New state-of-the-art bridge simulator makes a splash at the Maritime Skills Academy

As a major shipping lane for passenger, freight and naval vessels plus a whole host of leisure craft, the Solent can be a very busy place.

Deck crew and officers aboard ferries sailing back and forth across this stretch of water face unique navigational challenges.

But now world-leading technology provided by the Maritime Skills Academy in Portsmouth is helping them and other seafarers to be prepared for all the different scenarios they may encounter at sea.

Last month the MSA announced a new three-year training partnership with Southampton to Isle of Wight ferry operator Red Funnel to enhance performance and safety.

The company will be the first user of a second 270-degree bridge simulator to be installed in the MSA’s base at the Lakeside North Harbour business park. It also has a 360-degree tug simulator for small boats and pilot boats.

MSA’s new 270-degree bridge simulator. Credit: Maritime Skills Academy

Red Funnel joins a portfolio of clients including Carnival UK, Windstar Cruises, P&O Ferries and Virgin Voyages, who all use the facilities in Portsmouth to train staff.

Director of Training and Simulation Captain Josip Kulas said: “At MSA Portsmouth we are dedicated to improving the safety and effectiveness of maritime operations through innovative training methods.”

Special software means that operations in the real world can be replicated by the simulators using an extensive library of ship models and port areas. It allows the MSA instructors to expose clients to a range of situations and challenges, but in a safe and controlled environment.

Mark Jaenicke. Credit: Maritime Skills Academy

Operations Director Mark Jaenicke said: “All of our training is tailored to our clients’ needs. It’s not generic like other courses and has been really well-received by the industry.

“We’re getting busier and busier because we’re seeing companies wanting to provide officers and crew with more training. They’re investing in their staff and giving them the tools to be better.”

He added: “The simulators are as close as you can get to the real thing without actually being there. They’re very immersive and super-realistic. It feels like everything is moving and we can even create different weather conditions and tidal streams.”

The MSA believes that continuous development is vital in such a complex and high-risk industry – even for those seafarers who are already highly skilled and experienced.

It also has training centres in Dover and Gibraltar and is part of the Viking Maritime Group, which includes crew services provider Viking Crew and Chiltern Maritime, the UK’s top merchant navy cadetship provider.

Mark said: “We built the centre in Portsmouth in 2019 and a lot of investment has been required. We have very good technicians working on the systems to create many different scenarios.”

It’s not just ferry and cruise company staff who use the MSA. Mark said it had been working with the Orca charity, which is trying to prevent one of the main threats to large whales in the North East Atlantic – the risk of being hit by tankers and container ships.

Sailor Ella Hibbert is also using a simulator to prepare for her attempt to become the first person to solo circumnavigate the Arctic Circle, non-stop. Her course is being sponsored by Viking Maritime.

Ella, an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor at the Sail Squad teaching school based in Port Hamble, said: “As of yet I’ve not been into Arctic waters and the bridge simulator that we use during the Polar Code training is an incredible way of gaining knowledge about Arctic waters and conditions whilst still being on English soil.”

Ella is learning about vessel preparedness, performance and capability, plus the international and regional regulations and legislations she needs to know for her voyage.

The MSA’s Polar Code Basic Course and Polar Advanced Training Course are now recognised by the Nautical Institute – one of only two training centres in the world to receive this accreditation.

The Portsmouth centre is also used by the Royal Navy to give its sailors experience of Arctic waters.

By completing these courses, seafarers can gain the Ice Navigator Level 1 and Level 2 Certificates, which provide internationally-recognised evidence of competence in the operation of ships in ice.