Why we do ship handling simulator training

What is a Ship handling Simulator Used For?

Ship handling (Bridge) simulators (SHS) are used for the training and evaluation of Navigation and Manoeuvring skill of Deck officers.

SHS serves as a valuable tool to give a Practical experience and real time Manoeuvring and Ship Handling experience that are generally not possible to imitate in a real situation. Also, it can provide a unique experience on different types of Manoeuvring and Handling tasks like Berthing/unberthing, Narrow Channel, manoeuvring in extreme condition of wind and current, anchoring at different geographical locations.

The evaluation methods by the Simulator or by the instructors of an exercise helps to identify the weakness and error during the exercise that helps to further development of skill and competency through learning from errors.

The Benefits of Ship handling (Bridge) Simulators in Training

Simulator training is very popular in Aviation industry, it can provide very accurate experience on handling any aircraft in different situation and different runways which to gain such experience practically would be very Highly expensive or even impossible. Although the Simulator training been introduced quite lately in Marine industry, however it appeared equally essential and beneficial for the learning and development of skill in ship handling for the Mariners too.

There is no substitute of Competent Crew to have Safe and accident-Free Ship. And to develop the competency a continuous training is vital to keep the crewmembers updated with the new technology equipment, trading areas, scenarios as well as different types and characteristics of vessels generally the crewmembers rotated through while working in a Company.

A SHS training also enable the instructors (Superintendent) to imitate a scenario/exercise of a past Navigation Incident (in own company of from Industry) to exercise and learn the root causes of such incident and Preventive actions in a real scenario.

The value added from the SHS training is tangible, through reduction of Navigation related incidents which often cost Millions from a single accident(collision/Grounding). Although a simulator installation is not Cheap either, it costs few hundred thousand Doller, however even if such spending help to prevent just a single accident through development of Navigation and Ship handling Skill of Deck officers the return is much higher in terms of financial and reputational loss out of a Navigation related accident.

In GreenWave Shipping (Koyo Kaiun) Singapore, the Ship Handling Simulator was installed in 2016 at its premise, after several history of Navigational related Accident/collision/grounding. The Simulator was Manufactured by Transas Company.

We Conduct training Every alternate Month. Each Training course run for 3 days and attended by 3 deck officers at a time. All our exercise, scenarios are designed by the Superintendent basis vessel trading, type, Previous accidents etc to make it more effective. Generally, in each training course of 3 days, the Officers Practically participate 18-20hrs time in Simulator and attend 14-16 exercises of different scenario. This is an enormous opportunity and experience that is no possible to get in any conventional Training centre/Institute or on board.

Since start in 2016, All deck officers attend once in SHS course (In House), some more than once. We changed the scenarios and exercise after all Deck Officers completed attendance of training so that they have more exposure and challenging situation for enhanced learning with new exercises.

GWS do not encountered any Navigation incident after 2016, the year we installed the SHS at our office and started in house SHS training program. That might be a good example to express the Value added out of the spending in Simulator Training in the company.