These tiny ships have a serious purpose

At Port Iława in Poland, pilots and captains of massive ships train on 1-to-24 scale ship models: and I got to drive one. ■ The Ship Handling Research and Training Centre: www.ilawashiphandling.com.pl/ 🟥 MORE FROM TOM: www.tomscott.com/
(you can find contact details and social links there too)
Edited by Michelle Martin / mrsmmartin
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[@TomScottGo]

I went with a more saturated and contrasty colour grade on this video, because it seemed to fit the scenery and lighting. Not sure if it's the right call, but it does look dramatic!

[@nnozz1373]

I agree, Tim Scitt

[@radieschen]

I disagree

[@sunenaamrawat7631]

I agree

[@robertholtz]

Looks good. 👍

[@minorii24]

mad cap'n tom

[@Zebra_M]

I just love the instructor going "it's a huge ship. 400 meters" despite it being a model. Really dedicated to the system, not playing it down at all :)

[@bryanachee7133]

People don’t realize that they handle just like big ships just faster. They are true to scale. They are full of steel and lead and weigh tons.

[@dustojnikhummer]

So the weight is also 1:24?@@bryanachee7133

[@Geeksmithing]

He just likes to imagine himself a Giant to scale himself up 24 times! :D

[@bryanachee7133]

You really have to get in the mindset that you are piloting a 400m ship very quickly or things will go south very quickly. They do not handle nor stop like a 16’ fishing boat. They also didn’t tell you in this video that these models cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and the course is $12-15k.

[@x66Hawk66x]

It's not just about dedication, it's about treating it as if it's the real thing. It's a little like when doing a module 1 on a motorcycle test. It's off the road, you're the only person there, but you will still fail if you don't check for cars. The principles are the same, on a mod 1 of a motorcycle test, you're expected to treat it like you're on a road, and the same applies here, except you're expected to treat it like a 400 meter ship..

[@fgaviator]

I like how the instructor always remained in character... Tom: "This is bigger than I thought!" Instructor: "It's one of the biggest in the world! 400m ship!" Tom: "Slightly nervous about driving a tiny boat!" Instructor: "It's NOT tiny. It's a 400m container ship!" 🤣

[@LakeSG1985]

I wonder if the pilots or officers being trained bring their own helmsman for realism too, a little like what the Instructor and Tom's doing here. When the person conning a 400m ship is touching the wheel, it means that something went really, really wrong.

[@Pokeyy]

@@LakeSG1985they do drive themselves, as pilots do actually drive the ships at times (not always), as it’s easier to very quickly do stuff instead of yelling it to the cap in English, then the cap translating it, and then yelling it to the helmsman. And sometimes the captain just wants to take a nap 😉

[@mennoltvanalten7260]

@@Pokeyy I imagine the faster speed of the models will also influence this. Much less time to exchange orders

[@chester1882]

He commits to the instructor role

[@Poldovico]

I must also imagine they used every technique that was practical to make it handle like one at scale. The actual size is probably not indicative of how it will react, and instead you have to treat it like it's the scale size.

[@SmallBlogV8]

I like the instructor's mix of helpfulness and deadpan. "It's not a tiny boat, is a huge container ship." "All the instructors can do this really easily."

[@Tb0n3]

It's hard to say in this kind of environment. I'm sure it's deadly serious because these kinds of things, if done wrong in the real world, could have devastating consequences. It's either years of taking it serious, or a very dry sense of humor.

[@markwright3161]

@@Tb0n3 I think it's very serious when in simulation, if people don't disconnect from the thought of 'I'm playing with models', they won't learn anything that needs to be applied to the real thing, but once docked at the end everyone can relax. I think Tom could have done better if he fully immersed himself in the experience.

[@Paul_Wetor]

The instructor makes an interesting point that there is a real chance of being stuck or damaged with the model boat, whereas the computer simulator has none of that.

[@AsheramK]

Aye, nobody cares about scratched paint in a computer simulation. Here it's money passing hands.

[@JackBahh]

That being said, it's very easy to forget you're in a ship simulator when in a ship simulator. I've spent a bit of time in a 360 projector simulator as well as in a TV screen through the ships bridge one, and it's so easy to try and look out of a window or walk to the other side of the bridge forgetting you can't do that(physically). It's also amazing how often you find yourself holding on to something in wavy conditions even though there is ZERO movement. Mind bending.

[@moosemaimer]

Computer sims need a scoreboard, except it starts with how much you would get paid for the journey and goes down every time you accumulate damage repair costs. *Cracked Rudder: -$75000*

[@thomasstevenhebert]

To add on top, forcing the students to think about how to unfuck their situation is also very important to maturing as a student/professional

[@yt.personal.identification]

Genuine consequences with real life repercussions

[@blakksheep736]

I love the contrast between Tom being every flavour of nervous and the very calm instructor simply stating instructions.

[@aim-to-misbehave5674]

Tom's "flying a plane blind" on his second channel has the same energy, it's wonderful

[@catmeat2059]

The instructor is also excited, but polish.

[@blakksheep736]

@@aim-to-misbehave5674 I've seen it, great video.

[@jwalster9412]

I guess when you do instructing your whole life it's not that scary.

