Since 2008, SMIT and URS have been training their tug masters in the Netherlands and Belgium with MARIN Mermaid simulators.

As part of its Tug Master program, SMIT used a Compact Manoeuvring Simulator called “De Brug” for purposes of training and assessment at its office in Rotterdam. In parallel, URS carried out part of their training and assessment needs on the BRABO pilots simulator in Antwerp. After establishing SMIT Towage Northwest Europe, in which the towage activities of SMIT and URS in the Dutch and Belgian ports have been combined, it was decided to upgrade the Rotterdam simulator and to relocate it to Antwerp.

The upgrade involved the fulfilment of a strong wish to extend the training for tug masters with Ocean Towing and Anchor Handling activities together with an extension of the projection system to a 300 degrees of horizontal field of view (HFOV). The remaining 60 degrees of HFOV are displayed on a high resolution TFT monitor. At the beginning of April the Site Acceptance Tests were successfully passed for the simulator relocation with the standard tug master training functionality. Before the end of May the additional Ocean Towing and Anchor Handling functionality will be delivered. The new simulator is situated in the BRABO Technical Department building, one level below the BRABO pilots simulator. The option that is currently being considered is the new possibility to connect the two simulators to conduct a combined Pilot & Tug Master simulator training.