DP Department
June 2023
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Important news. NI changes the address.

The Training Centres are kindly informed that The Nautical Institute is relocating to the following address effective 24th January 2022.


The Nautical Institute
200B Lambeth Road, London SE1 7JY, United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)20 7928 1351 F: +44 (0)20 7401 2817


Please inform your trainee DPOs to send their applications to the correspondence address mentioned above.

The Nautical Institute will ensure that applications sent to the old address will be collected and processed in the usual way for 3 months.


Applications sent to the old address will be collected until the end of April 2022. After this date, the NI will not be held responsible for applications sent to the wrong address.

Welcome to OMTC DP training

Trainee’s feedback

Author: Alex Dembytsky

Importance of the crisis scenario in the Simulation process

Every mariner heard from the colleagues the story about the difficult critical situation at sea and how someone connected with the story captain or mate perfectly solved the critical situation became at the same moment the subject for the rumors via “marine radio”.

However, what about you or all of us? Are we ready for the crisis or critical event which out of standard routine duties at sea?

 I think all we are humankind and non-emotion free individuals. And if we are not ready for some unexpected situation if something goes outside of common practice emotions and fatigue are ready to take part in the decision-making process overtaking the sober sense and cold brain, ignoring even key safety aspects.

I met many qualified OOW in different ranks for the latest 7 years doing the Simulator based pieces of training for mariners.

And a major part of them who were perfect on routine failed  to complete the task or exercise with minimum negative profit if any deviation had happened from normal operational process.

I would like to highlight the need and must-have practice to train the bridge team on emergency scenarios that can happen on board especially in the offshore industry.

For what or why you can ask me. Because many captains and OOW never ever deal with real emergencies onboard having contracts passed on the normal way.

In addition, real-life does not give the opportunity to play with actual crises bordered in the safe frame, compare with marine simulators.

It could be nice, to let any OOW to go through an expected crisis according to the company specific activities.

Because in procedures are written a lot of text about safety at work, and mariners are even familiar with company regulations but the main problem is how the crew will implement the regulations and so on if something goes wrong.

Nautical Institute, London, in Jan 2017 introduced to the industry new accreditation standard for DP training scheme.

And there is stated that each exercise connected with the Simulator course should have at least one preplanned failure where students should solve the situation.

And NI even proposed the list of must-have failures to be taken into account when preparing the exercise.

I think it was a brilliant idea from the NI side.

Every student knows a procedure connected with DP and specific offshore operations but if a crisis comes not everyone ready to implement the knowledge. Or actions that have done are not to always lead to a safe result.

For instance, when a helicopter is about to land or stays in vessel proximity working on DP every one knows, that this is a case to switch off the wind sensor. Does everyone do? Not always only after the instructor’s hint for example.

Or everyone heard about H2S hazard in the offshore industry and everyone in offshore knows when the sound of H2S alarm appears near the Rig, cancel operations safely, leave the location in the safest and shortest turn going against the wind.

Sounds quite simple, but when you add tiredness, commercial pressure, the daily routine than for me is very visible, from the first time, not everyone will manage.

We have well-prepared people who come for training but even they make the crucial mistakes to be corrected on after exercise briefings.

But going through the same course, you cannot play the same trick twice with the same student.

If trainee ones have been involved in crisis on the simulator at the same situation in real life probably he/she will resist.

Because if crises played once, the second time it would be accepted as a normal task and cold brain and right sequences of activities to perform….

I had one remarkable student, and we played H2S alarm crisis when vessel on DP near the Rig, we fixed on camera our achievements and would like to share the information for future industry benefits.

Conclusion, tailor-made courses depend on company activities, covering nonstandard crisis situations could increase total operational safety.

Because if you are ready for the crisis you are armed against it.    

MEET OUR AZIMUTH STERN DRIVE SHIPHANDLING FAST 22 LESSONS TUTORIAL

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