The WMA Manned
Model Shiphandling Centre offers various courses, which are briefly
discussed below, and full details on each course are given on this
website.
Standard
Course - 5 Day Course (36 Hours) Monday to Friday. This a non-mandatory
course recognised by the MCA, and meets the principles laid down
in section A-II/2 and B-V/a of STCW 95 as amended, regarding the
training for Masters and Chief Officers of large ships.
-
Advanced
Course - 5 Day Course (36 Hours) Monday to Friday. This course
is for experienced pilots. It's content will be customised to
meet individuals requirements and aspirations. Significantly,
the course addresses more advanced issues of ship handling.
- Twin Screw Course - 2½
Day Course (18 Hours), Monday to Wednesday or Wednesday to
Friday.
-
Pilots
Professional Development - 5 Day Course (40 Hours), Monday to
Friday. Three Days in manned models, followed by two days in the
full mission ship's bridge simulator.
-
Shiphandling
Appreciation - 2 Days (16 Hours). Designed for shore based managers,
senior managers and executives with responsibility for marine
operations. The content is tailored to meet their special
requirements and aspirations and significantly, addresses
fundamental ship handling principles.
Courses can also be developed for
customers individual requirements. Please contact us to discuss your
requirements.
Manned Models are
a form of simulation and, as such, are subject to some limitations
and differences compared with a real ship, which have to be taken
into consideration :-
-
Time -
Due to the scaling factor, ship handling manoeuvres are carried
out in a shorter timescale than the real ship (or a real time
ship simulator). This permits each participant on the course to
conduct a large number of individual berthing and channel
manoeuvres, including re-runs when difficulty has been
experienced. It also means that an individual has to think very
quickly and thus the concentration and observation that is
important to the ship handler is emphasised.
-
Speed
- The scale of the model also means that speed is low in real
terms. The scaling factor is the square root of the scale.
Therefore on a 1:25 scale model the scaling factor is 5, so if
one is doing 1 knot in the model, this equates to 5 knots on the
real ship. Therefore, if approaching the berth with 0.5 mile to
run making good 1.5 knots, this will equate to 7.5 knots on the
real ship, much too fast !In fact an approach speed at this type
of distance needs to be down to 0.1 - 0.2 knots equating to 0.5
- 1.0 knot on the real ship. It is therefore quite normal for
course participants to experience problems on the first day in
adjusting to this low scale speed. These problems, however, are
overcome relatively quickly as excessive approach speeds are
very obvious and the results are often spectacular !
-
Distance
- The need to estimate distance is a fundamental factor in
establishing correct approach speed, and can be aided by using
"ships lengths" as a yardstick. At the pre exercise brief, the
candidate will be given a chart of the lake with the course and
an indication of distance to run marked up.
-
Wind -
The wind cannot be scaled, but the lake has been laid out to
give optimum berth and channel protection from various wind
directions. Even in gale conditions areas of calm can be found
behind screens of trees and hedging, where useful exercises can
be conducted. The effect of wind on a ship is an integral
objective of a shiphandling course and it is not advantageous to
work exclusively in calm conditions. Every effort is made
however, to start with basic manoeuvres in sheltered waters. As
individual participants progress they will be subjected to
stronger winds to concentrate on specific objectives in this
subject area. Instructors will endeavour to conduct shiphandling
operations in the most appropriate scaled wind conditions for a
particular objective.
-
Briefings
/ Debriefings - All participants will be fully briefed by
their instructor before each exercise commences to enable them
to formulate an exercise plan. Once an exercise is underway the
instructor remains on the jetty (or in an accompanying launch)
and does not intercede unless absolutely necessary. This is to
avoid breaking the concentration required during the exercise
and allows participants to learn, if necessary, by observing the
results of his actions. When the exercise is completed, a
comprehensive debriefing is conducted on the quayside to discuss
the results. Such debriefs are considered to be a most important
part of the course.
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