# Ship simulators



## PeterG (Aug 26, 2005)

For years now PC simulation games have been available for flying aeroplanes and driving trains, most notably by Microsoft. 
Why then are there no games for piloting big ships? 
Sure there are sailing games with yachts, but there are to my knowledge NONE that enable you to steer car ferries across the Channel, cruise ships around the caribbean, and cargo ships through the Panama Canal!!
I want to know why this is  , and what other people's opinions are on the matter.
Surely it can't be any more complicated to develop than MS FLIGHT SIMULATOR or TRAIN SIMULATOR!!


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## Jeff Egan (Jul 25, 2005)

Try South Tyneside College here in sunny South Shields. They have a ships brigde simulator, you can sail up and down the rivers they have programme's for and berth your Super Tanker, just one drawback It cost millions of pounds.


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## danube4 (Aug 20, 2005)

In search type: easyruise.com Browse down to Captain the easycruise one in Caribbean. Good one fof the kids as well. All the best barney.


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## newda898 (Jun 23, 2005)

There's virtual Sailor available to buy and download online. I bought it recently and it's great. Only about £15 and the download is about 7mb.

All add-ons such as landscapes or more ships of all kinds whether tug boats or ferries, naval or container are free as they are made by the general public.

Website: http://www.hangsim.com/vs


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## Gulpers (Sep 8, 2005)

danube4 said:


> In search type: easyruise.com Browse down to Captain the easycruise one in Caribbean. Good one fof the kids as well. All the best barney.


Barney,

Here's the link you were referring to => http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=3092

Not quite in the true simulator league but harmless fun. (Thumb)


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## danube4 (Aug 20, 2005)

Sorry Gulpers. I new i had seen it somewhere, but could not remember where. All the best. Barney.


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## Gulpers (Sep 8, 2005)

No bother Barney, as I said, it's harmless fun. 
Ray(Thumb)


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## moaf (Jun 16, 2005)

I bought Virtual Sailor - it's pretty good! There are loads of ships to download from the website. Driving Condor Express into Poole is a bit like deja vue! Pretty realistic and its a one-off buy.


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## PeterG (Aug 26, 2005)

Virtual Sailor is a pretty decent game. It'll never win any awards but its quite fun once you get the hang of the (rather awkward) controls.
Thanks Everyone!! (Thumb)


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## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

Attended a ship simulator in New York.
Was not impressed as it really did not have the true actions or reactions. 
All done in a pilothouse in the St.Lawrence seaway.
Was only afterwards we were shown how it was done.
A tiny model on a table with a camera that moved according to your instructions.
Did learn one thing that was valuable.
When you have your night vision and was to turn on a light to see a chart e.g. cover one eye and you do not ruin the night vision.
Try it and you will see it works!!!
Best place was Port Revel in France where you sailed in models that were scaled down real ships.
Good fun and a real learning experiance. B\)


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## [email protected] (Mar 9, 2006)

I fully agree with you. I have been looking for ship-similators for years. I do hope they show up one day.
REgards
Einar R Nilsen


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## dnobmal (Dec 22, 2005)

Apply for a trainee pilot at some of the ports like Sullom or Felix and you will soon find a ships simulator unless they have changed their training methods or refresher courses


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

Would love to have a ship simulator "game" but would first have to buy a confuser! It's like that Titanic game I've got, the box looks great, but dunno what the game is like!!


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## Derek Roger (Feb 19, 2005)

*Engine Room Simulator*

In Canada there is an Engine Room simulator course which it is necessary to pass to obtain an engineers ticket ; this in of course in addition to the usual examinations and orals .
Not for the public though and is an expensive course.


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

If I remember rightly, and I'm sure CED will tell me if I'm wrong, which she usually does, but I think there is one in the North Atlantic Fisheries College in Scalloway, which I think is sometimes open to the public during their open doors weekends. (Am now preparing to be corrected!)


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## Sebe (Aug 13, 2005)

Once spent a week on the manned model simulator at Marchwood (Warsash College's course). For two days it rained continuously with up to 50 knots of wind - it certainly made shiphandling and berthing very interesting, especially if the propellor got fouled with weed (following a very hot summer), just as you were trying to take the way off!!!!

