DP2 windows—not hull count—are the new bottleneck in offshore chartering. The tight overlap of availability, compliance (DP2, SPS, bollard pull), and workable weather is dictating who gets mobilized and at what price. That’s why short, high-stakes tasks (rig moves, cable pulls, critical lifts) are pulling forward DP2 AHTS and well-crewed multicats while perfectly good hulls sit idle 500 nm away.

Operationally, the scarcest asset is a compliant vessel that’s close enough to catch your window. A 10-day cable pull rarely runs as a clean block—it breaks into three 24–36h windows. Owners with DP2 AHTS (180–220t BP) prefer firm periods over spot; charterers who try to stitch spot days across slips end up paying for extra stand-by or second mobilizations. And CTVs with high freeboard and hybrid/HVO capability are being prioritized by sites that want uninterrupted transfers when sea states flirt with limits.

Two concrete shifts: First, proximity is finally priced in. Swapping a distant DP2 for a nearer unit can remove a full day of transit—often the difference between catching the next metocean gate and losing a week. Second, emissions are becoming a line item, not a footnote. We’re seeing quotes that forecast job-level CO2, with HVO premiums penciled against shorter steaming and less idle. Data transparency around specs, positions, and fuel options is now a competitive advantage, not a courtesy.

Takeaway: the market rewards those who secure the right DP2 window early and optimize distance—not those who chase the cheapest hull late.

If you’d like to discuss your offshore projects, reach us anytime at sales@seavium.com.