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Dynamic Positioning on yachts?

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Chris W, Dec 1, 2015.

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  1. Chris W

    Chris W Member

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    Good day all.. I am just getting back into running yachts after a few years in the Gulf Of Mexico oil patch. I just got my DP certificate from the Nautical Institute in London and am curious if any of the bigger yachts are starting to use this cool tech aboard the newer yachts. I know of the smaller Volvo systems and have seen some new outboard center consoles even with some kinds of DP systems, just starting to sniff around the job market, which I am happy to say in fort Lauderdale looks very very healthy. Some areas of the marine industry thrive on low oil prices, the oil business dried up real quick and is looking grim for the next year or 2.

    I have enjoyed lurking and smirking on here for years, time to start contributing.. I am very happy to be back in the white boat world , and looking very much forward to finding the next gig. Anybody has any delivery or interesting work for a former commercial fisherman/yachty/oil patch boat driver/1600 ton master, don't be shy. :)
  2. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Some of the bigger ones use it but it seems to be more of a novelty at the moment. I am yet to see one with a fully certified DP setup.
  3. Chris W

    Chris W Member

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    that's what I thought.. I am just looking for a leg up in the job hunt, trying to separate myself from the crowd of 1600 ton capts. I don't know any other yacht guys who have a DPO certificate, and the guys in the oil patch , well lets be nice and say most wouldn't fit into the white boat world... I wouldn't mind a gig on a 60m modern German or Dutch built boat though, if anyone would have DP it would be something like that..
  4. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    I don't know any that small that have even rudimentary DP. Double the size and there a few. Most of them are also way over 1600 tons so the Masters require unlimited tickets.
  5. Chris W

    Chris W Member

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    thanks for that.. i thought a few 60-80m boats were trying out DP systems... luckily there are many boats in the sea...
  6. Oscarvan

    Oscarvan Senior Member

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    My dad had a "freeze button" on his 42' Sabre.....

    Zeus pods, bow thruster and GPS all plumbed into one brain.....

    Probably not the same thing.....
  7. Chris W

    Chris W Member

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    that sure is a Dynamic Positioning system. there are many types and they will become more and more common in the near future. Very cool in the OSV buisness as we would sit alongside some rigs for hours. Some cruise ships and very large yachts are using these systems as well..
  8. Marmot

    Marmot Senior Member

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    The "old" 76m Ocean Victory has DP.
  9. captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    Several Feadships are equipped with Kongsberg DP-1 systems. Dream, Sea Owl, Extecea are a few that come to mind.
  10. Chris W

    Chris W Member

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    i thought some of the newer feadships were headed that way.. these systems will just become more and more common.. thanks for the positive post..
  11. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    There are other recreational boats with Kongsberg and with Bridge Mate and there may be others out there in use. I don't know of a Thrustmaster in a recreational application.
  12. carelm

    carelm Senior Member

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    According to the Sabre brochure, the system name is Skyhook. It mentions it being useful while waiting for locks, bridges etc.
  13. Oscarvan

    Oscarvan Senior Member

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    That name rings a bell. Also very handy for anchoring, or even just untying/tying up in your slip. It really worked.
  14. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    Skyhook is Mercury's name for their product. Zeus is one of their systems.
  15. captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    When thinking about DP systems I tend to envision stand alone DP work stations on the bridge that have integrated displays showing the various parameters from the sensors for wind, DGPS, gyro heading, sea state , rate of turn, thruster and prop activity & RPM etc. That being said, if sky hook and the other mini "on station" or station keeping systems have been made compact enough for the small pleasure boater to utilize without the need for all the information displayed on a stand alone unit than all the better.
  16. Oscarvan

    Oscarvan Senior Member

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    I think on the yacht system it's input is purely GPS position, course and ground speed. The Sabre I mentioned came with a joy stick which controlled the two Zeus pods and bow thruster. Literally point the stick in the right direction and that's where the boat will go, including sideways. The "freeze button" was a simple button on the joystick pad. There was no other above deck equipment associated with it.
  17. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    The more complex systems have some features Skyhook and IPS don't. They allow you to adjust the precision of the positioning, to follow routes or position relative to other boats, to follow headings, to change position. Skyhook and Volvo's system are more the auto mooring features of fully DP systems. Their purpose is to just hold you in position.

    Now I think for recreational boats, the real future is integrating the DP systems with the other onboard systems but not all from the provider of the DP.

    The major DP companies have built more compact systems now. The Kongsberg cPOS (compact system) is more aimed toward smaller boats than the systems you're use to. It's a single monitor and small joystick station. Bridge Mate looks like a video game console in a game room. However, they also have a compact version that is a small monitor and a joystick. Either of those two control systems will fit easily on a modest sized boat. Now, that boat must also have other systems that will allow them to work effectively. One of the common stumbling blocks is thrusters that can be used on a nearly continuous basis and propulsion that sets up well for the system. Pods are certainly where it's been easiest to implement systems.
  18. carelm

    carelm Senior Member

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    What's kind of interesting is that the Sabre 42 and 48 series have the Zeus drives and Skyhook while the 38 and 54 series have the IPS pod drives but no mention of Skyhook or its equivalent. I took this info off their brochure and website.
  19. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    DP1 is the most rudimentary of them all a single failure can result in loss of position.

    If all you DP time is on a DP 1 vessel you will not get a full DP Certificate of Competency.
  20. captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    Correct, it would take DP-2 or above for compliance for certification however, DP-1 on numerous average sized yachts answers the Op's question and as of yet I don't think the MCA has caught up to certify or issue COC's for operators of vessels under the 3,000 GT mark. Or to put it another way, I don't know of any yachts that have DP-2 or 3 systems installed but have DP-1 with an azimuthing stern thruster along with bow thruster's and twin screw setup integrated with a station holding software package. There's quite a few Lurssen's & Oceanco's out there with this setup also.
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2015