24-hour emergency line — existing clients and vessels in distress only.
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+64 (0)27 355 6673
24-hour emergency line — existing clients and vessels in distress only.
Please enter your vessel name to continue:
Call now, any time:
+64 (0)27 355 6673Send a quick note and I’ll get back to you. Fields marked * are required.
Primary DPA services for vessel owners, operators, and yacht management companies — and Alternate / Deputy DPA cover for organisations whose primary DPA is based in a different time zone.
All DPA appointments are subject to the requirements and acceptance or notification arrangements of the applicable Flag Administration.
ISM Code Regulation 4 requires every company operating a vessel subject to the ISM Code to designate a person ashore — the Designated Person Ashore (DPA) — who has direct access to the highest level of management and serves as the link between the company and those on board. The DPA must be accessible at all times and must have the authority and resources to ensure the safe operation of each ship.
For smaller operators and single-vessel owners, maintaining a full-time in-house DPA is often neither practical nor cost-effective. A contracted external DPA provides the same function — full ISM compliance, genuine 24-hour accessibility — without the overhead of a permanent hire.
Most established yacht management companies base their primary DPA in Europe, the Mediterranean, or the Caribbean, and a good primary DPA is reachable around the clock. The difference is the time of day. New Zealand and Australia sit 11 to 13 hours ahead of European time, so when it is 0200 UTC it is already 1300 to 1500 the following afternoon in New Zealand.
An Alternate / Deputy DPA in this region adds qualified shore-side capacity in a different part of the working day, strengthening the resilience and reach of your existing management and compliance structure. We work within your SMS and your reporting lines, so full support is available across more of the day.
Full DPA function for a vessel or fleet: named DPA in the SMS, direct access to owner/operator management, 24-hour accessibility, ongoing oversight of ISM compliance, and liaison with flag state/RO on the company's behalf. Typically structured as a monthly retainer.
Named Alternate / Deputy DPA covering NZ/Australian business hours — typically 1800–0600 UTC. A qualified point of contact for the vessel during those hours, working within your SMS, with communication and escalation arrangements agreed and recorded. Monthly retainer.
Short-term DPA cover during a management change, company restructure, or while a permanent DPA is being recruited. Fixed-term contract with a clear handover protocol.
Many operators want one shore-side relationship covering both the safety and the security management systems. Tasman can combine primary or Alternate / Deputy DPA services with regional ISPS and maritime security support, working alongside your Company’s appointed Company Security Officer.
Tasman does not act as your CSO. In most flag state cases the CSO must be an employee of the Company, so our security role is always regional support, not a statutory appointment. How the combined arrangement is structured depends on your flag, and we confirm that before proposing it.
Book a free 15-minute call to discuss your vessel’s requirements and what a retainer arrangement would look like.