Modern ship simulators enable simulations of reality using available environment and ship models. When choosing a specific vessel from a catalogue, however, it is not always immediately apparent as to how true a simulation is to the original vessel. Its makers are required only to have software certificates, which does not ensure the exact modelling of a ship in the simulation. This paper presents research in continuation of previous work presenting a general methodology for the evaluation of the degree of accuracy of a simulated ship model compared to its real-world counterpart. In this paper, the results are shown of a comparative analysis based on actual measurements with the use of one of the methods of multi-criteria analysis. Furthermore, the methodology for the construction of ship models is presented. The paper concludes with a test verifying the accuracy of the assumptions.

Navigation and manoeuvring simulators are increasingly being used in research centres to conduct complex navigation experiments and analyses. The structure and capabilities of simulation software make it possible to reproduce any conditions, including weather conditions. The complex mathematical models of marine environmental conditions that are being implemented nowadays take into account various sea wave models, which makes simulation tests more realistic. This paper deals with issues related to evaluating and verifying vessel simulation models based on real-world studies. As a result of the present research project, a methodology for comparing vessel simulation models with their real-life counterparts was developed. A measurement platform was created for the purpose of carrying out real-world studies; it is available at the Institute of Marine Navigation and Hydrography of the Polish Naval Academy. One important research step involved developing a procedural algorithm for making real-world measurements. This paper presents the results of using this platform in comparative tests of the manoeuvring elements of real and simulated vessels.