This is how large freighter pilots train: with miniature ships

Have you ever wondered how cruise ship and large freighter sailors practice? Port Revel is one of the most requested destinations.

When you pilot a boat which is over 200 meters long and weighs thousands of tons, you cannot make the slightest mistake. But one does not become a good navigation officer without practicing.

In a lake that covers five hectares in the middle of a forest, in Grenoble, France, the main ports of the world have been miniaturized, as well as the passage of the Panama Canal.

Port Revel it is a training center where they use miniature boats, at 1/25 scale, for train pilots, captains, and naval officers. You can see it in this video:

Since 1966, Port Revel has trained 7,870 ship pilots, becoming one of the preferred centers by professionals.

Here they have recreated the docking ports of the main naval destinations in the world at 1/25 scale, and with different types of currents that simulate open waters or port waters.

They have 12 types of ships also recreated at 1/25 scale: cargo ships, cruise ships, fuel transport ships, passenger transport, fishing, etc.

The ships may have been miniaturized, but the controls haven’t. And that’s the key: they are the same as in full-size ships.

Most pilots train on real ships, but this only allows for basic maneuvers. The advantage of Port Revel is that they use miniature ships in an isolated and safe environment, so riskier maneuvers can be put into practice.

This is what pilots practice: are put to the test in emergency situations, and they learn to improvise, and to react quickly. A training that could save lives in the future.

It is what separates the good sailors from the best, as the experts at Port Revel say.

Here maneuvers are tested that, for security reasons, the authorities would not allow in a port. All instructors are professional pilots with at least 20 years of experience.

Port Revel has earned a reputation around the worldThat’s why some of the best sailors in the world come here to train, or to learn how to handle certain types of boats.

The courses normally last between 3 and 5 days, although they can be customized. Exams are also held.

If you are curious, you can find more information at their website.