<P>Has anyone used this product?<br>Specifically, I am looking for something that I can practice the Rules of the Road with.</P>
I have Ship Sim 2006. Not a bad program to play with. I am not sure what 2008 is like but, if you want to practice Rules of the Road check out <A href="http://jule-iii.com/uscg/]http://jule-iii.com/uscg/</A> for interactive training (free). Also, there is <A href="http://hawsepipe.com/]http://hawsepipe.com/</A> (sample questions, purchase software) and <A href="http://www.seasources.net/]http://www.seasources.net/</A> (free with lot-o-questions). I personally have used seasources.
It’s cheaper and a lot more fun to get in the bathtub with a couple of rubber duckies and play Rules of the Road. Especially if you can get your significant other to operate the other rubber duckie. Run the shower for restricted visibility, slide your ass back and forth to generate waves. Is that a rubber duckie crossing my starboard bow?<br><br>Is that a periscope??!!!
HAHAHAHA i couldnt agree with you more… hands on training
hmmm…good stuff. Thank you Capt Brian.<br><br>And Capt Anonymus,<br><br>Thank you also. Unfortunately, there aren’t tubs where I am–If there were, I wouldn’t trust 'em anyway. So, practicing in “restricted visibility” in the shower with flip-flops will have to suffice for now. As for the procedure for generating waves…hilarious.<br><br>From what little bit I read in Farwell’s Rules of the Nautical Road, it was mentioned that most collisions didn’t come about from lack of knowledge in the rules of the road but the lack of <EM>practice/experience</EM>. That’s what I am hoping the simulator might provide some of. For the moment though, my computer could probably only handle a sophisticated version of solitare. So, I’m in no hurry to buy it.
You’re absolutely correct. Lack of leadership and a failure to be proactive are very commonly encountered situations out there.<br><br>It has been my experience that a lack of early decision making amongst people who are very aware of the rules is a major cause of collisions. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard a give-way vessel call the stand-on vessel on his starboard bow and ask “what are your intentions” and then wait and wait, sometimes turning left in front of the other guy. Early action, made obviously, is the answer. <br><br>I have seen Ship Sim 2006 demo version and don’t know enough about it so say whether or not is could be set up to create rules situations.<br><br>The very fact that you know the word “Farwell’s” gives me a good feeling. Anyone who takes the time to read, and re-read that book is way ahead of the pack. My copy is dog-eared and highlighted. Good for you.<br><br>
The rules section of Parks’ “The Law of Tugs, Tow, and Pilotage” is also good (the whole book is good).
I have ship sim 2008 with the new horizons add on. I also have the mission editor. With this you can create your on simulations. It can defenitly be used as a training tool for rules of the road and ship handling. You do need a fast computer and fast video card. <br>
I also have 2008 with the add ons. While able to set your own missions, just about all of the built in scenarios for larger ships have a whole a lot of cross, on coming and over taking traffic. The physics of the program are such that one must be prepared to think ahead in order to avoid the various conflicts. Having only captained an inshore lobster boat and various deliveries, I can’t say how a large ship might react Still, I can say that in Ship Sim 8 the big guys are very hard to stop once they have some way on and no amount of reversing or manipulating the thrusters will save you. Very different from the boats that am used to driving. Also the situations are set up so you have to use certain minimum speeds for mooring or laying along side another vessel or way point. This stuff is probably old hat to all the masters and mates here , but it’s pretty impressive to a novice like me.
What’s also impressive is how they’re able to simulate the hydrodyamics and aerodyamics of ships. Modeling aircraft is childs play compared to modeling ships from a physics standpoint. Flight sims only deal with objects moving through air. Ship sims have to model objects moving simultaneously through a compressible medium (air) and a non-compressible medium (water). At the professional level (Transas, Kongsberg, etc) they are getting very, very good. And you can buy a Transas or Kongsberg simulator for a couple of million dollars. There’s a guy in Dubai who did just that for his home, he built a mock-up of the pilothouse and salon of his Feadship and had Transas install a simulator so he could take his buddies out on his yacht without leaving the desert. Seven million is the figure I heard. I haven’t seen the consumer product but I’ve heard it is quite impressive. I think I’d better download the demo.