Virtual Tangier for Morocco
The simulator bridge at South Tyneside College
Pilots from Tangier Port who have been training at South Tyneside College are so impressed with the college’s simulator system they decided to invest in similar specialist equipment just for themselves.
In order to capitalise on experience, the Moroccan pilots have asked the college to help both in acquiring the system and getting it up and running in a consultancy project worth £200,000. But although ‘similar’, the differences between the original Tyneside facilities and what the pilots need are notable.
‘Firstly, what we at the college provide are training packages that can cater for all our customers by taking in a number of different kinds of vessels and a variety of different scenarios’, explains Paul Hodgson of the college’s Marine Simulation Department to MJ. ‘However, what the Moroccans wanted was a more specific package, one directly tailored to them. And by this I mean their port constructed as a 3D geographical database with the types of vessels reflecting the ships expected into their port.’
The bespoke system has some very interesting differences. ‘For example, said Mr Hodgson, ‘a pilot needs a more vertical point of view in order to see the tugs and further down to objects right beside the ship. On a real vessel, the pilots usually go to the bridge wings to look vertically down and along the hull to actually see how close the vessel is to the fenders on the quay. So, the simulator has actually been designed with bridge wings on, including dedicated side screens with additional controls and downward views, exactly as it is in reality.’
But prior to this, Tyneside was also called on to help with sourcing and tendering. ‘One of the most important things the college team has done is to objectively test the simulators offered across a range of manufacturers, going to a number of sites and trying them out’, said Mr Hodgson.
He added that while doing this, the team was careful to evaluate the different installations’ mathematical hydrodynamic-hydrostatic modelling, which gives the simulation its ‘feel’. ‘The group spent a long time driving the simulated vessels to see if they felt realistic. Also wanted was a seamless field of view from the projectors.
He also got involved in the tendering, although since most of the documents were in French he admits he was pushed to the limit of his language skills. He got through with a little help and a lot of pictures, although it was a struggle until the English versions came through.
After the build, the college will go back to test out whether the installation meets its specifications, making sure that the different systems have been integrated satisfactorily. And, probably most important, to assess whether the new simulator will give the pilots what they need from a training system.
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