The classification societies of the world have special notations for different types of vessel, and these appear as a string of letters on some line of the publicity material. It is always possible to find out what these mean but for ease of reference here are some of them. Where necessary these descriptions are modified to make them easier to understand, but the actual classification society documents should be consulted for formal wording. Only a selection of notations are included here, a judgement being made as to which ones are most relevant.
DNV have a number of basic notations which apply to offshore vessels, summaries of the notations are described below. The descriptions are only intended to give a flavour of the notation, and DNV rules should be consulted for the precise descriptions.
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Standby Vessel |
A vessel designed to carry rescue and standby services to offshore installations. |
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Supply Vessel |
A vessel designed specially for supply services to offshore installations in the North Sea. |
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Supply Vessel Basic |
A vessel designed to supply offshore installations in less severe environments such as South East Asia, Africa and Brazil. |
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Well Stimulation Vessel |
A vessel arranged for the stimulation of oil wells. |
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Clean Design CD |
A vessel with reduced environmental impact due to air emissions, sea discharge and accidental damage to the ship’s hull. |
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COMF-C |
Comfort class notation addressing indoor climate
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COMF-V |
Comfort class addressing noise and vibration.
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CRANE |
Notation for vessels with one or more certified cranes on board.
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DSV-SAT |
A vessel arranged for diving operations with no restrictions
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DSV-SURFACE |
A vessel arranged for diving operations with operating restrictions to a maximum depth of 60 metres and an operating time of 8 hours. |
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DYNPOS-AUT |
A class notation for a dynamic positioning system using a single dynamic positioning system, position reference back-up and an independent joystick system back-up. |
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DYNPOS-AUTR |
A class notation for a dynamic positioning system with a redundant dynamic positioning system, and an independent joystick system back-up. |
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DYNPOS-AUTRO |
A class notation for a dynamic positioning system with a redundant dynamic positioning system and an independent joystick system and an additional DP emergency control centre. |
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Fire Fighter 1 (FiFi 1) |
A vessel with two monitors, the capacity of each monitor should be 1200 m3 per hour, with a length of throw of 120 metres at a height of 50 metres. The vessel is also required to have a hydrant on each side of the ship with four hose connections. |
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Fire Fighter II (FiFi II) |
A vessel with two to four monitors, the capacity of each monitor should be 3600/1800 m3 per hour, with a length of throw of 180/150 metres at a height of 110/80 metres. The vessel is also required to have a hydrant on each side of the ship with four hose connections, and a means of protection by permanently installed water spray. |
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Fire Fighter III (FiFi III) |
A vessel with three to four monitors capable of being used for 96 hours, the capacity of each monitor should be 3200 m3 or 2400 m3 per hour, with a length of throw of 180/150 metres at a height of 110/90 metres. The vessel is also required to have a hydrant on each side of the ship with eight hose connections, and a means of protection by permanently installed water spray. |
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HELDK (F,H,S) |
Helicopter landing platform with possible additional requirements for helicopter facilities, helicopter safety or ship safety. |
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ICE -05 |
For a vessel capable of operating unassisted in winter ice in Arctic sub-Arctic and Antarctic conditions, where the thickness is 0.5 metres level thickness |
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ICE-10 |
For a vessel capable of operating unassisted in winter ice in Arctic sub-Arctic and Antarctic conditions, where the thickness is 1.0 metres level thickness |
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ICE-15 |
For a vessel capable of operating unassisted in winter ice in Arctic sub-Arctic and Antarctic conditions, where the thickness is 1.5 metres level thickness |
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ICE-1A |
For a vessel capable of operating unassisted in winter ice in Northern Baltic or similar conditions, where the thickness is 0.8 metres level thickness |
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ICE-1A* |
For a vessel capable of operating in winter ice in Northern Baltic or similar conditions, where the thickness is 1.0 metres level thickness. Ic e-breaker assistance may be available. |
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ICE-1A*F |
For a vessel capable of regular operation unassisted in winter ice in Northern Baltic or similar conditions, where the thickness is 1.0 metres level thickness |
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ICE-1B |
For a vessel capable of operating in winter ice in Northern Baltic or similar conditions, where the thickness is 0.6 metres level thickness, and where ice-breaker assistance is available. |
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ICE-1C |
For a vessel capable of operating in winter ice in Northern Baltic or similar conditions, where the thickness is 0.4 metres level thickness, and where ice-breaker assistance is available. |
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ICE-C |
A class notation for ships operating in light ice conditions |
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ICE-E |
A class notation for ships operating in light drift ice in the mouths of rivers. |
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LFL |
A vessel designed for the carriage of liquids with a flashpoint lower than 60 degrees C |
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NAUT-OSV (A) |
This class notation denotes that the bridge has been designed with due consideration for the functional requirement and the ergonomic principles of equipment and workstations. |
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NAUT-OSV (T) |
This class notation denotes that the bridge has been designed with due consideration for the functional requirement and the ergonomic principles of equipment and workstations, with specific consideration for the requirements relating to the control of the vessel from the aft operating position |
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OILREC |
A notation for vessels capable of recovering and transporting oil in emergency situations. |