Dynamic Positioning

DP Mini Guide: Drive-Off — Uncommanded Thrust

🕑 8 min read 1300 words Dp-academy

Crew Connect DP Academy · Mini Guide 14

Drive-Off — Uncommanded Thrust

Topic: DP Emergencies · Sub-topic: Drive-Off · Level: DPO / Senior DPO · Read time: 8 min

Training scenario only. In an actual operation, follow the approved vessel- and activity-specific procedures, ASOG/CAM/TAM, FMEA and emergency response arrangements; apply the Master’s authority and escalate through the applicable command structure. This guide is Crew Connect educational content — it does not override your vessel’s approved documents.

1. What / Why / How

A drive-off means the vessel is being actively pushed off position by its own thrusters responding to a fault — bad reference data, a control system error, or a runaway thruster command — rather than passively drifting after losing power or control. The distinction matters: the appropriate immediate response can differ.

2. Recognition / Risk / But

Close to an installation, an actively driven vessel can move faster and less predictably than passive drift — the window to react before a genuine contact risk exists can be short. But: bad reference data is the most common cause, not the only one — a genuine control system fault, thruster command error, or operator input error are all possible too. The immediate priority is stopping the uncommanded movement, not definitively diagnosing the cause first.

3. Now / What next / Decision / Why

Once movement has stopped, assess actual current position relative to the hazard, confirm what genuinely caused the drive-off before considering any return to automatic control, and communicate the event and status.

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