[@literallyjustgrass]

the instructor has to be the most polish man i've ever seen i love it

[@MaxTheDragon]

Tom's worst nightmare: Instructor: "You've pressed the wrong button and crashed the ship. Now we will never be able to use this research center ever again."

[@MrJJandJim]

That made me laugh, thank you!

[@SportyMabamba]

Research Centre suffers major mechanical failure and/or fire 2 days after Tom’s visit 🫣

[@aim-to-misbehave5674]

He _did_ post that Tower Bridge video the same day Tower Bridge got stuck...

[@adrianthoroughgood1191]

The curse of Tom Scott is a real thing! Luckily the instructor hadn't heard of it before he agreed to this!

[@Mr_Fugnug]

You crashed the boat! You killed them!

[@AnnaEmilka]

Hats off to the Director Nowicki for his English! People of that age usually would learn Russian or German at school, not many people from that generation know English at all, not to mention knowing it to this level! Also, I'm so happy to see Tom again in my home country ❤

[@joeshmoe4207]

It probably is because all the students who come from around the world use English in training.

[@andrewharrison8436]

Even down to saying "missed it by an inch"

[@AnnaEmilka]

@@andrewharrison8436 that was the instructor, I meant the older man

[@andrewharrison8436]

@@AnnaEmilka Sorry, didn't read carefully enough. Agreed - it's actually embarassing how poor the British are at languages when people with English as a second (or third etc.) language speak such good English.

[@randomcreek]

He probably has a sailing background. And for that he would have needed English.

[@Hokuhikene]

I still don't know how the BBC didn't knock on Tom's door to this day. For me he gives of so much clumsy David Attenborough vibes. I really wanna see him travel the world and find cool things for the rest of my life. Please never stopp, sure you will upload less frequent now but please don't stop. You and your team are one of the few Gems on KZbin.

[@marsf6080]

wouldn't be surprised if they did knock and he said no- he gets less funding, but also is his own editorial team and gets to talk about what he wants

[@r0N1n_SD]

He will not work with a media giant

[@JudyCZ]

And this way more of us get to see it! ❤

[@skycloud4802]

Least I can watch this here, knowing I'm not funding the grubby Jimmy Saville corporation.

[@breakfreak3181]

Young people hardly watch legacy media.

[@mpbx3003]

The instructor is an absolute gem. Calm and composed, but also capable of seeing the humour in situations.

[@aceman0000099]

Barely, he could have been a fair bit more humourous considering nobody was being assessed

[@elucified]

​​@@aceman0000099We will never know if Tom specifically asked for the instructor to treat it as if it were a real training session just for legitimacy of the video sakes 😂

[@retro61]

I would have loved to know a bit more about the Instructor. What's his background & how he ended up teaching at the centre

[@dredeth]

Slavs in nutshell.

[@satunnainenkatselija4478]

He's been there for 30 years. There isn't much he hasn't seen. He's got lines for everything that can happen.

[@NecoLumi]

Tom has famously wanted to recreated that boat racing scene from Stuart Little for years, but I didn't think he'd go as far as to shrink himself. I love his dedication!

[@DEADB33F]

More like wanted to recreate the Hexagon Oil advert from Naked Gun 2.5

[@jamjam-jp2lb]

at least he didn't recreate Speed 2

[@Magpie_Media]

Are you sure Tom shrunk? He was standing the full height of a cargo container, after all. Could swear he grew.

[@wyrmhand]

That will be the Christmas present :)

[@Ripen3]

​@@HairyNunmaybe he was thinking about the miniature boats in Stuart Little.

[@katnax3059]

This place was an idea created by my great grandfather, Lech Kobyliński, and Mr. Nowicki that is intervieved here. My great grandfather died in January 2022 at the age of 98.

[@lawrencecalablaster568]

God rest him, & my thanks to him for his ingenuity 🖤

[@aidanmcglynn6324]

“Do you remember that container ship, the Ever Given, that got stuck in the Suez Canal back in 2021?” I have thought about little else for the past two years.

[@ferretyluv]

One of its sister ships got stuck in the Chesapeake Bay. Seems like either the company that owns these ships has very dumb captains or these ships suck.

[@andrewzaborowski3832]

I, too, recall the heady days of Big Boat Stuck

[@elisam.r.9960]

Reminds me of one of my favorite jokes. The Ever Given is the gift that keeps on ever givin'. It's an Evergreen joke.

[@kerenk]

it's the only thing I remember from the long, awkward part of the pandemic, honestly!

[@Scintillate9]

ah, the Ever Given. good times, good times

[@emmaj1633]

Love how Tom defaulted back to pirate ship mode immediately. It's muscle memory.

[@Davixxa]

The Ballad of Mad Cap’n Tom doesn’t die so easily

[@liliwheeler2204]

He says he doesn't know why he thought it was going to spin like a pirate ship's wheel, but I think really we all know why

[@korumann]

@@Davixxa The Ballad never ends

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Old habits die hard.

[@Dr.Death8520]

​@@naughty_nobita search for "the ballad of mad captain tom" it explains all

[@Tomhhw]

Kudos to the instructor for keeping up with a fully enthusiastic Tom Scott

[@twakcz]

Not sure if it's cause of the editing but Tom is incredibly annoying in this video.

