Overview

Timsbury Lake is the location for the world’s finest ship handling centre and offers the international maritime industry an invaluable state-of-the-art training facility, using accurately scaled manned ship models to simulate the handling characteristics of actual vessels.

Design and development of this innovative training centre successfully integrated over 30 years of manned model operating expertise with a comprehensive understanding of the maritime industry’s needs to deliver world-leading facilities and programmes. 

As the only centre of its kind in the UK, and one of a very small number worldwide, it provides invaluable specialised training and assessment for captains and senior officers in ship handling, enabling mariners to practice and progress their ship handling skills through trial manoeuvres in a safe environment.

With our full mission electronic bridge simulator available for blended courses, the fleet of nine different ship models, a jack up oil rig and tugs, a number of ship handling scenarios can be carried out using a variety of models, berths, canals, channels and basins.

For detailed information on all of our courses, please see All Courses.

What our students say

"The ship handling course is the best training I have had in my 29 years of going to sea. The models, instructors, and facility are outstanding." 
Janet DeCastro, Master, ConocoPhillips (May 2015)

"I found the [ship handling] course content to be very beneficial, and appreciated the advice and observations provided by staff and instructors.  It made for a very positive learning environment, while all support arrangements (eg, accommodation, dining) were excellent throughout the course."
A recent private student 

See links below for further information about the Ship Handling Centre and its operations:

Video of Ship Handling Centre

The facilities and staff

The fleet of ship models