DNV certification for Furuno INS Training Centre

Furuno decided in 2005 to raise the level of training it provided by establishing the Furuno INS Training Centre (INSTC) and developed its own ECDIS training course based on the IMO Model Course 1.27. It received certification from DNV SeaSkill to validate the compliance of IMO Model Course 1.27. The decision to make the ECDIS training comply with IMO Model Course 1.27 was the recognition of the challenges to the navigators created by the introduction of ECDIS onboard the vessels.

‘The navigation systems are becoming more and more sophisticated and provide a wider range of information to the user, said Furuno INSTC training manager Ken Helle Jensen. ‘Many tasks that were handled manually in the past are now automatically processed, and other systems like power management, engine automation, etc., are all integrated. It is a new era in navigation, and the navigators have to get acquainted with this new technology.

‘Recent grounding accidents indicate that the introduction of IBS/INS and ECDIS creates a challenge to the skills and capabilities of the operators. A short familiarization training provided by the manufacturer is not always enough if the crew does not have prior experience in operating integrated navigation systems.

‘We have to realize that using IBS/INS and ECDIS demands a different approach to the daily navigation tasks because everything is electronic. The navigation charts have been changed from paper charts to ENC and the collection of data is now being done by a common reference system. This puts a new responsibility on the shoulders of the navigator, because he has to ensure that the IBS/INS should be correctly set up and the ship’s parameters have been updated to the latest state before departure. And he has to verify that the performance of the IBS/INS is correct and that the data provided by the system is valid at all times.’

This training course introduces the operation of Integrated Bridge Systems (IBS) and Integrated Navigation Systems (INS) to the navigators and certifies them in the use of IBS and INS. The training course is generic and runs for five days. It combines theory and exercises and provides the navigator with insight into the operation of IBS and INS, how the system works, the rules and regulations governing the IBS/INS operation, how to use and benefit from it in the daily navigation of the vessel, and how to assess the performance and the information provided by the IBS/INS.