PADILLO,JAMESLLOYDC.

02//02/2024

BSMT3-2 ASSIGNMENT#1

DECKWATCH322(50104) CPT.ROYMAGVINDELACUESTA
1)Howshipsteeringwork?

Typically,arudder,aflat,hingedsurfacesituatedattheaft(rear)ofthevessel,isutilizedfor
shipsteering.Asteeringmechanism,frequentlylinkedtotheship'swheelorsteeringlever,
regulatestherudder.Ashipundergoesaturnduetothealterationofwaterflowaroundthe
ruddercausedbytherotationofthewheel.Forgreaterprecision,hydraulicsystemsmaybe
utilizedoncontemporaryvessels.

2)WhataresteeringgearrequirementasperSOLAS?

SOLAS(SafetyofLifeatSea)andotherinternationalconventionsestablishspecificationsfor
shipsteeringgear.SOLASstipulatesthatforvesselsexceeding100metersinlength,the
ruddergearmusthavetheabilitytoreversetherudderfrom35degreesononesideto30
degreesontheotherwithin28seconds.Forvesselsshorterthan100meters,thetimelimitis
35seconds.Inaddition,provisionsaremadeforfallbacksystemsandroutineinspectionsto
guaranteethesteeringgear'sdependability.Adherencetothesestipulationsenhancesthe
vessel'smaneuverabilityandsafety.

3)AuxiliarysteeringgearrequirementasperSOLAS?

SOLAS(InternationalConventionfortheSafetyofLifeatSea)requiresshipstobeequipped
withauxiliarysteeringgearasasafetymeasure.Thespecificrequirementsforauxiliary steeringgearinclude:

1.Reliability:Designandconstructionoftheauxiliarysteeringmechanismshouldensureits
dependabilityinsituationsthatarebothnormalandemergency.

2.IndependentPowerSource:Foroperationalcontinuityintheeventofaprimarysteering
systemfailure,itisimperativethatitisequippedwithapowersourcethatisautonomous fromthegearbox.

3.ActivationTime:Theauxiliarysteeringgearshouldbecapableofbeingbroughtinto
operationpromptlyintheeventofafailureintheprimarysteeringgear.

4.ControlPosition:Thereshouldbeacontrolpositiononthenavigationbridgefromwherethe
auxiliarysteeringgearcanbeoperated.

5.RemoteControl:Remotecontroloftheauxiliarysteeringgearfromasecondarylocation
mayberequired,typicallyfromtheemergencysteeringposition. 4)TestanddrillsofsteeringgearasperSOLAS

SOLASmandatesregulartestinganddrillsforshipsteeringgeartoensureitsreliability.The
keyrequirementsinclude:
1.WeeklyTesting:Weeklyvisualinspectionsshouldbeperformedonthesteeringgear,
includingtherudderanditsassociatedsystems.Thisguaranteestheequipmentremainsin optimalworkingorder.

2.MonthlyDrills:Aminimumofoneoperationalevaluationofthesteeringgearsystemshould
beperformedpermonth.Thisprocedureentailstherudderbeingadjustedfromahard-over
positionononesidetoanother.Theaimofthisinspectionistovalidatetheaccurate
operationofthesteeringmechanism.

3.EmergencySteeringDrill:Itisrequiredtoconductanemergencysteeringexercisea
minimumofonceeverythreemonths.Thisprocessentailstriggeringtheemergencysteering
systemandsimulatingthefailureoftheprimarysteeringmechanism.Thepersonnelconducts
drillsutilizingthealternativemethodsofvesselnavigation.

Byensuringthatthecrewisknowledgeableofemergencyproceduresintheeventofa
steeringfailureandthatthesteeringgearisoperational,theseroutineexercisesandtestsare
vitaltopreservingthesafetyofthevessel.

5)Submitquestionsandanswertocrewevaluationtestaboutoperationofsteeringgear

1.Whatistheprimarypurposeofthesteeringgearonavessel?

-Theprimarypurposeofthesteeringgearistocontrolthedirectionoftheship.

2.Explaintheterm"rudderangle"inrelationtosteeringgear.

-Rudderanglereferstothedegreeofrotationoftheship'srudder,indicatingthedirectionin
whichthevesselisturning.

3.Whatisthesignificanceofhavingredundantsteeringsystemsonboard?

-Redundantsteeringsystemsensureoperationalsafetybyprovidingbackupmechanismsin
caseofafailureintheprimarysystem.

4.Define"autopilot"inthecontextofsteeringgear.

-
Autopilotisasystemthatautomaticallycontrolsthesteeringofthevessel,followingapresetcourseormaintaininga
specificheading.

5.Howisthesteeringgearpoweredonmostmodernships?

-Mostmodernshipsusehydraulicpowertooperatethesteeringgear.

6.Explaintheimportanceofregularmaintenanceforthesteeringgear.

-Regularmaintenanceensuresthereliabilityandproperfunctioningofthesteeringgear,
reducingtheriskoffailuresduringoperation.
7.Whatsafetymeasuresshouldbetakenduringroutineinspectionsofthesteeringgear?

-Safetymeasuresincludeproperlockout-tagoutprocedures,wearingappropriatePPE,and
followingestablishedsafetyprotocols.

8.Describetheemergencyproceduresforasteeringgearmalfunctionatsea.

-Emergencyproceduresinvolveactivatingthebackupsteeringsystem,notifyingthebridge,
andfollowingestablishedemergencyprotocolstoregaincontrol.

9.Whatistheroleofthesteeringstandorconsoleonthebridge?

-Thesteeringstandonthebridgeallowsthehelmsmantomanuallycontrolthevessel's
directionandmonitorthesteeringsystem.

