, so if you did two two week trips that would also work out.

Also, if you're at sea longer than 30 days and have everything completed you can still count any extra days towards the 6 months you need after completing your advanced course, the only premise being you need at least one month after completing the advanced course before you can apply for your DP ticket ( assuming you have enough DP seatime otherwise).

Also worth mentioning that it's worth getting an IMCA book which logs hours you've actually spent on DP rather than days onboard a DP boat which the Nautical Institute bases it on, as soon as you get your DP ticket.