Training at Port Revel
The Shiphandling Training Centre

Françoise Massard



The only model ship missing from this photo is the NORMANDY (photo: Port Revel)
The fleet

The fleet currently comprises nine ships, all at 1:25 scale: seven oil tankers (from 17 000 dwt — the PEMBROKESHIRE — to 400 000 dwt — the ANTIFER), an LNG carrier (the BEN FRANKLIN) and a container carrier (the NORMANDIE)... that can be converted into a cruise liner! Most of the ships sail fully laden, except the oil tanker BRITTANY, which sails on ballast (so it has a small draught but a large windage) and the GILDA, which is partly loaded.

PEMBROKESHIRE
Dim.
Model ship
Real ship
LPP (m)
Width (m)
Draught (m)
Displ. (t)
6,25
0,86
0,32
1,43
159
21,4
8,00
22 000
PEMBROKESHIRE - 17 000 dwt
(photo Port Revel)

The hulls were built in local shipyards and are made of stratified polyester and stiffened by a steel framework. The latest addition to the fleet, the NORMANDIE, built by the Marc Pinta shipyard (La Rochelle, France), is made of a composite sandwich material that does not require a steel framework. The model ships are ballasted with pig iron ingots and have a large battery of accumulators to power the main engine, the propellers (or the pods in the case of the Normandie), the helm, the windlass and all the on-board electronics. All the scale models were fully fitted out (their equipment was designed, built and finalised) at Port Revel, by Sogreah personnel.
BERLIN
BERLIN
BERLIN
BERLIN
BERLIN testing the Suez Canal
(photo. Port Revel, June 1967)
BERLIN
(photos FM, July 2006)
BERLIN in fog
(photo. Port Revel)
BERLIN
 38 000 dwt
Dim.
Model ship
Real ship
Dim.
Model ship
Real ship

LPP (m)
Width (m)

8,05
1,15
201
28,80

 

Draught (m)
Displ. (t)

0,43
3,26

10,92
51 000
 
BRITTANY
BRITTANY
BRITTANY
BRITTANY
BRITTANY
BRITTANY under construction
(photo. Port Revel, February 1967)
Finished hull of the BRITTANY
(photo. Port Revel, March 1967)
Bulbous bow of the BRITTANY
(photo. Port Revel, March 1967)
The BRITTANY arriving
at Port Revel (May 1967)
Her maiden voyage...
 
BRITTANY
Dim.
Model ship
Real ship
LPP (m)
Width (m)
Draught (m)
Displ. (t)

12,20
1,89
0,74
14,40

305
47,20
18,45
225 000
BRITTANY - 190 000 dwt
(photos FM, July 2006)
 
EUROPE
EUROPE
EUROPE
The EUROPE being tested for Antifer harbour
(photo. Port Revel, 1971)
The EUROPE - 255 000 dwt
(photos FM, July 2006)
Dim.
Model ship
Real ship
Dim.
Model ship
Real ship

LPP (m)
Width (m)

13,17
2,07
329
51,80

 

Draught (m)
Displ. (t)

0,80
18,60

19,98
291 000
 
GILDA
GILDA
GILDA
GILDA in mist
(photo. A. de Graauw)
GILDA - 125 000 dwt
(photo. FM, July 2006)
Dim.
Model ship
Real ship
Dim.
Model ship
Real ship

LPP (m)
Width (m)

10,75
1,68
269
42,00

 

Draught (m)
Displ. (t)

0,62
9,55

15,52
149 000
 
ANTIFER
Dim.
Model ship
Real ship
GRENOBLE
Dim.
Model ship
Real ship
LPP (m)
Width (m)
Draught (m)
Displ. (t)
13,47
2,80
0,88
30,13
337
70,00
21,96
471 000
LPP (m)
Width (m)
Draught  (m)
Displ. (t)
7,62
1,18
0,46
3,52
191
29,50
11,54
55 000
ANTIFER in the waves - 400 000 dwt
(photo. Port Revel)
GRENOBLE at the port - 43 000 dwt
(photo. FM, July 2006)
 
BEN FRANKLIN
BEN FRANKLIN
NORMANDIE
NORMANDIE
The LNG carrier BEN FRANKLIN
(photos FM, July 2006)
The NORMANDIE in container carrier / diesel motor mode
(photo. FM, July 2006)
The NORMANDIE in pod mode
(photo. Port Revel, June 2006)
BEN FRANKLIN
120 000 m3
Dim.
Model ship
Real ship
NORMANDIE
4 400 TEU
Dim.
Model ship
Real ship
LPP (m)
Width (m)
Draught (m)
Displ. (t)
10,24
1,64
0,44
5,79
256
41,00
11,10
90 000
LPP (m)
Width (m)
Draught (m)
Displ. (t)
10,45
1,484
0,496
4,672
261
37,10
12,40
75 000
Each model ship (apart from the NORMANDIE) can simulate either diesel motor propulsion or steam turbine propulsion. The Normandie model ship can simulate either a conventional container carrier (diesel propulsion / bridge at stern), a car carrier (diesel propulsion / bridge at bow / equivalent of 6 000 m2 windage), a cruise liner (pod propulsion – replicating those of the QM 2 / bridge at bow), or a ship with two propellers and one rudder (pods turned around and reversed).
All the scale models, apart from the PEMBROKESHIRE, have a bow thruster and, apart from the BERLIN and the GRENOBLE, also have a stern thruster.
In all, these nine model ships can hence be used to simulate twenty different ships.

Detailed characteristics of the ships: click HERE

Since 2000, the Port Revel fleet has also included two escort tugs (at the request of the American pilots), one with Voith-Schneider propulsion, the PORT REVEL (55 t bollard pull), and the other with a Z-peller system, the RASTAR 2 (60 t bollard pull). In order to remain to scale, these two tugs are radio-controlled by a real tug captain on board the ship being assisted and under the captain’s orders. They are used to test emergency manoeuvres following failure of the rudder or propulsion system. A third tug, the VELOX, should be delivered in the near future.

N.B.: the bollard pull may be increased to 100-110 t if required.

The various types of propulsion are summarised in the attached diagram (photo: A. de Graauw).

 
PORT REVEL
RASTAR 2
Ready to go to work...
PORT REVEL Voith Tractor
RASTAR 2 Escort Tug
Resting after a hard day’s work
 
Voith Tractor - Principle (photo Port Revel)
Tugs in fog (photo. Port Revel)
 
Centre de Port Revel 38870 Saint-Pierre de Bressieux (France) – www.portrevel.com
Tél. 33 (0)4 74 20 02 40 – Fax 33 (0)4 74 20 12 29 – port.revel@sogreah.fr
 
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