[@WellBasicallyClub]

​@@twakcz It's because the instructor looks annoyed by everything Tom says and does. In real life you'd tone down your enthusiasm a bit after noticing someone doesn't want to play along, but Tom can't do that because he's making a video, so it's jarring to watch him power through anyway.

[@thatPingu99]

I think it probably a cultureal differnence too, as the instructor is Polish, who can be known for being a bit more no nonsense@@WellBasicallyClub

[@kindlin]

@@WellBasicallyClub I think Tom is actually having some mental incongruity trying to wrap his head around the maneuverability (or lack thereof) of this 'container ship' he's operating. I think he's a little giddy on adrenaline. And I think the instructor was playing along nicely with Tom. He knows Tom is not there for real training, and came into it knowing almost nothing, so you can hardly be mad at the man for having a good time.

[@gergelylorincz4818]

I also think cultural difference is the key here. The Polish instructor may actually enjoy the enthusiasm of Tom, but you wouldn't necessary notice that.

[@AsheramK]

I absolutely get what he's saying. That a computer model can just be restarted, here we see scratched paint and in the worst case actual sinking. It's a completely different level of seriousness to practice on a pyscial model than in a computer simulation.

[@magic-gps186]

also, if you get stuck and have to wait for the rescue tug, you're going to spend that time sitting and stewing in your embarrassment and probably figure out what you did wrong and how to avoid doing that next time

[@piotrarturklos]

It's probably not going to sink, because those models were build with collisions in mind. It's still an inconvenience though, to have to wait for the rescue if one gets stuck.

[@iabervon]

I was expecting a 1:24 scale model to be controlled from a full-size bridge mockup on land with cameras and remote control. It's crazy to see the full-size controls in a room on the model, because the actual thing is so huge.

[@jeffreysmith236]

I as well, but this gets the trainee the FEEL of the ship under your feet, and that is critical.

[@timonix2]

my guess is that if 1:24 would have been too small to for driving manually they would have made them a slightly larger scale. Part of the design goal

[@zemja]

I like how the instructor says it's 1:24 scale at (roughly) 1:24 in the video.

[@1989Nihil]

@@zemja I bet Tom edited the video this way deliberately, though, he is off by a second. It's at minute 1:25

[@el_quba]

That "Iława" pronunciation is absolutely gorgeous. Thanks Tom for respecting the Polish pronunciation.

[@daniwalmsley611]

Its grest when you get a linguist tp host videos about stuff in other countries

[@Jenna_Talia]

​@@daniwalmsley611subtitles having "plosive wheeze" in them is insane i love it

[@handsanitizermk.268]

As a Pole, i agree

[@bungaIowbill]

Is it an okay approximation to think that ł -> w and w -> v? (in their English versions)

[@NileGold]

I agree ( I'm Polish )

[@zebfross]

"It's not a tiny boat; it's a 400-meter container ship." I love his dedication, ha

[@MikkoRantalainen]

If you think it's a tiny boat, you'll try to run it like a tiny boat. It's a sim so it reacts as fast as a real 400 meter ship, so it cannot turn or brake fast.

[@ToMeK3001pro]

​@@MikkoRantalainenno, the guy said everything happenes 5 times faster

[@MikkoRantalainen]

@@ToMeK3001pro Oh, I mean "as fast as a real ship" in the meaning that braking or turning takes equally long relative to the length of the ship. Normally you can easily rotate a boat the size of the that model ship in place with engines but this model has intentionally much smaller propellers or other tricks to make it equally poor to control as real 400 m ship. Everything does run 5 times faster but the movements you need to do and the pre-planning you need is equal to real 400 m ship. When this model is 4 ship lengths from the dock, it must be driven the same way as a real 400 m ship a mile from the dock.

[@MrAaahh1]

What surprises me more than the existence of this place is that it's not in the Netherlands

[@mortified776]

Tbh I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least one scale ship handling training centre in a country with so many maritime academies and plenty of canals. I know Delft University have a full-size bridge simulator. Apart from Iława there is also a ship handling centre near Southampton in the UK, one near Grenoble in France, and a few more in other parts of the world.

[@FeeshUnofficial]

Just looked it up, there's the Wageningen ship model basin, but that one is more of a research center, not a training center

[@Scrubti]

As a former Sailor, having piloted a ship through the Panama Canal (whilst only being a lowly cadet), I can tell you it is hard and extremely nerve-wracking. Facilities like this one ensure that global trade functions and their importance cannot be overstated! When it comes to the difficulties of traversing tight canals, I can greatly recommend an old GDR series called "Zur See". There is a full episode which was inspired by a real-life event, where a GDR freighter crashed into another ship on the river Thames (afaik).

[@shadowpulpfan1810]

Scrubti thank you for saying 'pilot a ship'. I live in the Great Lakes system and I am a bit of stickler about some maritime terminology. So Tom, great video, but I don't think it is possible to 'drive a boat'. It doesn't have wheels like a car, or legs like a team of horses. It looks like nerve wracking fun to pilot a scale freighter. My dad built some incredible replica lake freighters. A few were even radio controlled for a time. I think he would have enjoyed the chance to maneuver any of those ships. I'm having fun just imagining him behind the wheel, thanks for the video.

[@aeq0iridias]

Such a great episode. Truly more people have to watch Zur See.

