Dynamic positioning demystified

Dynamic positioning (DP) enables an offshore vessel to stay on the same spot at sea for hours on end without anchoring, for example while divers work on the seabed below, and requires not only dedicated equipment but also specialist personnel. It is used extensively on vessels that need to maintain position, such as dive support vessels and drilling units, as well as pipelay, cablelay, survey and other vessels that need to move along a fixed route.