The Port of Milford Haven has opened a state of the art marine navigation simulator suite. Built using Marin’s latest software, Dolphin, the suite can recreate an extensive range of scenarios for training and exercise purposes.
The Port of Milford Haven is the UK's largest energy port. Significant investment has been made in developing this new facility. The systems bridge the gap between research and commercial operations and deliver a navigation tool with incredible precision.
Training Pilots
According to Milford Haven's Deputy Harbourmaster and Pilotage Operations Manager, Captain Steve Hardcastle, the simulator will be used for training the pilots who are required to manoeuvre some of the world’s largest vessels inside the deep, but relatively narrow channel of the Milford Haven Waterway. Training scenarios can address both standard and extreme conditions as well as emergency scenarios such as failure of ship’s equipment and machinery.
The facility will also be promoted for use by others in the maritime industry.
Modular Design
'The simulator suite has a modular design. Rooms can either be booked individually or as a whole to allow a combination of navigation bridge, tug bridge and VTS simulation suite in creating a complex port-wide scenario,' says Hardcastle.
'The software allows users to experience as close to real life as is possible with exact reaction to all environmental and hydrodynamic forces (such as ship to ship interaction or bank suction), all within a safe environment. It also has multiple vessel programmes and we can even modify the suite to recreate different bridge layouts.'
Picture by Marin.