[@Brasswatchman]

Eyyyyy. You a Kings Point grad?

[@Trek001]

"Permission to come aboard?" Nice to see Tom observing correct nautical tradition

[@phreaqman]

He asked because he's a vampire

[@BnFGProductions]

@@phreaqmanI vant to drive your shipppp

[@Rock48100]

​@@phreaqmanI knew it

[@blindbrad4719]

Would've been awesome if he didnt and the instructor just shouted pirate!

[@Poldovico]

@@blindbrad4719 The Mad Cap'n strikes again!

[@Szylepiel]

The difference in the level of enthusiasm between Tom and the instructor is adorable. Polish people often say it is uncommon for Poles to smile, but it is something different to see it contrasted with expressiveness of a foreigner like Tom. The calm attitude of the instructor looks very professional though, he seems like a nice teacher to have.

[@nullFoo]

"Because of the small scale, everything is 5 times faster than in reality. This is a disadvantage, but on the other hand, it means 5 days of training correspond to 25 days of training in reality" LMAO

[@camillovidani2586]

It's the Room of Spirit and Time, but wet!

[@drsnapid]

Because you can do 5 times as many manoeuvres in a given amount of time. You can cover more lessons in less time

[@bryanachee7133]

@@drsnapid more than that really, most docking of container ships are a couple/few times a month

[@aim-to-misbehave5674]

Tom getting to push the whistle button at the end makes my heart happy, we never grow out of the urge to make big things go _choo choo_

[@TheMofRider2]

Oh yes. The bigger the thing, the more fun it makes to use its whistle/horn 😃

[@awmperry]

Very true. I've been working with ships for nearly a decade now (after spending much of my childhood on cruise ferries), including the last six and a half years working in port directly with the boats, and boats sounding their horns always gets a grin.

[@r0cketplumber]

I worked with SF writer Jerry Pournelle's youngest son, Rich, for many years. Big brother Phillip, executive officer on a US Navy ship told of the time little bro was on the bridge of Phil's ship during a family-day tour and successfully found the ship's horn. The harbor-filling sound was quickly followed by the Captain on the intercom demanding to know what was going on. "Children on the bridge, Sir!" was the only response he could give...

[@SuperPol1981]

I’m proud to be able to say I pressed the claxon of the biggest crane in the world (SGC 250) 😊

[@ablationer]

That whistle sound is also 1:24 to scale

[@omarosweekly1982]

I was raised on domestic transport ship in the Netherlands... and this just tickles my inner-child. My dad taught me how to steer our ship on easy stretches of canals or rivers. So this definitely is making me envious... i would have loved to done that for a day...

[@kinemapup]

the only thing missing... a family car on the cargo cover

[@LeafHuntress]

Idem ditto, i saw mentions of the cost, i do not work in the industry; still would like to... gods i miss being on a ship on moments like these.

[@dylanstrijker]

Ik ook. Dit is fantastisch! Wil hier wel eens naartoe

[@dylanstrijker]

@@LeafHuntresser is meer dan genoeg werk😅

[@endlesshorizon6167]

Instead of going on vacation, buy a training course from them?

[@GerinoMorn]

People think of Spaniards and English as "the sailors", but more often than not the actual sailors were from some maybe unexpected places. Poland, while never a maritime nation or a naval power, surprisingly always had a big interest in sailing as a profession and especially during the Partitions, living on a ship and making friends abroad was pretty enticing versus living under effective occupation.

[@varbalvarbal]

+ Joseph Conrad :-)

[@shockwave3318]

I feel like in general Poland has a passion for logistics as a profession. There are also a lot of Polish people who are truck drivers.

[@ViDeOMaStErPaUl]

Yea don't think you would find many poles on the English and after Royal Navy ships.

[@obelic71]

Poland and the Baltic states always had more a coastal and river Mariners tradition. The Hanseatic league had seaports from Brugge in Belgium till Tallin in Estonia

[@roxik0]

Hmm The biggest ship trade union in medievals time was Hanseatic and Poland was part of that because Gdańsk was one of the member of Hanseatic league.. sooo...Yes we don't had big oceanic fleet but if we talk about Baltic Sea or canales we have big tradition.. If Tom is in Iława I hope he will go also into Elbląg Canale. which is really a great place to see and travel.

[@thomasmcelroy5785]

I love the permanent teacher mode of the man there, always reminding Tom that he is piloting a 400m ship. Simulations are as real as we treat them, and teaching people using sims requires that they treat it like not-a-sim.

[@danig5302]

I have never cared about model trains, planes or cars, but I suddenly have the biggest urge to jump on a miniature boat and drive it around a lake. This is so interesting!

[@PianoKwanMan]

If you're ever in Scarborough during the Summer...

[@JagoooLand]

Its not miniature, Its 400m

[@williamstrachan]

@@PianoKwanMan changing... my... plans... now

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Especially since it seems like a really nice lake.

[@SeanNicholsEh]

Right?? I've also never had much interest in this kind of thing in the past. But as I was watching the video I was very much struck by a thought that he'd managed to save one of the best videos for (almost) last..

[@Iscannon]

"Sorry, I got distracted by a cormorant." Classic Tom

[@jamesengland7461]

The fancy way of saying, "SQUIRREL!"

