Tractor Tug Training

Captain Greg Brooks, Towing Solutions

Captain William Mackay, MarineSafety International

MarineSafety International, located in San Diego,

Norfolk, and Newport has the goal of being the
premier simulator facilities for training pilots in the
skills of using tractor tugs for normal harbor
operations and for escorting. Further, our facilities
can also simulate Voith Schneider and Z-Drive
tractor tugs to allow the tug operators to learn the
maneuvers that they will have to perform to get the
most out of their new equipment. How did our
facility, that is known primarily for US Navy
training, become the leader of tractor tug training?

The genesis of this training effort began when

we worked on two port development projects
that pushed us into tractor tug simulations. The
first project was the LA 2020 port expansion
project for the port of Los Angeles, where we
worked with Foss Maritime producing
simulated tractor tugs to test the plans for
building new pier facilities; a project that is
nearly complete today. Our initial tractor tug
simulation efforts were pretty crude and not
terribly realistic. Essentially they were force
vectors applied on the simulated ship by a
systems operator. However, MSI staff learned
a lot from the Foss folks, and while the
simulation effort served its intended purpose,
we recognized that we had a number of
challenges to work on. Progress at this point
was slow and intermittent.
 The second project that we were involved with
was the Ecoelectrica LNG Terminal at Guayanilla,
on the south coast of Puerto Rico. Ecoeoectrica
had built a new regasification facility and was
about to take delivers of LNG from Trinidad.
Delivery ships of up to 125,000m3 such as
MATTHEW and KHANNUR, were scheduled to
call at the Guayanilla Terminal. These were
significantly larger than other ships calling at that
port and the existing tugs were clearly inadequate
for handling them. South Puerto Rico Towing
arranged for Z-drive tractor tugs for this mission;
however, the local pilots and South Puerto Rico
Towing had no experience with tractors. So, we
set about putting a training program together.

By this time we had made some progress with our tractor tug simulations, but, we still had a long way to
go. We set about fabricating a control console, with joy stick controls, where the tug operator could
drive the light boat around a harbor, walk the boat sideways, push on a pier, shift positions, practice
driving backwards and tethering to a ship. Initially this was to be done in a single independent
simulator. However our ultimate goal was to produce an interactive simulation, where the pilot was
maneuvering the LNG Carrier in one simulator which was linked to other simulators, both visually and
electronically, that were operated by the actual tractor tug personnel. The objective was to remove the
MSI systems operator from the loop so the pilot was working with the same people he would be working
with back in his homeport.

At this time we also teamed up with two well known tractor / escorting experts, Captain Vic Schisler of
the Jacobsen Pilot Service, Long Beach, CA, and Captain Greg Brooks of Towing Solutions to acquire
the expertise to help refine our ASD models and to provide an improved Tractor Tug course of
instruction.

This initiative paid off during the reactivation

of the LNG terminals at Elba Island on the
Savannah River and the Dominion facility at
Cove Point on Chesapeake Bay. In each case
the tug operators and the pilots needed
training in how to use this new tool. The new
tugs that were purpose built for these two
facilities were ASD tugs and the operators
were quick to realize that conventional tug
techniques weren't directly transferable to the
new ASD tugs. These boats were a new
machine that was going to require a whole
new set of skills if they were to get the
maximum performance out of the boats. For
example, a tractor tug, be it a Voith Schneider
or a Z-drive, can safely work with its towline
through the stem of the ship and gain
maximum leverage to the ship's pivot point.
 However, conventional tug operators have
been told never to go to this operating
position because it is unsafe. So the training
of the tractor operators has to address many
of the limitations of conventional boats,
while the operator learns to quickly and
competently conduct many new maneuvers.
This is a great simulator problem.

It is interesting to note that approximately 10% of the

conventional boat operators who attempt the
transition will not qualify to operate the tractor as
they never make the adjustment to thinking in terms
of force vectors being applied to their boat.

As part of the this effort, MSI built a new

tractor tug console with Ulstein ASD joystick
controls identical to those found on most of
the Z-drive tractor tugs operating in the
United States. This new console allowed the
tug operators to feel more at home with "his
boat" as the console was equipped with winch
controls, a tension meter, and "felt right" as
he practiced the new maneuvers. By this
time, the simulation system would allow us to
train the operators to perform the round turn
maneuver used to approach the ship's bow.
Indirect and powered indirect maneuvers
could also be conducted, and we could
"jackknife" the boat. Essentially we could
perform all of the unique tractor escort
maneuvers.
 The next phase of this tractor training evolution
was to develop integrated exercises using
multiple simulators in the same problem. One
simulator, with the pilot and master, would be
the LNG Carrier. The other simulators would be
configured as tractors with the tractor operator
actually executing the pilot's orders. So, if you
were on the LNG Carrier, you could go out on
the bridge wing - look down and you will see
the appropriate tug being driven by the tug
operator for that particular port. And, if you
were that tug operator, when you looked out the
window, you would be seeing the appropriate
LNG Carrier, with your pilot embarked.

This step was a major advancement because we now had all the members of the actual pilotage team
working on the same problem together, where previously the system's operator was operating the tugs
and executing the pilot's commands.

This also provided the foundation for

introducing and enforcing a system of standard
commands for tractor tug operations. Standard
commands make it easier for the tug operator to
meet the pilot's expectations, and it provided a
standardized language for the ship's master
rather than the current confusing and
ambiguous commands that have developed over
the years with conventional tugs and that are
peculiar to each individual port.

With the integrated simulators we could now

also work on tethered escorting operations. As
the indirect and powered indirect steering
forces are very large and unique to tractor
operations, this affords the pilot the opportunity
to explore how best to use these new maneuvers
in their own homeport. Once we were able to
perfect the indirect and powered indirect towing
forces, we were able to work on addressing
serious casualties such as engine and steering
failures.
These are wonderful simulation problems because no port can afford to live with the risk of practicing
such failures in real life, and during exercises the pilots get to see how they can now address these
failures if they are prepared to use the tractor tug properly. In today's world where a marine casualty is
not acceptable, we give our pilot students plenty of failures early in each class.

It is a great opportunity to get them to see how

much more capable the tractor tug is compared
to a conventional tug, and we can drive home
many teaching points.

We currently have two ASD Tractor Tug

models rated at 50 and 70 tons of bollard pull
that can do most of the things that you would
expect a tractor of that size and power. We still
have some challenges to work out, but we have
the ability to simulate the vast majority of the
Tandem Tractors (T2)
fundamental tractor tug functions.
Powered Indirect
Savannah River "T2"
60 Ton Tractors (30s delay)

We have the ability to integrate all the members of

the pilotage team and work on the "what ifs" that
used to be too frightening to think about.
 Tandem Tractors
"T2" Deployed

Ship

"T2 Deployed"
80 Ton Tractors (30s delay)

We also have the ability to demonstrate and work on the

more innovative maneuvers such as tandem tractors (or T2)
and deployed tandem tractors.

We are deeply indebted to the folks at Moran, McAllister,

Crescent, Providence Steamboat, and Boston Towing for
their support and patience while we worked out the
glitches. This has been a team effort that has occasionally
taxed the patience of all who were involved. We continue
to refine our models and our training courses, the result to
date have been well worth the effort.

This was given as a presentation at Marine Log's Tug & Barge Conference & Expo, Stamford, CT - May 10, 2005