Simulation software for marine maneuvering

MUMBAI, INDIA: BMT Consultants (India) Private Limited - a part of UK’s BMT Group Limited has introduced PC Rembrandt V4.0 in India. PC Rembrandt V4.0 is a computer-based simulation program for training naval officers or pilots for ship or vessel handling, maneuvering trials, ship performance, operations, port and tug assessments, arrangements (berths, channels, etc), and incident inquiries.

According to BMT Consultants’ technical director, Captain Nadeem Athar, this simulator runs on desktop computer systems as well as laptops with support of high random access memory (RAM).

“The simulation tool was developed by our technical team BMT SeaTech based in UK. The costing depends on the number of installations, users and projects,” said Captain Athar. BMT SeaTech - a group company responsible for building the mathematical models to reflect the characteristics of specific ships and its navigation.

The company offers ports and terminal planning, designing, marine and coastal engineering, ship designing, project management, logistics and business consultancy services in India. “It’s the first time we are offering PC Rembrandt simulation tool in India.

Presently, it’s used at Hazira and Dahej portals in Gujarat. Since we have started to offer this tool recently, our company is providing consultancy services and not training at this moment,” said Suren Vakil, managing director, BMT Consultants.

The simulation comes with various optional modules such as joystick control, tugs, spatial currents, anchors and mooring lines, 3D traffic visual, stationary vessels and track pilot. It has a real or fast time simulation mode with pause or fast forward option.

Bow or track up, north up and fixed are three chart displays that can be used as per one’s choice. Also, there’s the past and future position view with heading line, analogue or digital gyrocompass that can be customizable and savable panel layouts.

About the external atmosphere during navigation, there are the changeable environmental effects such as winds, tide, currents and waves.

It has save and re-loaded features with replay in real or fast time that is used in briefing or debriefing sessions for the bridge team and proactive training sessions. User gets detailed stimulation reports with position plots, graphs and tubular formats.

It comes with save simulation feat as scenario files as per particular port and environmental conditions. There’s the on-screen pivot point indicator for pointing positions along with ship’s length. With interrogate chart information feat the user can adapt to a specific port’s characteristics.

It’s accurate waypoint plotting on the digital charts to point particular tracks, allows the simulator for passage planning and training. Further, ‘hard-quays’ and dolphins as part of berth arrangements, the user can define and with it the ships can interact with impact velocity too.

The user can add reality to maneuvers with the port traffic vessels during the simulation. Stationary vessels on the digital chart can be placed to show moored vessels in a particular port. It has the channel cross-section view for ship’s position at bow and stern in a channel, while moving alongside a berth or in shallow or confined water.

User defined spatially variable currents in simulations, takes into account the turning effect when the bow and stern are in different tidal streams, along with six tugs simulations effects. During the simulations, anchors and mooring lines can be used to create dynamic effects in the ship’s mathematical model.

Moreover, navigational aids such as range and bearing makers, range rings and parallel index lines are available in the program to help the navigational exercise more realistic in nature during maneuvers. Some of ship types include bulk carrier, container, cruise, ferry, gas carrier, cargo, tanker and warship.