[@PianoKwanMan]

Cormorant at 1:25 scale

[@katarjin]

I would, neat birds.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

We once again see Tom Scott's talents at identifying birds.

[@HypnopotamusRex]

I was expecting an educational video on the factors that caused the Suez incident, instead I got to see Tom having the time of his life in a little boat. 10/10

[@jeffreysmith236]

little boat? It is 400 meters.

[@JonasAlexanderson]

I have been in Ilawa training several times as a pilot and even been an instructor a couple of times. It’s a fantastic place! This is one of the few things I miss being a retired pilot.

[@choomah]

Reminds me, did anyone else "play" that top-down simulator that came out a few weeks after. Where you have to pilot the ship into the mouth of the canal. I remember spending a while to master the controls and get a clean run through. Thinking "Ahh I did it! After multiple tries with simplified controls and a top-down view, but still." it then gives you the message "Well done, you've navigated 3% of the canal, it gets tricky now." or something like that.

[@TheCynicalJedi]

@@statelyelms I'm assuming OP was talking about a thing you can find on CNN's website if you google "Suez Canal Simulator" because it specifically has "You've navigated 4% of the Suez Canal" written in the page description on the search results, there are quite a few flash style games and stuff though so I could be wrong

[@Kaiwala]

do you have a link? I'd like to play that

[@huge-bever1043]

I’m really gonna miss these weekly videos

[@theninjascientist689]

Yeah, I'm glad Tom is getting some well deserved rest but these videos are something I really enjoy sharing with my family.

[@andrewmcgarvie3981]

This video has made me realise just how devastating it is 😢

[@ZockerLuke88]

he deserves the break. lets hope he comes back with new motivation afterwards. If not we still had like 10 years of great videos

[@dave_h_8742]

​@@ZockerLuke88and the other stuff he's done. Mystery Biscuits etc.

[@goldenghostinc]

At about 9:12 in the video the owner said Pilotes but I hear it as Pirates, and thought they were really REALLY dedicated to creating a realistic experience 😂

[@johnmorriss5308]

Too much exposure to Gilbert and Sullivan!

[@ferretyluv]

I heard that too!

[@heatherduke7703]

Me too, haha!

[@safaiaryu12]

Same! I was like, wait, pirates get training??

[@LaBelleTinker]

Oh, I'm glad I'm not the only one.

[@black_platypus]

I love how Jacek talks. It's a sizeable accent, to be sure, but that only seems to underline the confidence and quality with which he speaks English. I used to dislike European accents because I saw my own flaws (some I'd had worked hard to overcome, some still plaguing me) in them, but I'm finding examples where I like them more and more. Usually, it's people who speak English very well otherwise, like this gentleman 😊

[@user-op8fg3ny3j]

Logistics really does make the world go around

[@shuenshuen]

I imagine the ship staying still while pushing the entire sea backwards

[@awmperry]

Yup. I mean, we all saw how things came to a standstill when Ever Given had that little parking problem.

[@autohmae]

yes, which is why we probably need to produce more locally to depend on it less.

[@user-op8fg3ny3j]

@@autohmae kinda crazy how it’s cheaper to ship things across the world than just make it locally

[@h8GW]

@user-op8fg3ny3j Blame real estate speculators, who are the #1 cause to the rise of cost of living. Raising minimum wages does nothing to stop that.

[@michalswag]

i was kinda sad that out of all his travels hes never visited poland but this year hes been here twice! nice.

[@MBkufel]

The mistakes vid and (obviously) the one about Warsaw's water purification were both shot in Warsaw

[@tomaszkorytkowski1399]

@@MBkufel I knew I recognized that view from mistakes video :D

[@ziginox]

He also managed to visit my home state in the US this year! I would have never expected!

[@jacoblansman8147]

As much as this place is designed as a training ground, I can't help but think that something like this would be great as an amusement park ride, or even a hobby activity. If near me there was a company that would let me sail in a 1/24th scale boat for a couple hours, for nothing else other than my own amusement, I absolutely would go at least once a month.

[@henningerhenningstone691]

ikr, like those rare but precious places that do human-scale model railroading, but for boats :D

[@vonboomslang6060]

Don't be nervous, Tom, you stood at the helm of an icebreaker!

[@dwavenminer]

To be fair, icebreakers are the one ship you don't have to really worry about breaking the ship...anything around the ship on the other hand...

[@littlemisspipebomb4723]

​@@dwavenminer well that's ice, so it breaks easy

[@dwavenminer]

@@littlemisspipebomb4723 also works on Venezuelan military ships that feel like ramming an icebreaker is a good idea... spoiler: that icebreaker was completely undamaged...and Caribbean waters have another artificial reef...

[@Mlpzeldafan011100]

​@@littlemisspipebomb4723bold of you to assume ice is that easy to break

[@littlemisspipebomb4723]

@@Mlpzeldafan011100 it is with an ice breaker

[@disorganizedorg]

I can image that a general aviation pilot flying over would do a double-take and check his altimeter if caught unaware.

[@alancaro526]

Haaaaaa!

