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Pilots Professional Development |
Course Duration - 20 Hours
Course Aim -
This course is primarily for
experienced pilots who wish to further their knowledge of
shiphandling techniques or who may wish to investigate or experiment
with different scenarios and as such will be tailored to suit the
individual. This may include working with twin screw vessels of
either inward or outward turning propellers or different
utilisations of tugs including escort towage in direct or indirect
mode.
This aim will be achieved through a
concentrated period of practical exercises in the Manned Models
supported by a series of lectures.
Prerequisites -
Whilst
there are no prerequisites the course is designed for experienced
pilots who wish to further their knowledge of shiphandling
Day prior
to course Arrive Hotel
Day One
0815-0830 Taxi to Lake
0830-0915 Registration and Introduction
0915-1030 Familiarisation with Manned Models
1030-1130 Lecture – “Revision of Principles”
1130-1300 Manned Model Exercises
1300-1345 Lunch
1345-1430 Lecture – “The Effect of Wind”
1430-1715 Manned Model Exercises
1715-1730 Taxi to hotel
Day Two
0815-0830 Taxi to Lake
0830-1000 Lecture – “As per customers requirements”
1000-1300 Manned Model Exercises
1300-1345 Lunch
1345-1430 Lecture “As per customers requirements”
1430-1715
Manned Model Exercises
Day Three
0815-0830 Taxi to Lake
0830-1245 Manned model exercises
1245-1300 Course debrief
1300
End of Course
By
the end of the course the following practical aspects of
shiphandling will have been addressed :
·
Pivot Point
·
Effect of
Propeller and Rudder
·
Transverse
Thrust
·
Principles of
berthing
·
Turning
·
Manoeuvring in
channels and confined areas
·
The effect of
wind
·
Squat and
interaction
Further Objectives
Further objectives can be
introduced if appropriate to the sphere of operations of the course
participants, within the limits of the time available.
These
may include :-
·
Bow thruster
operations
·
Twin Screw
Vessel manoeuvring
·
The use of
tugs, including tug exercises
·
Approaching
and leaving a Single Buoy Mooring (SBM)
·
Lightening /
Lightering Operations (STS) underway, moored or at anchor
·
Approaching
and leaving a Floating Storage Unit (FSU)
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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