History of the Manned Models
The first ship simulator was installed at Warsash Maritime Academy (WMA) in 1977. The Simulation Centre completed the latest major upgrade in January 2010 and consists of a full mission bridge and five further fully equipped bridges all with visuals. However, ship simulators still have limitations when being used for ship manoeuvring, particularly in confined waters and for berthing and un berthing. They are excellent for bridge team and bridge resource management training and for port specific training and development but the use of manned models has long been recognised by mariners as the most effective method of developing the knowledge and understanding of pure ship handling.
An investigation into the use of manned models for training mariners in ship handling was conducted by WMA in 1979 and as at the time the National Maritime Institute (now British Maritime Technology), were using manned models to examine the manoeuvring characteristics of large VLCCs it was agreed that they might be suited for the training task. Subsequently two models became operational at WMA in that role in 1980. “Venture” and “Pioneer” are still in use today as part of the greatly expanded fleet ranging from a passenger ferry/ro ro of 27,000 gross tonnes through to Venture itself at 300,000 dwt.
A manned model is an accurately scaled model of a real ship or class of ship which closely replicates the handling characteristics of the vessel it is based upon. The model ship will normally operate with a crew of two students who can practise and experience ship manoeuvring scenarios in safety and a relaxed training atmosphere. Scale models allow the ship handler to make mistakes and then to correct those errors. They allow experimentation on ship behaviour and for the inexperienced ship handler to develop his knowledge, skills and confidence perhaps prior to taking command.
The random effects of real life situations are present because it is in real life albeit in a scaled world. The unexpected results of wind gusts, shallow water, bank effect and other local conditions call for a safe reaction to a developing situation and if things go wrong the ship will make contact with a real jetty or actually run aground. Hydrodynamic effects are reproduced in similar fashion to those around the real ship and this is particularly important when examining the interaction between ship and berth, banks and shallows. Likewise the effect of wind on ship handling can be demonstrated. This is a fact of every day life for a pilot or ship master and is an important part of the ship handling courses.
There is no doubt that manned models are considered to be the best way after the real ship to develop ship handling skills and competence. Invariably mariners will say at the end of a week on the lake that “this is the best course I have ever attended”.
Finally, the ship handling centre is an integral part of WMA, one of the most experienced and best equipped maritime establishments in the United Kingdom and itself part of Southampton Solent University. A great deal of knowledge and experience is immediately on hand. This expertise can be called upon to help our sea going colleagues as well as assisting in research such as the “Green Wave Project” trialling the use of wind rotors to reduce fuel consumption on ships.