Superyacht Bridge Team Training: Maintaining Watchkeeping Standards Through Regular Practice

A superyacht returning to service after an extended refit may have an experienced, fully qualified Bridge Team. Yet several months alongside can mean limited exposure to challenging navigational situations, particularly those requiring quick decisions and close coordination between officers.

Even during an active season, routine passages rarely expose crews to every situation they might encounter at sea. Restricted visibility, congested waters and a rapidly developing collision risk place different demands on a Bridge Team from those experienced during a straightforward coastal passage.

For Captains and Fleet Managers, the question is how to establish whether their officers are maintaining the standards expected of them, particularly in situations they rarely encounter.

What maritime incidents tell us about Bridge Team performance

In May 2024, the independent maritime safety organisation CHIRP published details of a grounding in which several problems combined to create a serious navigational failure. 

The vessel was already running several days behind schedule. The Master was dealing with crew visa arrangements and engineering problems, while the passage plan had only been completed that afternoon. The primary ECDIS was displaying incorrect charts for the intended route, but the decision was made to depart using alternative navigational information.

During departure, the Pilot was distracted by phone calls. Communication between the Master and Pilot was poor, and responsibility for navigation became unclear. The vessel strayed off course, with the Master's eventual intervention coming too late to prevent the grounding.

CHIRP's investigation highlighted inadequate preparation and a breakdown in Bridge Team communication. Available navigational information had also been used inadequately to monitor the vessel's position.

The grounding illustrates a familiar problem in maritime operations. Individual issues that might have been manageable become far more dangerous when the Bridge Team loses its collective understanding of what is happening.

Although this incident involved a commercial vessel, the human factors are equally relevant to superyachts. Officers need to recognise when attention is becoming divided, communicate concerns and maintain oversight of the vessel's navigation, particularly when several demands arise at once.

Source: CHIRP Maritime Feedback, 14 May 2024 - see M2246 – Grounding section.

Putting Bridge Teams under pressure in a controlled environment

One of the scenarios developed for Kilo's VASCO VR Bridge Simulator places participants in a busy anchorage.

Their vessel is approaching behind a tanker, while another ship prepares to leave. Anchored vessels restrict visual references, and several potential collision risks develop as the situation unfolds.

The exercise requires participants to monitor surrounding traffic while applying COLREGs and established Bridge Resource Management (BRM) procedures. As attention shifts between vessels, the risk is that the team becomes preoccupied with one developing situation and misses another.

The scenario can progress to a collision, allowing participants to examine the error chain that led to that outcome.

During the subsequent evaluation, the instructor looks closely at when risks were recognised, how decisions were communicated and whether the wider team maintained an accurate understanding of the situation.

Take target identification. Recognising a vessel's presence is only the beginning. Officers need to assess its movement, understand the developing risk and communicate relevant information to the Navigator in sufficient time for an appropriate response.

The timing matters. So does the quality of the information being shared.

A completed passage might demonstrate effective vessel control while still exposing weaknesses in BRM. Those details can be lost when performance is judged primarily on the outcome of an exercise.

What happens after the exercise matters

Kilo's VASCO Supported programme follows a standardised coaching and evaluation methodology known as The Kilo Way.

Before each session, participants receive a briefing covering the passage plan and the focus of the exercise. The instructor observes how the team operates, including its application of COLREGs, use of navigational equipment and communication between bridge positions. 

The debrief then examines particular decisions made during the passage. Participants are asked to explain their thinking and assess how effectively they supported one another.

A written evaluation records the instructor's observations, including strengths and areas requiring further attention.

This process gives subsequent sessions a specific focus. An officer who identifies targets too late can be exposed to different traffic situations that test the same skill. Where closed-loop communication has been inconsistent, another exercise can examine how clearly orders are delivered and confirmed.

The instructor can then assess whether the same problems recur.

Kilo's methodology also extends beyond basic navigational knowledge. Situational awareness, distraction management and other human factors are considered alongside the application of COLREGs and BRM principles.

For Captains overseeing crew development, this level of assessment can help identify where additional coaching is needed. It also provides evidence of how individuals perform within a Bridge Team, which can inform decisions about progression to positions of greater responsibility.

Making regular practice possible around yacht operations

A challenge for superyacht operators is finding time for practical Bridge Team training. During a busy season, opportunities to release officers for simulator sessions ashore may be limited. Periods alongside or during refit present different constraints, particularly when crew members are working in separate locations.

Fixed maritime simulators remain an important part of professional training. Portable VR simulation offers a way to maintain and develop operational skills between those sessions.

VASCO is Kilo's immersive VR Bridge Simulator, developed for the practice and evaluation of COLREGs and BRM. Participants work together within a virtual bridge, where navigational scenarios can be repeated or adjusted to address particular training needs.

Through cloud-based connectivity, officers can participate from different locations. Kilo also offers VASCO in a Box (VIAB), a self-contained local network system that can operate onboard or ashore independently of the yacht's internet connection.

Organisations can manage their own sessions or use VASCO Supported, with Kilo's Master Mariner instructors providing coaching and evaluation.

A yacht preparing to return to active service after a lengthy refit, for example, could incorporate a series of bridge exercises into its crew preparation programme. Navigational procedures could be revisited and the Bridge Team's performance evaluated before resuming normal operations.

For crews already operating at sea, shorter, targeted sessions can address particular skills or revisit weaknesses identified during previous evaluations.

Supporting ongoing Bridge Team development

Kilo works with maritime organisations to deliver portable simulation and objective competence evaluation, helping crews maintain watchkeeping standards throughout their operational careers.

Discover VASCO or contact vasco@kilo-solutions.com to discuss your Bridge Team development requirements.