Annual General Assembly 2004 - Tasmania

Session 4A

Sea Service Equivalency For Full Mission Simulator Training

Eugen BARSAN
Constanza Maritime University
Mircea cel Batran Street 104, Constanza, Romania
ebirsan@mail.imc.ro

ABSTRACT

The STCW 95 imposed a compulsory 12/6-month sea time service for deck/engineer cadets in order to be certified as Third Officers. All Maritime Authorities embraced this provision and put this stipulation in practice with no exceptions.

Computer technology and software capabilities have advanced 50 times over the state of art in 1995. This means that up-to-date full mission simulators can now (re)produce reality at least 15 to 20 times better than in 1995. As presented in the paper, the simulated bridges can include all modern navigation technologies; simulate all types of navigation conditions, breakdowns, emergencies, maritime areas and maneuvering situations.

On the other hand, the number of national fl ag vessels has decreased constantly, and year after year it is harder and harder to fi nd owners willing to accept cadets on board their ships and able to organize an effective onboard training program.

We believe that the entire maritime academic community must begin sustained and focused actions to promote the offi cial acceptance of simulator training as an equivalent for sea time service. A first step in this direction was already made by the United States Coast Guard (USCG), which grants a 1:6 ratio equivalency. IAMU has the power and duty to present such a point of view at the international level.

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