[@QemeH]

It's always interesting to see the intricacies of language at work. I mean, the polish instructor has a very good grasp on the english language (much better than I have) and he obviously trains international pilots and ship's masters in that language. And still in the end he thought that Tom meant that not a lot of people were _capable_ of doing what he just did, when in fact Tom meant that not a lot of people are _allowed_ to do it or are fortunate enough to get the chance, because Tom simply said "not a lot of people get to do this"... fascinating

[@erikkennedy]

Glad someone pointed this out. I was surprised by that, too.

[@michaelrenper796]

Oh and the level of English the instructor has is PERFECT for training purposes. Because, as you may guess, in the real world pilots and navigators do NOT speak perfect English either.

[@beth12svist]

More on exactly that topic, actually: Meanwhile I, a Czech, thought he got the meaning just fine and instead struggled with the phrasing of the answer... I read it as something along the lines of "the instructors are here all the time so we can just hop in and do a lap if we want to." 😉

[@andrewzaborowski3832]

I see this happen frequently between pairs of native speakers of English, and often neither of the speakers themselves notices.

[@CouchPotator]

thank you for explaining, I was really confused by the instructor's response.

[@bosstowndynamics5488]

For anyone interested in numbers, the Ever Given is 400m long, interestingly that's longer than the lock size at Panama even after the upgrades, which means that any other ships as large or larger than the Ever Given at the time would have had to take the longest possible route to go around (due to the way most shipping routes line up the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal are actually kind of in competition on some routes so slightly smaller ships early enough in their trip might have been able to reroute through Panama depending on origin and destination ports).

[@kaibroeking9968]

4:49 "Left hand down a bit." 8:04 "Everybody down." Tom Leslie Scott at the helm. You should have signaled each turn by holding out your arm.

[@j_taylor]

Such delightful Navy Lark references! I was lowkey hoping to hear the instructor at the end say "I'm NOT 'appy!"

[@natheniel]

2:32 "I dont know why but I thought I was gonna spin that like a wheel on a pirate ship." Oh Tom, you do know why, you do.

[@kallixo]

damn 2021 felt like only months ago

[@user-op8fg3ny3j]

It feels like 2019-2022 just flew by

[@thisusernamewasnttakensomehow]

Technically it _was_ only months ago

[@AbhijeetBorkar]

And simultaneously feels like a decade ago.

[@davidmcnay1975]

I love the occasional "Navy Lark" references with Toms comments of "Left hand down a bit" and "Everybody down!"

[@aloe-lia]

Definitely sending this video to my parents, we used to live no quite far from Ilawa. I was like really shocked to hear, that something exists in a place like Ilawa! I hope you enjoyed your stay in Poland, Tom!

[@emberthecatgirl8796]

Tom on a winning streak of correct pronounciation.

[@theninjascientist689]

Common Tom Scott W

[@yt45204]

"This is Tom Scött - dangit!"

[@GumSkyloard]

He's a linguist, after all.

[@awmperry]

Next stop: France! 😁

[@yt45204]

@@GumSkyloard And very smart, one might even say cunning.

[@maxdavis6184]

T - I’m worried about driving this small boat - you mean the 400m ship! ???

[@TheBenenene10]

Something died in the instructor at that moment

[@Metered_Air]

This was an amazing episode. I really enjoy that they made the ships 1:24, a standard of plastic model cars, for their scale. It really puts the size into perspective!

[@Nippontradamus]

Coincidentally he says 1:24 very close to 1 minute 24 seconds in the video too. I know it is not exact and just confirmation bias, but neat anyway

[@Hugh.Manatee]

Mr Nowicki's English is excellent, but I had to replay 9:10 several times. I kept hearing "Especially for pirates coming to our training centre" 😂

[@Ignatiusussy]

I'm imagining some Somali pirates coming here and paying for the course in stolen merchandise 😂

[@rollin340]

The glee at being allowed to press the whistle at the end was precious. Tom became the happiest kid in the world during that moment.

[@lucie4185]

Who else is wondering how big a comorant would be at 1:25 scale 🤔

[@tsurugizaki]

I would expect they'd be 1/25th of the usual size

[@SurgStriker]

that was no cormorant, that was a pterodactyl!

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Clearly that was an incredibly big bird, considering how big it looked next to that 400m container ship.

[@MyName-tb9oz]

It should have an elephant in its claws...

[@Soken50]

A cormorant at 1/25 would be a cicada, at 25/1 though that would be a Quetzalcoatlus (a very cool Cretaceous age flying giraffe)

[@KarbidoweDzialoPlanetarne]

Wow nie spodziewałem się filmu o polsce przed końcem regularnych filmów😮

[@NileGold]

Polska Górą :)

[@marekserocki974]

Na poprzednim był w Warszawie więc można się było spodziewać że nie bez powodu akurat w Warszawie nagrywał film, który mógł nagrać gdziekolwiek

[@zzz1001ww]

Wcześniej był jeszcze jeden w Warszawie, o wodociągach i jakości wody

[@jurgenfrohwonne]

Tak!

[@clean280]

nie, POLSKA GUROM@@NileGold

[@ShadowDragon8685]

"Do you remember that container ship, the Ever Given..." Tom, thanks to the incredible ship-tan images of that massive lady-ship wallowing and playing with the toy digger, nobody's ever gonna forget it!

