Utilizing the Pacific Maritime Institute’s state of the art tug simulator, the programme guides operators through a series of ‘at sea’ situations that are specifically designed to focus on and hone the specific skill sets required to operate a Z-drive tug.

At the end of the nine day course of instruction, operators come away with a fundamental understanding of and an ability to perform the unique boat handling skills required to manoeuvre Z-drive tugs in light tug, barge, and ship assist work.

The impetus for developing this programme came from the pilots and tug operators at the Puget Sound Naval Station (PSNS), located in Bremerton, Washington. PSNS has embarked on an ambitious newbuilding project to replace their existing fleet of single screw tugs with new 4,500hp Azimuthing Stern Drive (ASD) tugs. Part of this newbuilding project includes extensive training for both Naval ship pilots and tug operators. The PMI programme is an integral part of the training process.

Commenting on the programme, Jay M. Anderson, Port Captain for operations at Bremerton said, ‘The PMI ASD simulator is a fantastic tool for the beginner ASD driver. The graphics and the ASD simulator controls have an amazingly real time feel. After driving single and twin screw tugs for the last 24 years and reading some of the trade magazine horror stories about transitioning from conventional tugs to ASD, I was a little nervous and concerned that I might be one of those 30% that wash out and can't make the transition.

‘The PMI simulator and Captain Slesinger quelled those feelings by offering a very first class, practical approach to learning how to operate an ASD tug. With the safe and environmentally sound world we live in these days, it was much nicer to be able to just restart the computer programme after a mistake than call the office and tell them you just crunched their $5m ASD tug and half a city pier while trying to train the Mate.’

Each of PMI’s simulated situations is specifically designed to focus on a particular tug handling skill set. The advantage of the simulator is that for each skill set, PMI can complete many cycles of learning in an extremely efficient and cost effective manner.