How To Conduct A Ship Steering Gear Failure Drill? Key Operations Can Save Lives

Servo failure is no joke. Think about it, the boat is running on the sea and suddenly cannot turn. It would be a scary scene. Therefore, the industry has always emphasized "steering gear failure drills". This is not a formality, but a key operation that can really save lives. Many friends asked me, how should I conduct this exercise? What's the point? Let’s talk about this today, breaking down the things aboutthe steering gear failure drilland explaining them clearly.

Why conductsteering gear failure drills?

You may think that the steering gear is usually good, but how can it be broken so easily? But you have to understand that when a ship is in a narrow waterway or entering or leaving a port, if there is a problem with the steering gear, the delay of a few seconds may lead to a collision. Doing drills is to turn emergency responses into muscle memory. When something really happens, your mind doesn’t have time to turn around, so your body has to move first. The drill is to simulate various possible malfunction situations, such as the rudder being stuck, unresponsive, and spinning randomly, so that you know which button to press first and who to call for help in each situation.

Besides, regulations also require it. The SOLAS Convention of the International Maritime Organization clearly states that ships must conduct steering gear drills regularly. If you don't do it, the Maritime Safety Administration will find out. Not only will you be fined for detaining the ship, but points will also be deducted from the safety management system score. This is no joke. Nowadays, port inspections are getting stricter and stricter. If drill records are not kept well, ships will not be able to leave the port. So from a compliance perspective, you have to take this seriously.

What are the benefitsof steering gear failure drills ?

The first benefit is that it allows you to become truly familiar with the equipment. Normally you might not go down to the steering gear room once a month, but during drills you have to personally check the hydraulic oil level, see the oil pump pressure, and manually turn the emergency steering valve. After this trip, you will know how many seconds it takes to switch the backup power supply and whether the emergency steering handle will sink. Many veteran crew members say that practicing once is more effective than reading the instructions ten times. Only when you actually get started with the operation can you feel confident.

The second benefit is that it can train teamwork. Steering gear failure cannot be solved by one person. Someone has to give the steering command on the bridge, someone has to operate the steering gear room, and someone has to keep an eye on the power in the engine room. During the drill, everyone had to shout, confirm, and execute. After running through this set of procedures, whoever acted slowly or who misheard the instructions were all exposed. After many exercises, the team has a tacit understanding of cooperation. If something goes wrong, no one will panic. They all perform their duties and the efficiency is much higher.

How to operatethe steering gear failure drill

The first step is to call the police. When the drill started, the bridge immediately issued a steering gear failure alarm and broadcast it to the whole ship. At this time, the captain went up to the bridge and the chief engineer went down to the steering engine room. You have to first confirm whether the alarm is real or a drill, but regardless of whether it is real or not, the first reaction is to notify all relevant personnel and get them in place. At the same time, the bridge must immediately start the emergency steering procedure and switch to the emergency rudder, which usually only takes a few seconds.

The second step is to switch and troubleshoot. In the steering gear room, you need to switch the main steering system to emergency steering, such as switching from electronic control to hydraulic manual control. Then check what the problem is. Is the oil pump stopped? Or is the circuit tripped? Or is the rudder angle feedback device broken? You need to follow the troubleshooting procedures in the device manual and check step by step. At the same time, the bridge and steering gear room must use intercoms to maintain communication. The bridge issues steering orders, and the steering gear room reports the actual rudder angle to confirm whether emergency steering is effective.

What preparations should be made before the exercise?

Exercise plans must be written in advance. It doesn’t mean that you can do it today if you want. You have to formulate a detailed exercise plan based on the ship’s current voyage, water conditions, and staffing. The plan should clearly state the exercise time, location, simulated fault types, participants, communication channels, and safety measures. For example, it is not suitable to conduct exercises in narrow waterways. You must choose open waters. The plan must also be submitted to the captain for approval, and all crew members must be informed in advance so that everyone is aware of it.

Equipment inspection cannot be omitted. Before the drill, you have to go to the steering gear room to see if there is enough hydraulic oil, whether there is any leakage, whether the oil pump pressure is normal, and whether the emergency power supply can automatically switch. Also, emergency steering tools, such as hand pumps and wrenches, must be kept at hand. Don't do a drill at that time. If you find that the oil is out, the drill will become a real maintenance. Communication equipment must also be tried. The intercom battery must be fully charged to ensure that the bridge and steering engine room can communicate at any time.

What details should you pay attention to during exercises?

Communication must be open. Many exercises fail because the instructions are not explained clearly. If the bridge shouts "Left rudder ten" and the steering engine room hears "Right rudder ten", everything will get messed up. Therefore, standard rudder orders must be used uniformly during drills. Every time an order is given, the steering engine room must recite it and confirm it. It's best to use a walkie-talkie, the sound is clear, don't use the intercom phone, if the line is busy, it will cause trouble. Records must also be done simultaneously. When the emergency rudder is switched and the deviation of the rudder angle is recorded.

The simulation needs to be realistic. The drill is not just playing house. You have to really turn off the power to the steering gear, really pull the emergency handle, and really let the boat run to see the steering effect. Of course, safety first, don't really cause danger. For example, when the simulated rudder is stuck, you have to notify nearby ships in advance and keep a safe distance. Any problems discovered during the exercise, such as a certain valve that is too tight and a certain indicator light that does not light up, must be recorded and rectified immediately after the exercise.

How often should youconduct steering gear failure drills ?

According to the SOLAS Convention, steering gear drills must be conducted at least once a month. However, in actual operations, many shipping companies have stricter requirements, such as once every two weeks, or once every time before entering or leaving the port. Because the less you touch the steering gear, the more blind you will be if something goes wrong. Frequent drills will keep you in shape. Moreover, each drill must be recorded in detail, including the drill time, participants, simulated faults, operating procedures, problems found, etc. The record book must be kept on the bridge for future reference.

When new crew members come on board, they must be given additional training individually. The veteran crew may be proficient, but the newcomers may not even know where the steering engine room is. Therefore, after new crew members board the ship, they must participate in a completesteering gear failure drillin the first week, and even have them operate emergency steering themselves. Don't bother, these newcomers may be your partners in the future. Only when they are familiar with each other will the whole team be safe.

Speaking of which, I want to ask you a question: When was the last time you personally operated the emergency rudder? Have you noticed any minor problems that you wouldn't normally notice? Welcome to share your experience in the comment area, and don’t forget to like and forward it so that more boating friends can see these practical experiences.