This Week in Technology Tug Simulators MARIN has created a full tug simulator.

This has been used for training of Tug captains and can easily be adapted to any other type of boat. Tug masters themselves actually control the tugs, which brings realism to the simulator. Instead of sitting in a room in front of a screen, captains seemingly step into an actual boat, with 270 degrees of protected visual scenery, providing the captain with the same view as he would have in an actual tug. Special attention was paid to the consoles in order to make it more realistic. In fact, the simulator even possesses a NorSap Chair. The high-tech consoles have flexible controls, which are generic and self-explanatory, making the simulator easily translatable between different types of boats. They can be used to simulate not only tugs, but also inland waterway vessels or coasters. Clean Ballast Water the Chemical Free Way GEA Westfalia Separator BallastMaster destroys bacteria and plankton without chemicals and removes all material larger than 20 microns. It disinfects the water through the use of UV-C light radiation. Ultrasonic cleaning keeps the UV-C lights working efficiently. This system holds a small carbon footprint, is easy to install, easy maintenance, simple control panels, low energy use, and IMO certification. The company now offers them for new construction and retrofits. HoldTight 102 Holdtight 102 is a new rust-preventing coating offered by Holdtight Solutions. This removes all contaminants, including salt, and leaves a rust-free surface for 3 to 5 days. There is no detectable residue after this coating is adhered. Holdtight 102 is the most widely-used, time-proven, labtested, field-tested, recommended and approved by coating companies. Cut Energy Consumption A 110-year old Finnish ship-owner, of Bore Ltd, teamed with NAPA and ClassNK to help identify energy waste on marine vessels. Teamed together, these companies have created an efficiency software that tells the captain of the boat exactly where energy is being wasted. We challenged NAPA last year to see if they could deliver further improvement on ships that are already new and efficient, said Masnerus, who is the Vice President of Bore Ltd. The new Bessel is powered by a single Wartsila, which is a medium speed diesel engine. The ship also sports a pair of diesel driven generators, and an emergency generator. The boat has a service speed of 19 knots and a maximum cruising range of about 9500 miles. It boasts the software. According to Masnerus, We are confident that this software is a wise investment that will begin to offer fuel savings aboard this vessel from installation, and proud that we are able to offer this efficiency and lowered the fuel spend to the charterers who will be reaping the benefits.

The trial helps with speed optimization to cut down on spending, which is hands down the biggest factor in saving energy. Resources Cut Energy Consumption. Maritime Reporter and Engineering News. Oct. 2013: 60-61. GEA Mechanical Equipment US, Inc. Advertisement. Maritime Reporter and Engineering News Oct. 2013: 31. HoldTight Solutions. Advertisement. Maritime Reporter and Engineering News. Oct. 2013: 39. MARIN Debuts Tug Simulators. Maritime Reporter and Engineering News. Oct. 2013: 26. Print.