STCW Approved Bridge & Engine Room; LNG, Oil, & Chemical Tanker and Other Maritime Simulator Training Courses for Seafarers
The Simulators offer advanced training on Ship Handling Techniques for seafarers and they could get trained in different conditions or scenarios unlike traditional training on a ship. For example, Simulator training can be enhanced with connecting bridge and engine room simulators which increases the training scenario permutations for seafarers. Those entering the industry today needs to have training in ship handling and navigation on a simulator. Although primary goal of simulator training is to conduct advanced training and certification, some courses also allows sea-time reduction.
The only mandatory simulator training under STCW has been radar and ARPA and the STCW 2010 now the simulator training for ECDIS mandatory during any seafarer training. Optional simulator training and assessment include navigation and ship handling, Cargo handling, GMDSS communication, propulsion and auxiliary machinery to name a few.
Popular simulators for training and assessment are supplied by Transas and Kongsberg. Simulators need to comply with prescribed standards and there are two performance standards - for simulators used for training and for simulators used to assess competence. There are also some additional requirements for radar and ARPA simulators. Through its GSIS Database, IMO has also provided more information on approved simulators for training.
Picture: Polaris Ship Simulator Credits:Kongsberg
STCW Ship Simulator Courses
STCW Maritime Simulator Courses
- Conventional Simulator Training: For details on conventional training programs such as ARPA/Radar, ECDIS, and AIS, you may visit this section.
- Chemical Tanker Cargo & Ballast Handling Simulator: The course is essentially a practical one, and consists of a series of exercises structured around the operation of the cargo and ballast installation of a chemical tanker and carried out in conjunction with a simulator.
- Engine-Room Simulator: This course is essentially a practical one, consisting of a series of exercises structured around the operation of a ship’s machinery installation and carried out in conjunction with an engine-room simulator.
- Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Tanker Cargo & Ballast Handling Simulator: The course is essentially a practical one; it consists of a series of exercises structured around the operation of the cargo and ballast installation of an LNG tanker and carried out in conjunction with a simulator.
- Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Tanker Cargo & Ballast Handling Simulator: The course is essentially a practical one; it consists of a series of exercises structured around the operation of the cargo and ballast installation of an LNG tanker and carried out in conjunction with a simulator.
- Oil Tanker Cargo and Ballast Handling Simulator: This model course is essentially a practical one and consists of a series of exercises structured around the operation of the cargo and ballast installation of an oil tanker and carried out in conjunction with a simulator.
- Ship Simulator and Bridge Teamwork: This course is practical and theoretical, and consists of a series of exercises performed on a ship handling simulator. Classroom lectures, to provide the necessary theoretical background for the exercises, are included. Particular items dealt with in these lectures are illustrated either by including them as part of an exercise or by a separate simulator demonstration. Bridge teamwork is dealt with either as interactive Computer Based Training (CBT) or lecture.
- Train the Simulator Trainer and Assessor: The course deals with the relevance of simulator in maritime training and the simulator pedagogy associated with the use of training on a maritime simulator. The basic aspects of the learning process, purpose of training, setting of training objectives and basic principles of course design and the psychology of learning has also been touched upon, however it does not form the main thrust of the course. It is assumed that course participants would have received formal training in these aspects prior to completing this program.