How to get The Nautical Institute DPO certificate?
  • 1. Minimum Entry Requirements.

    Following the 2010 Manila amendments to the STCW Convention and Code, The Nautical Institute has implemented the following criteria for entry into the DP Operators Training Scheme:

    The minimum qualification is set at STCW Regulation II/1 - II/2 - II/3 Deck, Regulation III/1 – III /2 – III/3 – III/6 Engine and Regulation III/6 for ETOs

    STCW DEFINITION
    II/1 Deck Officers in charge of a navigational watch on ships of 500gt or more
    II/2 Deck Master or chief mate on ships of 500gt or more
    II/3 Deck Officers in charge of a navigational watch and Masters on ships of less than 500gt
    III/1 Engine Officers in charge of an engineering watch in a manned engine-room or designated duty engineers in a periodically unmanned engine-room
    III/2 Engine Chief engineer officers and second engineer officers on ships powered by main propulsion machinery of 3,000kW propulsion power or more
    III/3 Engine Chief engineer officers and second engineer officers on ships powered by main propulsion machinery of between 750kW and 3,000kW propulsion power
    III/6 ETO Electro-technical officer

    STCW CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCY

    Lerus Training centres are required to ask for, and keep, a copy of the Certificate of Competency of their students before accepting them on to the Induction Course and the DP scheme. The Certificate of Competency number will be noted and properly recorded by the centre in the student record as well as in the logbook provided to them. The NI will require a copy of the Certificate of Competency when receiving their application to cross- check the information.

    Officer Trainees (cadets or ratings on a defined training programme):

    • Prospective offshore DPOs on the new scheme who are in the process of training for an STCW certificate may complete the DP Induction Course (Phase A), the 60 DP sea time days (Phase B) and the DP Simulator Course (Phase C). The remaining 60 DP sea time days (Phase D) and the subsequent suitability sign-off (Phase E) must be completed only after they hold an appropriate STCW Certificate of Competency.
    • Candidates who completed Phase B when they were a cadet are not allowed to claim for STR in Phase D of the training scheme and must complete a minimum of 60 DP sea time days in Phase D.
    • Prospective DPOs on the DP Self-Elevating Platform (Jack-up) Scheme who are in the process of training for an STCW certificate may complete the DP Induction Course (Phase A), the 60 days on board with 15 DP operations (Phase B) and the DP Simulator Course (Phase C). The remaining 60 days on board and 15 DP operations (Phase D) and the subsequent suitability sign-off (Phase E) must be completed only after they hold an appropriate STCW Certificate of Competency.
    • Prospective DPOs on the Shuttle Tanker Scheme who are in the process of training for an STCW certificate may complete the DP Induction Course (Phase 1), the 24 sea time days and two offshore loading operations (Phase 2), the task section (Phase 2) and the Simulator Course (Phase 3). The remaining phases must be completed only after they hold an appropriate STCW Certificate of Competency.

    These rules became effective from 1 January 2015 and reflect changes introduced from 1 January 2016; they apply to those who have already begun training on the new scheme as well as new starters. The time permitted to complete the training scheme for those who started the Induction Course after 1 January 2015 is five years.

  • 2. Time to complete training scheme.

    To avoid deterioration of skills during the training period, all elements of the DP training scheme must be completed within five years. The five-year rule applies for those who have entered the schemes from 1 January 2015.

    When applying for a new certificate and submitting documents to The Nautical Institute, ALL components of the programme (shore-based courses, DP sea time, task sections, Statement of Suitability form and other elements) must have been completed within the five years prior to the date the Statement of Suitability is signed. In the event any of the training phases fall outside the five-year validity period, the trainee will be required to repeat the expired training phase. Providing all training has been completed within this timeframe, the time between the date the Statement of Suitability was signed and the date the application is received at the NI should not exceed three months.

  • 3. Company Confirmation Letter.

