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Journal
Sunday, 11 Jan 2009 Report of H.J. Van der Ende Lecturer at the Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz Terschelling On board MV Nordnes. From 09-12 to 17-12-2008. Following my trip to Nordnes, I have made this report of my experiences during the time spent on board. In my opinion, this is very important since Van Oord gave me the opportunity to experience an operational voyage on board their vessel. On Monday 8-12, I flew from Schiphol to Bergen (Norway) where I spent the night in a hotel. Next morning I was delivered to Nordnes by the ship’s agent. As the ship was still in the process of berthing, I had to wait quay-side until this was completed. Once on board, I reported to the medic who took care of my documents and assigned me a cabin. Thereafter, I was given a safety induction tour of the vessel during which I was made familiar with the various safety rules and equipment on board, this was followed by a safety video. Afterwards we looked around the bridge of the ship and its equipment. The ship was still loading a cargo of rock so I reported to the chief engineer to find information concerning the layout of the engine room, anything related to the DP system and specifically the "Power Management System” (PMS). Initially, I found it difficult to distinguish all the various functions that take place on board. But after some time, it became clear to me that when the ship is fully operational, all these tasks are essential. On completion of loading cargo, we sailed for the British sector of the North Sea where Subsea Rock Installation (SRI) was require on a pipeline of 3 kilometers length and in a water depth of 140 meters. During passage to the work site, I got out on deck to look at the SRI equipment including the fall-pipe handling system and the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). On arrival at the work site, the vessel set-up in Dynamic Positioning (DP) mode and the SRI work commenced. During this period I focused my attention on the DP system and, in co-operation with the Dynamic Positioning Operator (DPO), looked at various DP matters and operator-station settings. This was a rewarding experience. I was also explained the functions and duties of the crew members such as the superintendent, assistant, DPO, ROV pilot and surveyor and their mutual interaction. After the project was completed and approved by the client, we sailed back to Norway. During this passage, the wind increased to gale force 10 (Beaufort Scale) with associated rough seas. Since the vessel was now empty and light in the water, she began to roll heavily, passage speed had to be reduced, and we arrived late at the quarry. The vessel reloaded on arrival, this time for a project in Sognefjord where the water depth was 940 meters, a record depth onboard Nordnes for SRI and obviously a challenge. Everything was carefully prepared and checked. An advantage of working in the fjord was the calm sea conditions, making it easier to maintain DP during the SRI. During my second opportunity to observe the SRI process, I checked in a different way. This time, I looked more at the interplay of the different functions involved and once again at the DP aspect of the operations. At the request of the Captain and Superintendent, I created a Powerpoint presentation of basic DP knowledge, intended for people who are not DP operators. The aim of the presentation is to introduce people to DP operations, the basic theory, the limits and possibilities which need to be considered. I gave this presentation several times to groups of the Nordnes crew, and it was considered by them to be a valuable and educational experience. Personally I found it very much fun to do. Empty, the ship sailed for the loading quarry where I was again met by the agent who took me to Bergen Airport for my return flight. At 14:00 on Wednesday afternoon I landed back at Schiphol. The above short story is a summary of my experiences on board Nordnes For me, it was a special educational experience to see how Van Oord creates complicated seabed features from crushed rock. I have learned a lot and my knowledge of the business as a whole is enormously expanded, in particular the use of the DP system. I have the impression that my presence on board was also appreciated, in particular the transfer of knowledge about the installation and DP, particularly the link with the engine Power Management System and the theoretical background. We have discussed a basic DP course (1 day for example) for ROV pilots etc. This seems like a good idea to me because I believe shared knowledge contributes to better co-operation between the various disciplines, which is then beneficial to the process as a whole. I would also like to suggest that it is perfectly possible for a trainee to be on board this ship. This could be beneficial to all parties and it would certainly have a positive effect for the school and the student, I believe there is much to be learned. The vessel is fully equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation and is sailing on important, operational trips routinely. For a student considering a future in the offshore industry, such I traineeship could be a huge addition. Van Oord Offshore could also benefit, for example, a student trainee can be assigned to investigate new developments. Furthermore, the student trainee might be able to get a DPO certificate during this period of time. On completion of studies, that student could then immediately start work as a DPO (possibly an obligation if Van Oord pays for the DPO certificate of the student). If you consider this to be is possible, I will personally work with you towards finding a suitable candidate. I would like to thank you once again for the opportunity to sail onboard Nordnes and if I can contribute in any way, I am happy to hear from you. Kind regards, Harmen van der Ende English translation: Ronald Koks and Tom Binny. |
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