Transas has installed a new Z-Drive Console for the
full mission ships bridge simulator in the California Maritime Academy (CMA), in mid June. The Z-Drive simulator models a “reverse” tractor tug with Z-Drive propulsion modules located at the vessel's stern.
The Z-Drive tractor tug simulator was provided by Transas USA, and installed by Transas and Buffalo Computer Graphics using a control console manufactured for the Academy by Seaman’s International Union of Piney Point, Maryland.
A pilot course at the Academy taught by Captain Greg Brooks, one of the leading experts on tractor tugs and tug operations in the country, was conducted with students from Millenium Maritime, Inc. of San Pedro, California.
Captain John Wolczanski, Millennium Port Captain in San Pedro also attended the class as an observer. He said: “This course will be a valuable part of Millennium's operator training. The fidelity and accuracy of the modeling, and the quality of the visual presentation were exceptional.”
The Transas full-mission shiphandling simulator for tug operations provides users with excellent tools for both ship assist training tasks and professional tug and barge operations training. The variety of visual and hydrodynamic models of several tug types includes conventional single screw tug, conventional twin-screw tug, cycloid-drive (Voith-Schneider) tractor tug and Z-drive reverse tractor tug. Each model in the exercise can play the role of an ownship, or target ship, which allows the most complicated training tasks to be undertaken.