[@arturart2480]

Poland Ilawa HAT OFF to the people who showed You this Thanks, TOM for visiting

[@ludvigbergqvist]

I would recommend you trying out the Train Mountain Railroad in Oregon. It's an 1:8 scale railroad and the total length (adjusted for scale) makes it the longest miniature railroad in the world.

[@nickgotvyak5890]

There are quite a few of those in Ukraine and Poland. Trains are like 0.75 scale and are on a narrow rail. One in Kharkiv is fairy long, running through the forest park. We call it a "children railroad"

[@andy3127]

What a fascinating facility, never would I have thought such a place would exist, but it just makes sense. The instructor in this video has such a calm persona and it must be a real highlight of his job meeting many people from all over the world who come to learn from him

[@chugachuga9242]

I can’t get over how adorable the tugs are.

[@peppeccino]

Something about Tom mentioning that a full training course "that would take days" is just ever so slightly unnerving I don't know how long a training course for tankers should be but 5 days feels just a little on the short end

[@johnb8440]

You are correct, but remember that this is not their primary educational source. This is more practice. Many people going into this program would have already been a helmsman or something else and have lots of experience, but while transferring between the two this is phenomenal to learn when to begin the maneuvers. Edit now that I am home: View this as a practical exam after doing MONTHS of schooling and real world experience. It allows you to call the shots in a real world ever changing environment, without most of the risks of doing it with real ships.

[@bjoernusw5195]

Also the math during the interview that because according to scale everything moves 5 times as fast as in the real world their 5 days of training are equivalent to 25 days if training on a real ship. Maybe for the practical part that is somewhat true but for the classroom theory it definitely isn't.

[@jamesharding3459]

If I understood correctly, it's meant to be supplementary to the normal several-week training cycle for a helmsman or pilot, not a replacement.

[@frosthammer917]

I imagine a tanker captain has gone through years of schooling and probably has a decade's worth of captain experience before they are even considered for the role, this is a small supplemental course basically.

[@johnmcdonald284]

To get an officer license its minimum of 4 years of schooling for the lowest level of unlimited tonnage license, then you need a minimum of 1 year of time at sea plus extra schooling for each license lever (3rd mate, 2nd mate, chief mate, captain). For tankers you need an extra endorsment on you license called a PIC or (person in charge) this requires and extra 90 days working on a tanker where you have to get a certain number of loads and discharges although that number alludes me at the moment

[@markiliff]

I loved the CPO Pertwee "Everybody down!"

[@nowster]

And the "Left hand down a bit"

[@markiliff]

@@nowster Indeed

[@matthewstreeter5169]

I was wondering how many people would get those references.

[@j_taylor]

Classic!

[@KevinMcMullin_TV]

@@matthewstreeter5169 I came here to say the same thing!

[@RaggaDruida]

As someone who works in Ship Design and Maritime Innovation, and who is quite familiar with the virtual training simulators and model testing in towing tanks just seeing this gives me quite a big smile! I wasn't even aware it existed! This gotta be my favourite non-Tech-Diffs video from Tom!

[@danielhale1]

I was half expecting Tom to block the miniature Suez Canal either by mistake (because it's hard!), or to show off how they recover it at the simulation docks :D Great video, Tom! The color grade in the video works -- it feels like being on a boat with the water reflecting a lot more light.

[@i.gaskoid]

Utterly charmed by Tom getting to make the whistle sound at the end ☺️

[@notenoughmonkeys]

Alternative titles for the video could have been: Costa Tomcordia or Tomtanic. That said, he didn't get stuck which speaks volumes!

[@MercenaryPen]

if they also had scale replica submarines on site then it could have been the Lusitomnia

[@screwaccountnames]

Ever Scott

[@spyczech]

Blame the maine on spain- I mean Tom

[@angrypotato_fz]

Wow, Tom, so nice to see you visiting our country :) I'm glad we have such a nice training facility. It's always enjoyable to see you interact frantically with a calm instructor :D I like the fact pointed by mr. Nowicki that people training on these real models can't really restart the simulation, and they have many more inputs than just these predicted by simulation's creators. There is more weight to their decisions (even literally!)

[@williamstrachan]

I am so impressed at the way the forces appear to function at a different scale like that!

[@BuiHieuDong]

Tiny vehicles have always fascinated me, there's just something about tiny things that catch my attention the most.

[@VegasA3]

It’s not tiny. 400 meters, one of the biggest in the world

[@nomedocanal8496]

@@VegasA3 hahahahahah

[@freedfree7933]

Luckily my girlfriend has the same condition..

[@cashwarior]

I wonder if someone can make an action movie using only Tom Scott clips

[@reeveharper6061]

I think some people already have, judging by the sheer number of edits

[@aff77141]

"Do you remember that container ship, the evergiven" oh tom, how could I ever forget

[@qtluna7917]

"This is not a tiny boat. This IS a 400m container ship!"

[@route2070]

So Tom, on camera has done car, plane mini ship, and hovercraft. When is he going to drive a train?

[@furbyfubar]

Don't forget *bike*!

[@bosstowndynamics5488]

We have had a train being driven on one of his channels, just not by Tom (it was everybody's favourite Gary Brannan, Gary Brannan)

[@johns9652]

Don't forget he also did mini-tank and mini-sub.