Sebe


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## dnobmal (Dec 22, 2005)

The sim courses for Sullom pilotage used to go south may be all changed now


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## Jim MacIntyre (Mar 11, 2006)

*Ship Simulator*

You might want to check the following website for Ship Simulator. 
I personally demolished the Sydney Harbour Bridge with it recently.


http://www.windwardtechnologyhawaii.com/Cruise_Ship_Capt_Home.htm

Jim Mac


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## Chief Engineer's Daughter (Sep 17, 2005)

Coastie said:


> If I remember rightly, and I'm sure CED will tell me if I'm wrong, which she usually does, but I think there is one in the North Atlantic Fisheries College in Scalloway, which I think is sometimes open to the public during their open doors weekends. (Am now preparing to be corrected!)


Stand by Coastie! There are, in fact three set ups at NAFC (well there was when we were there "playing" sorry liasing) They had everything from a fishing vessel set up to a Tanker. We took a tanker into Sullom Voe, what fun. But the motion of the ocean special effect was strange. Your eyes told you you were going up and down but your inner ear didn't. You are correct (don't faint dear) think it is open to the public when they do there PR bit.


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

Chief Engineer's Daughter said:


> Stand by Coastie! There are, in fact three set ups at NAFC (well there was when we were there "playing" sorry liasing) They had everything from a fishing vessel set up to a Tanker. We took a tanker into Sullom Voe, what fun. But the motion of the ocean special effect was strange. Your eyes told you you were going up and down but your inner ear didn't. You are correct (don't faint dear) think it is open to the public when they do there PR bit.


Thank Heavens for that, didn't think my memory was THAT bad! Didn't know they had three though.


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## NGPARIS (Jun 11, 2005)

Bonjour de Paris,
You could try this german site where they have Ports of Call 3D simulator.
www.portsofcall.de
NGPARIS


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## sailor_boy37 (May 31, 2006)

Another one is Ports of Call from a website of the same name. When i get bored of being on watch, i go back to my cabin and play that for a while!!


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Welcome sailor_boy37 to the site enjoy it and all it has to offer.


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## newda898 (Jun 23, 2005)

That reminds me. I stumbled across this link the other day. It seems there is a Ship Sim being released in shops in the near future.
http://www.shipsim.com/


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## Pat McCardle (Jun 12, 2005)

Anyone remember Popeye's boat at Gravesend sea school? Some simulator for us lads hey? (Thumb)


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## LoseyJr (Jun 12, 2005)

*Simulator*

Peter:
You might give ours a try: Cruise Ship Captain (2 generic cruise ships) or Captain of the Queens (2 Cunard liners). Take a look at WindwardTechnologyHawaii.com and download free trials.
George


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## PeterG (Aug 26, 2005)

Ship Simulator 2006 looks a promising game, but I only hope that the graphics are matched by realism of how a ship really handles, and it isn't just a left, right, forward, back type game.
It's a shame that there aren't any modern passenger vessels, like cruise ships and ferries, but I'm sure some bright people will create them soon after release for download.
Cheers.


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## express_apollon (Jan 27, 2008)

Has anybody any greek ferry for virtual sailor 7 (such as Blue Star Naxos or Sophocles V.) ?


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

on ship sim 2008 i seem to be able to do most things (albeit in a not too professional way...Hats off to the pilots of this world for their skills)
However when it comes to the titanic leaving southampton, she wont move. plenty of prop wash at the stern but the ship just wont move. any ideas?


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## Gulpers (Sep 8, 2005)

billyboy said:


> on ship sim 2008 i seem to be able to do most things (albeit in a not too professional way...Hats off to the pilots of this world for their skills)
> However when it comes to the titanic leaving southampton, she wont move. plenty of prop wash at the stern but the ship just wont move. any ideas?


Billy,

Let go fore and aft! (Jester) 
Seriously, there are patches available to download for Ship Stimulator 2008 from their website - currently up to Version 1.3. 
These are meant to fix lots of the programme's bugs. (Thumb)


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

I will have to take this computer into the city and get someone to download the patches for me. been trying to download without success for weeks now. I was downloading a patch for almost 4 hours today when it all locked up on me again. thanks for the reminder about patches though Ray


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