Complacency??

We say "surconfiance" : "over-confidence" ...

There is no room for complacency ...

If an accident cannot be avoided, it is good if you are able to minimize damage by reacting adequately to an emergency.

Port Revel provides training on how to use anchors, thrusters, rudders, tugs, etc. in case of an emergency.

Port Revel is a "humbling school".

A. de Graauw, 13 January 2012.

Direct & indirect modes with Escort Tugs

Escort tugs are used to secure navigation in an increasing number of places. They are meant to cope with potential emergencies. They are usually tethered to the assisted ship for speeds up to around 10 knots.
In case of emergency, their action may be to brake the assisted ship as quickly as possible, and/or to steer the assisted ship away from an obstacle.

More details are available here.

A. de Graauw, November 2011.

Pivot Point located, finally!

After many years of discussion between seafarers and engineers, the Pivot Point is finally located properly on the ship.

With this new computational method, the location of the Pivot Point can be deduced from any ship track.

More details are available here.

A. de Graauw, September 2011.

Q-Max trials at Port Revel

Trials have been carried out at Port Revel in 2011:

• turning circles with one rudder failures,
• turning circles with one engine failures.

Some resulting ship tracks are available here.

Do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

A. de Graauw, August 2011

Pod trials at Port Revel

Trials have been carried out at Port Revel in 2010 within the European AZIPILOT project:

• turning circles at 10 knots,
• emergency stops at 13.5 knots.

Some resulting ship tracks are available here.

Do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

A. de Graauw, March 2011

Similitude of scale models

As part of our Quality Control procedures, we analysed the evaluations of the 1000 captains who have taken courses at the centre over the past five years (mostly maritime pilots):

98.7% are satisfied with the similitude in the behaviour of our scale-model ships.

A. de Graauw, January 2011

Port Revel certified by DNV SeaSkill

We are proud to announce that Port Revel has just been assessed, approved and certified by DNV under their standard 3.201 Learning Programmes (SeaSkill).

Port Revel the first manned model training centre to obtain this certification.

A. de Graauw, August 2010

Port Revel now part of ARTELIA

We are proud to announce that our mother company SOGREAH merged with another French company COTEBA to generate a new and larger engineering firm called ARTELIA.

ARTELIA employs around 2500 people and owns 30 agencies in France and 40 agencies abroad. Its shares are fully owned by its top leaders, managers and employees.

A. de Graauw, April 2010

2010: one more new ship at Port Revel

The "Q-Max", the largest LNG carrier, now also has a little sister at Port Revel.

She is a beautiful 345 m ship with a capacity of 266 000 m3.

We now have 11 ships and 3 escort tugs.

A. de Graauw, October 2009

New ship... new lake ... a new era is starting in 2009 at Port Revel

The CMA CGM OTELLO container ship now has a little sister at Port Revel.

This beautiful 1000 ft ship was nammed on April 30, 2009 (see press release).

Her fully digital control system is a major innovation in our profession.

We now have 10 ships and 3 escort tugs.

This winter was also used to enlarge Port Revel's lake:

• new current areas (50% of our lake is now subject to currents),

• new shallow water areas (70% of our lake has now a water depth of less than 27.5 m),

• two new locks, one at Panama size (55 m),

• lots of new berths: we now have nearly 50 berths.

We have also renewed our lecture slides (over 1000).

A. de Graauw, May 2009

Year 2008 nearly fully booked

We are proud to announce that our courses are now nearly fully booked for this year. Do not hesitate to book for 2009.

As the initiators of the concept, exactly 40 years ago, we are proud to see that more and more pilots and masters acknowledge manned models as being useful for shiphandling training.

A. de Graauw, January 2008

New escort tug: the VELOX

The tug made it from Vancouver where she was built by Ron Burchett, to Port Revel in the French Alps. It is Port Revel's third escort tug. It is a beautiful 37 m (121 ft) tractor tug with Voith Schneider drives and Turbo Fin, designed by Robert Allan in Vancouver and owned by Ostensjo in Norway.

A. de Graauw, July 2007

Introducing man-made wind

• we have currents: over 35% of our lake is subject to currents
• we have shallow waters: nearly 50% of our lake has a water depth of less than 27.5 m

• we have waves: a wave front of 750 m

• we now also have a movable WIND generator

A. de Graauw, February 2007