. 26.- Friday, May. 12 , 1994 - North Shore News - Local maritime training school sails digital seas IN THE training of maritime officers, computer simulators have replaced rum and the lash: what used to be six years at the mast has given way to six months at a console. By Douglas Broome Contributing Writer When all the hells and whistles are installed, the four new simula- tors at the Pacific Marine Training Institute on Esplanade in North Vancouver will have quadraphonic sound for engine noises and visu- als. For now the students make do with the complete mock-up of the instruments on a ship’s bridge. Mike Bruce and Michael Nobes are plotting a route for their 15.000- ton freighter from a position off Point Grey to an anchorage off Gambier Island. Under the watchful eye of their instructor, Capt. Richard Goeller, they set the most efficient and safest course. It involves six turns, or wheels-over, although modern ships are steered by a joystick resembling a sawed- off pen rather than a traditional wheel. Bruce and Nobes are taking the six-month watchkeeping mates’ course. Helping them keep watch on the bridge is an impressive array of high technology. Linked to the radar is a powerful computer called the ARPA (automatic radar plotting aid), which gives course settings to avoid other traffic and automatical- ly advises of the closest point of approach for each target on the screen. ; Other students working in other simulators are setting courses in the same area. To make things more interesting, Goeller has introduced a few random errors in the different read-outs. During the course, the students learn to deal with engine, compass, steering and navigational failures, Goelles says. Different coastlines from around the world are set into the computers to give accurate operating condi- tions. For the masters’ course, stu- dents steer the Dover Straits between France and England, one af the world’s busiest waterways. Although there is a bewildesing array of navigational aids available. the two students are today charting with a stepping-rule and divider, taking readings off tandmarks in a process cafled parallel indexing. They check their manual work against the Loran readings, a grid of radio signals, against the regular satellite navigation system which gives a fix only every 20 minutes, and the continual Global Positioning System (GPS). With the mast advanced decoders, the GPS can give positions accurate to within centimetres, but oaly the military has those decoders. The less sensitive decoders are accurate to within a few metres. However, even the most sensi- tive radars can't sce around corners or see kayakers and cunoeists. An elaborate system of sound signals is used to communicate between ves- sels. The bridge control panel has buttons for the ship’s bell, gong and foghorn. One foghorn signal famil- iar to North Shore residents is the one long blast followed by a short blast which gives notice that a ship is moving in the fog. Bruce works for Rivtow tugs in Prince Rupert. He worked as a deckhand for five years, and real- ized that he didn’t want to be a deckhand for the rest of his life. He likes the life and says it pays well. “Generally it’s pretty good money compared to an office job. If you can manage money, you can do very well on the water.” One drawback for the 30-year- old is that longer trips can take him away from his family for weeks ata time, during which he works a con- stant six hours on, six hours off. However, he gets one-und-a-quarter days off for each day he works. Much of the work is seasonal, Nobes says, and sailors “hop | around from fishing to tugs — any- thing on the boats.” The training at Pacific Marine is recognized internationally, so grad- uates qualify for work as mates on foreign-flagged vessels, including - cruise ships. JUST ARRIVED TRAVELAIRE “EXECUTIVE COACH” 32' CLASS A A MOTOR HOME IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN. #” Queen island bed Built-in generator ’ Roof air ’ Ford chassis & Thermal windows 1.P2.D. suspension Seeing is believing, this unit is beautiful, come in and inspect GO WEST-YOUR YEAR ROUND RY CENTRE » Salese Rentals © Service e Parts 1 1577 Lloyd, North Van. (.,ptt'é,) 987-8587 KHOSRO KHANDASHTI AUTO TECH FRONT BRAKE INCLUDES METALLIC PADS MACHINE ROTORS REPACK WHEEL BEARING REAR BRAKE INCLUDES HEAVY DUTY SHOES MACHINE DRUMS REPACK WHEEL BEARING WE WiLL BEAT ANY ADVERTISED PRICES THESE ADVERTISED PRICES ARE FOR MOST CARS You can build on the dream ... withia year- -round condominitm - your. strata tilled condo features a 5 year guaranteed. return of 7% of 75% of the purchase price. What a combination! GRAND OPENING SPECIALS REZA ALEDAVOUD AUTO TECH “AND LUBE includes 4L oil & filter 264 PEMBERTON AVE. NEXT TO NORTH SHORE TAXI NORTH VANCOUVER 996-9931 PAGE 650-1001 ee oe res staurants, retailers and recreation centre. Whistler Village Cenur €... realistically priced condo living for year-round