[@dianagung8071]

And zamboni

[@Savagetechie]

GB rail might let him in their simulator? Or maybe a heritage line

[@aforkinsoup]

Thank you for the excellent caption work. Gonna miss your Monday videos, but you definitely deserve a good break ❤

[@DerSolinski]

This is one of those training centers that are keeping the world running. And until we reach Holodeck like simulation levels, it beats everything.

[@darrennew8211]

The teacher was way too serious. Hilarious. The only time he even showed any expression was at 8:20 where he goes "you made it by one inch." This guy takes no crap, I can tell. A real professional.

[@rpm6085]

One inch…or 24 inches?

[@niepowiem5894]

In Poland even comedians do not smile, you have to joke with the straight face. |:

[@kuebbisch]

@@rpm6085 I wouldn't want to miss an obstacle by 2 feet (0.6m) in a 400m vessel though. So I think it doesn't matter if the distance was given in real or simulated length.

[@mattePRL]

you my friend were a witness of our famous phenomenon - "Polish face". He was neutral, not serious. Just like you would explain to a stranger where the bus stop is :D

[@berlineczka]

Well, you can actually hear him giggle/chuckle three times between 1:55 and 2:15. He is having fun. Also, like 90% of Polish humour is deadpan. He's delivering on that as well.

[@robertk1701]

I thought he said pirates at 9:10, saw Tom pointing, then thought this was about to get really exciting

[@MatthisDayer]

what did he said? i can only hear pirates

[@korganrocks3995]

@@MatthisDayerPilots.

[@perform1261]

These should be at more seaside towns as an amusement.

[@Spiker985Studios]

Would probably bring in a lot of kids / teens who would then want to become pilots

[@moodswinggaming2972]

Don't be silly that's far too much fun, they'll find a way to close it down fast.

[@axiezimmah]

I think you missed the part where they stated they have to repair the ships quite often. In an attraction park they'd go bankrupt because after every ride they'd have to repair the ship

[@TurtleKwitty]

@@axiezimmah That's because the ships are actual models, but if you design ships specifically for it that would help a lot, like for exmaple adding a bumper car style rubber ring where it would meet the walls.

[@blablablablablablblablabla]

this one is not even at sea side, just some lake

[@SDygP]

I'm going to miss your weekly videos so much! It's amazing how much you've conveyed to us all, that none of us thought would be that interesting!

[@isaachoffman2607]

Mad Cap’n Tom has really upgraded his ride.

[@ondank]

You know this man races around this track when no one is there.

[@theninjascientist689]

I wonder what his best time is

[@peterclarke7240]

I like to think they all come in on the weekends with a bunch of Super Soakers to play Pirates 🤣

[@roobysoho]

there's a secret blackboard somewhere in this facility with all the instructors best times written down.... There is betting involved for sure. :)

[@kefirtruskawkowy]

This explains why the previous episode was recorded in Warsaw :)

[@lwpeden5]

I love the "Top Gun but for Container Ships" vibe this place has. They take there work very seriously, as they should!

[@waldolemmer]

Very high quality captions as always, thank you!

[@_GhostMiner]

Yes, I remember the "door stuck!" ship.

[@Sm00k]

Oh, I've got my licence there. Hope you've liked Iława as much as I did.

[@keksimus__maximus]

This is the best thing I've seen all year probably. I wish there was an extended cut of that instructor just teaching you the full 5 day course.

[@TheAboveHorizon]

As a Pole myself, I've never even known such facilities worked in my country! Thanks for educating!😂

[@Ciara_Turner]

In this episode: Tom inches through the Suez canal

[@thecashrabbit8919]

I'm not ready for these to be over. I have really enjoyed the videos you produce, tom. Looking forward to what you do in the future, but hopefully these videos will always be waiting for us here

[@irunfastxc7288]

This video was enthralling. Thank you, Tom!

[@richtercl98]

thats such a great and well equipped training facility! So happy to learn about these places thanks tom

[@babib]

Tom in Poland, finally! Hope you’ll come back soon 🎉

[@futabamajima]

he was actually in Warsaw already to show off the clam water proofing system, it's a great watch

[@xyztoja]

And also his last video about mistakes was done in Poland @@futabamajima

[@TheMofRider2]

​@@xyztojaYeah, but as it was very recent we can assume that these two videos (and maybe some more) were recorded during the same trip. The mistakes were filmed in Warsaw, and as I can assume Tom landed there by plane and either before going to Iława or after returning and before taking back off for UK he went to record the mistakes resumée.

[@EternusNex]

And Mad Cap'n Tom takes to the sea once more

[@evan]

Wow. I love the lighting and grade on this video!! It’s so vivid and lovely

[@hrunchtayt1587]

Poland mentioned, many will rejoice

[@kala_asi]

2:34 Tom getting flashbacks to his past life

[@djicepole]

As a biographer of pirate activity and other interesting topics around the 1700s.

[@kala_asi]

@@djicepole you seem you like you're unaware of Mad Cap'n Tom

[@captainianr]

I’ve done this course twice in the UK (Marchwood). Great fun and amazing training.

[@carolineweaver16]

Thank you for this video! Well done. As someone from industry, this helped to clarify some things for me 😊

[@Not_Diderik]

I love that you can see how much the instructor enjoys this