STEERING GEAR

BY;
MOHD HAFIZI BIN SAID
Steering Gear-Requirements and
drills- SOLAS Chapter II

• This chapter covers the procedures and

tools to be used for preventive
maintenance and the required
maintenance aboard ship.
• The steering gear constuction requirements are
to be found in II-1, Regulation 29, and the
operation, testing and drills requirements are
located in V, Regulations 19-1 and 19-2.
• Every ship must be provided with a main
steering gear and auxiliary steering gear and
they shall be so arranged that the failure of one
will not cause the other inoperative.
A specification that should be noted is that:
• I. the main steering gear must be capable of
putting the rudder over from 350 on one side to
350 on the other at maximum draught and
service speed ( from 350 on either side to 350
on the other side in not more than 28 seconds) ,
• II. the auxiliary gear must only be capable of
putting the rudder over 150 to 150 in not more
than 60 seconds at maximum draught but at one
half of the maximum service speed or 7 knots
which ever is greater.
• Both steering gears must be capable of being operated
from the navigation bridge and arranged to restart
automatically after a power failure.
• In every tanker (which includes chemical tankers and
gas carrier) of 10,000 tons gross and upwards the main
steering gear must consist of two or more identical
power units both capable of operating the rudder
independently.
• Ships that have steering power units which capable of
simultaneous operation shall have more than one of the
units operating when in areas where navigation
demands special caution.
• Emergency steering gear drills must be carried out at
least once every three months to ensure that emergency
steering procedures are practiced.
However, within 12 hours before departure the following
equipments must be checked and tested:
• The main steering gear.
• The auxiliary steering gear.
• The remote steering gear control systems.
• The steering positions located on the navigation bridge.
• The emergency power supply.
• The rudder angle indicators in relation to the actual
position of the rudder.
• The remote steering gear control system power failure
alarms.
• The steering gear power unit failure alarms.
• Automatic isolating arrangements and other automatic
equipment.
• The full movement of the rudder, the steering gear and
connecting linkage should be visually inspected.
Communications between bridge and the steering
compartment should be checked.
• All officer concerned with the operation or maintenance
of the gear should be conversant with changeover
procedures and block diagrams of such procedures, plus
the operating instructions, should be permanently
displayed on the bridge and the steering compartment.
• The dates of checks and tests and details of emergency
steering drills should be recorded in a log book.
 Steering gear test checklists
Port, Date, Arrival/Depart,to be carried out not more than 6 hours before
arrival; at least 2 hours before departure.
• In port, OOW check rudder clear.
• Test main and secondary communications, Bridge to steering flat.
• Check oil-level on bridge telemotor at the steering stand, if applicable.
• With each steering motor separately and then together:-
– Normal operation from bridge steering stand.
– Non follow-up operation from bridge steering stand.
– Operating from bridge wing consoles port and starboard, if applicable.
– Trick-wheel (remote position) from steering flat.
• Test steering gear power failure (audible + visual) alarm.
• Check auto-pilot fully operational. Align Auto-pilot heading indicator with
ship’s head and engage auto-pilot. Now turn auto-pilot to port and starboard.
The rudder must follow.
• Synchronize the gyro repeater in steering flat, if applicable.
• Visual inspection of steering gear and connecting linkage, confirmed OK by
duty engineer.
• Test Gyro off-course alarm (audible and visual). With auto-pilot still
engaged, move the auto-pilot heading marker about 100 and off-course
alarm must activate.
• Test other off-course alarm(s) if fitted.
• Check all rudder indicators’ illumination.
• Log entry made: ”Steering gear tested as per checklist No__”
Emergency steering test/ drill

• Test /drill requires to be carried out on 3

monthly basis, completion of tests,
relevant facts should be entered in the
deck log book and official log book
 Drill Procedures
• Plan in voyage program when tests should be carried
out. Due consideration should be emphasized that the
vessel should at the time of carrying out the test be at
low speed commensuration to the safe operating limit
of the main engine torque.
• Check navigational hazards and traffic in vicinity prior
carrying out tests and vessel should ensure clear of
these hazards throughout the exercise. Briefing on the
bridge for deck officers prior proceeding to steering
flat. Have an engineer standing by. Helmsman
available on the bridge.
• Test communication links between bridge and steering
flat and vice versa by the following available means
– Normal ship’s telephone.
– Sound powered telephone (with headphone)
– Radio walkie-talkie.
M/V Pelican 1
• M/V Pelican 1 had reportedly experienced steering gear problems
which lead to the direct collision. Immediately after the accident M/V
Pelican 1 reported a black out, damage in the engine room &
unknown hull damage. M/V Pelican 1 was making water in her fore
peak tank. The Larger 2,328 TEU M/V Maersk Bahrain was able to
make port, but 1,939 TEU M/V Pelican 1 was dead in the water &
in danger of sinking.
• Same day -- Sunday 20 July -- Multraship Salvage B.V. and URS
Salvage & Maritime Contracting N.V. were immediately contracted
to conduct operations to save M/V Pelican 1.
• Same day -- Sunday 20 July -- authorities closed the River Scheldt
to all vessels. Multraship's crew tender M/V Multrajet shuttled 24
crew safely off the casualty. The master and a pilot remained
aboard.