After one of the largest surveying and dredging operations in Brazil, the port is looking to recapture demand, reports say.

Revenues were hit after the port authority was forced to reduce the size and draught of vessels that could enter the port following the flood two years ago. This was exarcebated by the downturn in the global shipping economy.

Once the second most valuable port in Brazil, Itajai faces the uphill task of re-educating pilots' ship handling knowledge and experience of large container ships.

The port authority has commissioned a PC Rembrandt marine simulator workshop at the port office to train pilots using a simulated model of a 290 metre container vessel traversing a virtual Port of Itajai using British Admiralty charts.