Vision 2009 - Rolls-Royce

‘Computer game’
with real consequences
At first glance today’s dynamic positioning (DP) unit, with the cool joystick, looks like it comes from the
latest computer game. But this is no game. The technology is state-of-the-art, and the need for proper
training is considerable.
Market outlook BROKERS CORNER
Far East
North Sea
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VISION 1-2009. Rolls-Royce
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Part of the project team establishing a new
training facility for DP. Training Manager Tron
R. Resnes, Team Manager Geir Olav Otterlei
and Project Manager Erlend Rangnes.
“We get phone calls every week
from shipping lines and vessels
asking for the latest know-how on
DP,” says Geir Olav Otterlei, Team
Manager with Marine Services at
Rolls-Royce, Control – Ålesund.
“So our training programmes
are definitely in demand. And,
increasingly, training is included as
part of the sales agreement when
customers order DP systems.”
Rolls-Royce is currently expanding
its DP training capacity, and will be
opening a new training laboratory
during the year. The new facilities
will allow Rolls-Royce to offer
training to groups of up to 10
people at a time.
When the new Rolls-Royce
Training Centre in Ålesund goes
into operation it will also include a
DP classroom. Until then the first
version will be installed close by, at
Ålesund University College.
‘Game over’?
DP links together familiar systems
that can be operated by means of a
monitor and joystick arrangement.
You can, quite simply, sit in comfort
on the bridge and keep the vessel
correctly positioned – on station
beside an oil rig, for example. How
much training does that really take?
“It is precisely the fact that DP
links together so many automated
systems and processes on board
that makes correct handling so
important. Let’s put it this way:
when it’s ‘game over’ on a computer
game you just start again. For a real
ship it would probably mean a visit
from the service engineer or a trip
into dock,” explains Otterlei.
In addition to crew training,
Rolls-Royce also runs courses for key
service personnel.
Training manager
In the ‘good old days’ seamen were
‘jacks of all trades’, able to turn
their hands to more or less any job
on board. And they learned their
skills as they went along. But as
vessels have become ever more
technologically advanced, the need
for specialised training has steadily
increased. At the same time, more
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The classroom plan for the DP training laboratory to be
established by the summer of 2009.
than one member of the crew must
be capable of performing any given
task. Every DP system supplied
by Rolls-Royce will be handled by
12 people – if crew members are
operating a two-watch pattern.
“We have orders for 31 new DP
systems and 60 new joysticks for
delivery in 2009. It goes without
saying that the need for training is
enormous,” says Otterlei.
Rolls-Royce has recruited a new DP
training manager. Tron R Resnes has
experience as both second officer
and crewman on offshore vessels,
and as a classroom instructor.
“The people who develop these
systems, myself included, are
technocrats. We need more teaching
skills. Being able to explain things
and understanding the user’s point
of view are important to the success
of any training programme. That is
why we are extremely pleased that
Tron has taken on this role,” says
Otterlei.
One of Resnes’s first tasks will be to
further develop the course material
and tutorials. A
What is the market like now
and what is the outlook for the
next few months? Two brokers
give their views. Note that the
respones were given in mid
April 2009.
Robert Henley is a broker at the R.S.
Platou Shipbrokers office in Singapore.
In the market, perhaps least touched
by financial turbulence, business is as
usual. Or better.
The final quarter of 2008 gave the first
real signs of the financial turmoil
affecting the SE Asian supply vessel
market. Cancellations of new builds
have become a reality, S & P activity has
decreased dramatically and Charterers
have moved from the position of
beggars to choosers. An influx of
vessels in the spot market has given
softening of rates in the short term,
and we see more and more owners
being willing to drop levels to secure
comfortable term work.
Sale and purchase activity has more
or less come to a standstill, with
virtually no financing obtainable in
the market. There are still plenty of
buyers out there, but unless the banks
reopen their doors, few deals are likely
to be concluded during the first half of
this year – especially on USD 10 mill. +
units .
With today’s ‘low’ oil price, most
charterers have been hesitant to take
on vessels at 2008 rates which have
resulted in a correction. Some may
argue owners were a bit late in taking
their share of ‘it’ in order keep oil
companies’ investments at a healthy
level and maintain demand at decent
levels. Some of the oil minnows and
even majors will and have proven to
struggle to execute their intended
plans as a result of reduced oil price
and unsecured financing for their
planned programmes. A
Bruse Kverneland works at Seabrokers
Chartering AS in Stavanger.
The offshore market saw an incredibly
strong last period of 2008, with record
high rates on large AHTS. We still
believe that the rate levels for 2009
will stay strong, but with greater
fluctuations than in 2008.
2009 started out with a lot of available
tonnage, but this situation has
gradually tightened. In the course of
a few months, 10-12 large AHTS will
disappear from the North Sea, and
this will further limit the availability of
tonnage.
One must always take into account that
projects could get cancelled at short
notice, due to low oil prices or the
financial turmoil in general – this will of
course alter the situation.
The credit market is still struggling,
with even great projects meeting
difficult obstacles. But there is still
optimism among the players in the
market. A
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VISION 1-2009. Rolls-Royce