NZ Maritime School’s new simulator a hit with Marine Pilots

4 April, 2013

NZ Maritime School’s new simulator a hit with Marine Pilots from NZ and Australia

Manukau Institute of Technology’s (MIT) New Zealand Maritime School welcomed marine pilots from around Australasia for a two-day workshop at its downtown Auckland campus.

The Australian Marine Pilots Institute (AMPI) and NZ Maritime Pilots Association (NZMPA) have been collaborating since1996 but this is the first time they have co-hosted a workshop in New Zealand.

NZMPA President, Captain Neil Armitage says, “The AMPI hold workshops on a regular basis in Australia to which members of the NZMPA are invited as attendees, but this is the first workshop we’ve co-hosted and the first of its kind in NZ.

“Industry workshops give marine pilots from ports the opportunity to collaborate, share knowledge and build their networks of communication and by having one here we hoped to encourage greater participation from New Zealand pilots,” he says.

“Recent developments in the Maritime rules require continued professional education for Marine Pilots and wworkshops together with simulator and other short courses help us fulfil this requirement.”

Workshop speakers included Warren Wood, founder of Voyage Bank which is a new cloud-based software solution to air pilot communications; psychologist, Rod Jepsen, whose company, Port Psych, specialises in the particular needs of mariners; and Captain John Ireland from Port Taranaki, whose innovations have made the port one of the safest in NZ despite its west coast position.

MIT’s NZ Maritime School, Senior Lecturer, Kees Buckens, presented an introduction and interactive tour of the school’s brand new Transas 5000 simulator, which has been constructed over the past three months.

Mr Buckens says, “We needed a larger simulator to get sufficient training for the increasing number of students.”

“The new simulator has seven bridges – one larger full mission 300 degree bridge and six smaller bridges with 135 degree vision,” he says.

The new facility can also simulate full mission controls for various ships including tug boats, cruise ships, container ships and bulk carriers. It has detailed Electronic Navigation Charts, Multi-function displays showing radar and conning screens and it can be used for port specific training.

Workshop speaker, Captain John Ireland from Port Taranaki is very supportive of MIT’s investment in the new simulator. “Simulators are hugely important for on-going training of pilots of all levels of experience. The biggest advantage is that you can train for emergencies in simulated conditions,” he says.

Captain Steve Pelecanos from the Port of Brisbane agrees. As the former Vice President of the International Maritime Pilots Association and the former President of the AMPI he has seen the benefits of simulators around the world.

“As simulator technology improves you will find that much of the training on the bridge of a ship will be replaced by a simulator,” he says. “This is because you could observe on 100 ships on passages undertaken without incident. Yet on a simulator you can create all sorts of emergency or difficult situations and can accelerate learning by doing this. You can also review your reactions and use that review to hone your skills.”

Mr Pelecanos says, “The NZ Maritime School has an excellent reputation internationally for producing students of a high calibre so it’s great to see the new facility in place to help them with their good work.”

Mr Pelecanos felt the workshop had been very valuable as it’s important for marine pilots to swap intelligence, look into how the industry is evolving and how technology is being incorporated into it.

“We need to continually be updating our work to keep up with technology so we can ensure we give ships coming into our ports the best and safest service we can,” he says.

MIT’s NZ Maritime School is based in downtown Auckland overlooking the harbour and ports. It offers a broad range of qualifications in navigation and marine engineering, as well as NZ Commercial and Yacht licensing programmes. The School’s Centre for Logistics also offers programmes in logistics, shipping and freight.

ENDS

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