Onboard-NAPA

Originally developed as a loading computer, Onboard-NAPA incorporates a wide range of features for loading calculations, hydrostatics, intact stability and longitudinal strength.

Onboard-NAPA’s strength lies in its advanced and unrivalled features for damage stability and decision support – features that make the system ideal for fast analysis of ship stability in emergency conditions, including grounding.

The system is being applied widely to enhance ship safety, and it holds a track record of several real-life salvage operations involving a grounded ship. In these cases, Onboard-NAPA ensured the ship’s safe refloating in a way that prevented further damage to the ship and averted danger to its crew. To read more, click on the Loading Computer link on the right.

Extended Features for Decision Support
Onboard-NAPA can be expanded to a fully fledged decision support system. The Onboard-NAPA Decision Support for Flooding Control (DFC) concept goes beyond the mandatory requirements of the IMO regulations on decision support systems. It provides a fully computerized approach to the handling of emergency situations by integrating the various aspects influencing the ship’s watertight integrity.

DFC helps to evaluate which countermeasures should be taken in a distress situation, such as in the event of flooding. The most important thing to ensure should a flooding damage occur is that the flooding water can be contained within the damaged compartments.

As DFC integrates Onboard-NAPA with the tank level gauging system, the location and quantity of floodwater can be identified. Having at hand real online information on flooding and the ship’s actual floating position facilitates making well-informed decisions regarding evacuation and active flood-fighting countermeasures.

DFC also comprises trend displays and time predictions, thus making it possible to predict many important quantities as a function of time. Also included are computerized advisory cards which serve to guide the user through the necessary procedures to be taken in a distress situation, illustrating how an action should be executed and where to find a specific instrument on board. To read more, click on the Decision Support for Flooding Control link on the right.

The development of Onboard-NAPA was initiated in the early 1990s at Napa Ltd. The system has gained wide recognition among ship owners and operators in a relatively short time.

During 1996, being the first year of active sales promotion of the system, some 40 installations were made.

Today, Onboard-NAPA is being used onboard over 900 ships, among them the world’s most prestigious cruise liners.