About 30 maritime workers from the Port of Açu tugboat fleet took part in a refresher course, divided into three classes, over the course of this week. The aim of the gatherings, which took place in the Multicargo Terminal (T-MULT), was to train captains, maritime workers, and machine commanders from Wilson Sons. During the training, new Marine rules and directives were issued by a representative of Wilson Sons’ own William Salomon Maritime Improvement Center, and Port of Açu took advantage of these meetings to strengthen its relationship with the crews working on-board.
During the first day of the course, the captains received information related to navigation, operation, on-board routines, and the use of communication and signaling equipment. During the following days, the training discussed issues such as combatting fires, social responsibility, first aid, personal survival, and safeguarding the ship. In addition to the required content, maritime workers had the opportunity to understand the day-to-day operations of the team monitoring maritime traffic at the Port, with whom they are in constant dialogue.
“In addition to updating the maritime workers’ knowledge, the meetings were important for promoting interaction between those working on board and our own personnel. This was a moment of exchanges, where we explained our policies and got a better understanding of the group’s needs, thinking about greater synergy between sea and land,” explained Captain Joffre Villote, manager of operations at Port of Açu.
“This was the first time that we organized this course at the Port of Açu, allowing for greater interaction among participants. The goal of the training was to update everyone on our team and get them on the same page, and at the same time allow everyone on board to have a better idea of what goes on at the wharf, and vice versa,” said Rodrigo Baiense, tugboat supervisor at Wilson Sons.
Wilson Sons has a dedicated fleet of 5 tugboats at Port of Açu that are considered the most modern in Brazil. Two boats have traction of 80 tbp (tonnes of bollard pull) and winches with render features. All of them are able to carry out entry and exit maneuvers for Panamax, Aframax, Capesize, Suezmax, VLCC, and LNGC ships, in ballast and loaded.