Further perspectives on operator guidance and training for heavy weather ship handling

Abstract

Historically, mariners have received minimal formal training in heavy weather shiphandling, relying on mentoring and hands on experience to develop shiphandling skills for dangerous environmental conditions. Maritime organizations are increasingly turning to technology to reduce the inherent risks of heavy weather, including operator guidance systems and simulation to train watch personnel. Shiphandling simulators are on the cusp of extending training capabilities from simple maneuvering situations to highly realistic heavy weather scenarios, resulting in vastly improved training effectiveness. This is especially critical as actual time spent afloat may represent proportionately less of a mariner’s total career.