An increasing number of Owners are seeing the benefits of having DNV class and access to all of DNV’s services for their ships, even when the vessels building was surveyed by another class society. Approximately one quarter of the more than 5,000 DNV-classed ships have been entered into DNV class after construction by Owners that have seen the advantages of this.
It is also worth noting that most of the vessels which are changed over to DNV class are young. Many of them are changed to DNV class shortly after delivery from the yard – in order to obtain the benefits of DNV’s services throughout the operational phase.
Class Entry Packages
To clearly substantiate the advantages of changing to DNV class, DNV has developed the concept of a Class Entry Package.
The Class Entry package concept is that DNV agrees to deliver a set of services to the vessels which are transferred to DNV class.
The contents of these Class Entry Packages are never fixed, they are the result of in-depth discussions with the Owner or Manager which focus on clarifying the needs of the Owner or Manager. In some cases, DNV’s standard services will fit their needs, but in many cases special adjustments in the scope have been made in order to support the Owner’s or Manager’s needs optimally.
Expertise in Tanker structures
Since the needs of the various Owners and Managers vary greatly, the contents of the Class Entry Packages also vary greatly. However a common denominator is that many of the services requested are based on DNV’s expertise within the area of Tanker Structures.
The expertise that DNV has developed as the major classification society within the Tanker segments, classing ships which often operate in the harshest environments, is now packaged in the form of technical consultancy services.
Range of Services
Some examples of the services which have been included in Class Entry Packages are:
DNV Hull Structure Courses
We see that Owners and Managers are increasing their focus on training, possibly due to the challenges of manning both vessels and shore offices with experienced staff. The advantage of training is, of course, the immediate benefit it has on the operations, both in the office and on the vessel.DNV’s Ship Specific Hull Inspection Manuals
DNV’s Ship Specific Hull Inspection Manual is a practical approach to ship maintenance that has been developed in close cooperation with the ship manager, utilises DNV’s hull knowledge base and incorporates the ship manager’s maintenance standard and work processes. The advantages of the Inspection Manual are that it provides the ability to detect deficiencies at an early stage, thus reducing off-hire, and to document the company’s pro-active approach and in this way secure charters.DNV’s Hull Integrity Management
DNV’s Hull Integrity Management is a practical concept that has been developed over six years and has a proven track record. It contains a total of four service elements: Hull Competence, Hull Inspection Manuals, Nauticus Hull Integrity and Hull Advisory Services. The advantages of DNV’s Hull Integrity Management is that it is a holistic approach, covering your immediate needs through Training Courses while also preparing you for future events by having Hull Advisory Services available.
The Class Transfer Process
For further details regarding DNV’s Class Entry Packages, and for a discussion regarding which services can be useful for your operations, please contact your local DNV Customer Service Manager.
Your Customer Service Manager will also plan the class transfer to DNV, ensuring a smooth transfer with the least possible disruption to the vessel’s operations and a minimum of involvement by the shore organisation.
The Class Entry Survey can be easily planned to fit in with the vessel’s schedule due to DNV’s extensive network of survey stations and is carried out by experienced surveyors. The Customer Service Manager and Surveyor are supported by the dedicated Class Transfer Unit at DNV’s head office, which coordinates with the relevant former class society and flag authorities and arranges for the issuance of the appropriate full-term certificates.