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Posted by David Sexton
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12 Nov, 2026
ADVANCES in towage technology, safety and training were discussed at the recent Australasian Marine Pilots Institute Escort Towage Workshop in Newcastle.
The workshop earlier this month brought together marine pilots, vessel operators, training providers and maritime technology specialists among others.
The growing complexity of escort towage operations, including tug design, propulsion, manoeuvrability, risk management and safety, featured prominently in discussions.
Escort tugs can operate with vessels travelling at significant speed, requiring specialised tug designs, higher capacity towlines and highly trained crews.
After the workshop, TAFE NSW Newcastle, along with Wärtsilä, hosted about 30 industry stakeholders. Attendees used the full-mission bridge simulators and discussed advanced simulation in maritime training.
The TAFE NSW Newcastle simulator facilities were developed with Wärtsilä and AWA Marine.
Wärtsilä also installed its augmented reality tug simulator within the existing Newcastle simulator for the event, giving attendees an opportunity to explore its potential application to tug master development, ship handling and escort towage training.
Representatives from Boluda Towage and Engage Marine were among those reported to have expressed interest in the technology.
Master mariner, qualified tug master and TAFE NSW Maritime Studies head teacher Carmen Blanco said bringing technology developers, operators and educators together helped connect training with developments in escort towage.
“Escort towage is becoming increasingly sophisticated; training needs to evolve alongside the vessels, technology and operating practices introduced across the industry,” Captain Blanco said.
“For TAFE NSW, working directly with industry helps us understand where maritime operations are heading and how our simulation capability can respond to those changing requirements.”
TAFE NSW maritime studies researchers worked with Wärtsilä and Seaways during the week on enhancing tug modelling within the Wärtsilä simulation environment.
The work reflected collaboration between maritime operators, training providers and simulator developers to ensure simulation environments continue to reflect real-world operating conditions.
