Page 24: of Marine News Magazine (December 2018)

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Training Day:

Cruden’s pioneering Fast Craft Simulator (*) all images courtesy Cruden

Marine simulators are commonplace in the training and development of crew for large vessels. Not so much for small, fast patrol and attack craft.

rom the mid to late 1970s, marine simulators devel- clude those that replicate, to an incredible level of detail, oped into a viable training tool for trainee mariners. a ship’s bridge and control, the engine room, cargo han-

FTheir initial popularity developed as opportunities for dling, communication and Global Maritime and Distress practical training became scarcer and a lot costlier, too. and Safety Systems (GMDSS) plus remotely operated

Since then, however, the advancement of the technology vehicles (ROVs).

has brought a new dimension to professional crew training While the current crop of simulators can give novices for small, fast craft. We gained exclusive insight into this control of anything from a Panamax container ship right hyper-realistic advanced technology from Cruden’s CEO up to an Ultra Large Crude Carrier (ULCC), very little

Maarten van Donselaar. has existed in the way of highly realistic tools for high-

With the success of aerospace simulators in reducing speed craft. Up to now, replicating the real-world effects costs and fast-tracking trainees, the use of simulators in of performance, handling and safety procedures for small, the marine context has become an important part of safe- fast boats was, and still is, an incredibly complex task giv- ty training and bringing trainees up to a higher level of en the speed and rapid responses required to replicate the competency before being let loose on large vessels. Today, real-world experience. That training has therefore largely the most common simulators used in our industry in- remained out of reach. Until now.

December 2018

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