    Trainee DPOs are required to provide a confirmation or testimonial letter from the shipping companies for all the DP sea time in Phases B and D of the Offshore and DP Self-Elevating Platform (Jack-up) Scheme, or for all the sea time and offshore loading of the Shuttle Tanker Scheme. This is also valid for those revalidating using any DP sea time dated after 1 January 2014.

  • 4. The DP Offshore Training Scheme.

    By completing the Offshore training scheme within five years the DP operator may receive one of the three types of DP Certificate:

    • Unlimited Certificate: for training completed on board vessels classed DP 1/2/3 where at least 60 DP sea time days have been completed on vessels of DP Class 2 or 3.
    • Limited Certificate: for training completed on board vessels classed DP1/2/3 where less than 60 DP sea time days have been completed on vessels of DP Class 2 or 3.
    • Restricted to Unclassed vessels: for training completed on board vessels of Unclassed DP, DP Class 0 or a mix of experience on board classed and unclassed vessels where insufficient time has been completed to be eligible for one of the other certificates.
  • 5. DP Offshore Scheme Courses.

    Lerus DP INDUCTION COURSE Visit course page >

    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.

    Lerus DP SIMULATOR COURSE Visit course page >

    This course principally involves simulated DP operations including errors, faults and failures, giving the participants the opportunity to apply the lessons learnt in both the Induction Course and subsequent DP sea time days. It covers the following topics:

    • Practical operation of the DP system
    • DP operations
    • DP alarms, warnings and emergency procedures.

    Lerus DP SEA TIME REDUCTION COURSE (STR) Visit course page >

    The period of supervised DP watchkeeping during the second block of DP sea time may be reduced on the satisfactory completion of an intensive DP simulator training course.

    Lerus DP REVALIDATION COURSE Visit course page >

    This course allows a certified DPO to revalidate without the sea time requirement when taken for the first time, or when taken after a subsequent revalidation with 150 DP sea time days.

  • 6. Offshore Limited/Unlimited DP Certificate Flowchart.

    The components of the scheme are set out in the following flowchart. To obtain a DP Operator Certificate (Limited and Unlimited), the route outlined below must be followed.

  • 7. DP sea time between the Induction and Simulator Courses, task section.

    A minimum of 60 DP sea time days between these courses is required for completion of the task sections of the logbook. Candidates are eligible for admission on to the Simulator Course only if the Induction Course and task section is in date. Lerus Training Centres are not permitted to accept students on to the Simulator Course if the task sections are not fully completed.

    Any time gained in excess of the 60 DP sea time days in Phase B, between the Induction and the Simulator Course (to a maximum of 30 days), will normally be counted towards the total requirement of 120 DP sea time days. However, the candidate must complete at least 30 DP sea time days after the Simulator Course and obtain the Statement of Suitability signed by the Master of the last vessel the candidate has served on before submitting his/her documents to the NI.

    NOTE: Trainee DPOs completing the blended Induction Course return to the training centre within three months after completion of the online theory lessons to complete the induction course in its entirety. No seatime will be accepted until Induction course is completed in its entirety.

    The DP sea time should be carefully and accurately entered in this section. It is important that the DP class and the DP system are entered. The dates of joining and leaving the vessel may be confirmed through the discharge book, but not the DP sea time, which must be confirmed by the company to verify the DP sea time logged.

    Any DP sea time gained while the logbook is at the NI for verification will now be counted towards gaining certification or applying for an upgrade.

    The task section can only be signed off by a certificated DPO on board the vessel. Those responsible for signing this section of the logbook should adhere to high professional standards and appropriately rigorous assessments of trainees before signing that a training task has been completed.

    The tasks must not be block-signed; each task must be signed and dated individually.

    The Master is required to countersign each section once all tasks in that section have been completed and signed by a certified DPO on board. If the Master is a certified DPO on board, then a note shall be made in the logbook and the Master’s DP Certificate number must be annotated for verification. The Master can then sign both sections.

    If the trainee DPO is the Master, he/she is permitted to sign off the task sections once the certified DPO on board has signed off the tasks for that section individually.

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