10.Explaintheterm"follow-up"inrelationtosteeringgearcontrols.

-Follow-upreferstotheproportionalresponseoftheruddertothemovementofthe
steeringcontrol,allowingforpreciseadjustments.

11.Whyisitessentialtomonitorhydraulicfluidlevelsinthesteeringsystem?

-Monitoringhydraulicfluidlevelsensuresproperlubricationandfunctioningofthehydraulic
componentsinthesteeringsystem.

12.Whatisthepurposeoftheoverloadprotectionsysteminasteeringgear?

-Theoverloadprotectionsystempreventsdamagetothesteeringgearbylimiting
excessiveloadsduringoperation.

13.Describetheprocessofaligningthesteeringgearbeforedeparture.

-Aligningthesteeringgearinvolvesensuringthattherudderiscenteredandreadyfor
operation,typicallydoneduringthepre-departurechecks.

14.Howdoesthesteeringgearinterfacewithnavigationsystemsonmodernvessels?

-Thesteeringgearmayinterfacewithnavigationsystemstofollowapredeterminedcourse,
especiallywhenusingadvancednavigationtechnologies.

15.Explaintheterm"deadshipcondition"inrelationtosteeringgear.

-Deadshipconditionreferstoastatewherethevesselhasnopower,andspecial
proceduresareneededtooperatethesteeringgearmanually.

16.Whatsafetyprecautionsshouldbetakenwhenworkingonornearthesteeringgear?

-Safetyprecautionsincludepropertraining,usingappropriatepersonalprotective
equipment,andfollowingestablishedsafetyguidelines.
17.Whyisitimportanttoregularlytesttheemergencysteeringsystem?

-Regulartestingensuresthattheemergencysteeringsystemisfunctionalandcanberelied
uponincaseofaprimarysteeringfailure.

18.DescribetheroleoftheChiefEngineerinoverseeingthesteeringgearsystem.

-TheChiefEngineerisresponsiblefortheoverallmaintenance,repair,andoperational
readinessofthesteeringgearsystem.

19.Whatfactorscanimpacttheperformanceofthesteeringgearinadverseweather conditions?

-Adverseweatherconditions,suchashighwavesorstrongwinds,canimpactthesteering
gear'sperformance,requiringcarefulnavigationandadjustments.

20.Howdoesavessel'sspeedaffecttheresponsivenessofthesteeringgear?

-Higherspeedsmayrequiremorepreciseandresponsivesteeringadjustmentstomaintain
control,especiallyduringmaneuvers.

21.Whatisthepurposeoftherudderangleindicatoronthebridge?

-Therudderangleindicatorprovidesreal-timefeedbacktothebridgecrewaboutthe
currentpositionoftherudder.

22.Explaintheconceptof"hard-overtime"insteeringgearoperation.

-Hard-overtimereferstothetimeittakesfortheruddertomovefromoneextremeposition
totheother,influencingthevessel'sturningability.

23.Howisthesteeringgear'sresponsivenessaffectedbychangesinvesseldraft?

-Changesinvesseldraftcaninfluencethesteeringgear'sresponsiveness,requiring
adjustmentstomaintainoptimalcontrol.

24.Describetheimportanceofcrewtraininginoperatingandmaintainingthesteeringgear.

-Propertrainingensuresthatthecrewcanefficientlyandsafelyoperatethesteeringgear,
minimizingtheriskofaccidentsormalfunctions.

25.Whatroledoestheelectricpowersupplyplayintheoperationofhydraulicsteeringgear?

-Electricpoweriscrucialforsupplyingenergytohydraulicpumpsthatdrivethesteering
gear,influencingitsoperationalefficiency.

26.Explaintheterm"yaw"inthecontextofshipsteering.

-Yawreferstotherotationofthevesselarounditsverticalaxisandiscontrolledbythe
steeringgeartomaintainastraightcourse.
27.Howcanthecrewdetectpotentialissueswiththesteeringgearbeforetheyescalate?

-Regularmonitoringofsystemparameters,alarms,andconductingroutineinspectionscan
helpdetectpotentialissueswiththesteeringgearearly.

28.Describethepurposeofthesteeringgearalarmsystem.

-Thealarmsystemalertsthecrewtoanyabnormalitiesormalfunctionsinthesteeringgear,
promptingimmediateattentionandinvestigation.

29.WhatistheroleoftheSecondEngineerinmaintainingthesteeringgear?

-TheSecondEngineerassiststheChiefEngineerinoverseeingmaintenancetasks,
ensuringthesteeringgearisinoptimalcondition.

30.Explaintheterm"rudderstock"anditssignificanceinsteeringgear.

-Rudderstockistheshaftthatconnectstheruddertothesteeringgear,playingacrucial
roleintransmittingsteeringcommands.

31.Howdoesthetypeofsteeringgeardifferbetweendifferenttypesofvessels?

-Differentvesselsmayhavevariationsinsteeringgeardesign,withconsiderationsforsize,
propulsionsystem,andintendeduseinfluencingthechoiceofsystem.

32.Describetheroleofthehelmsmanintheoperationofthesteeringgear.

-Thehelmsmanisresponsibleformanuallyoperatingthesteeringgear,following
commandsfromthebridgeandensuringprecisenavigation.

33.Whatmeasuresshouldbetakenintheeventofasuddenlossofhydraulicpressureinthe steeringsystem? -
Emergencyproceduresinvolveactivatingbackupsystems,notifyingthebridge,andtaking
manualcontroltocompensateforthelossofhydraulicpressure.

34.Explaintheterm"rudderfeedback"anditsimportanceinsteeringgearcontrol.

-Rudderfeedbackprovidesinformationtothesteeringgearabouttheactualpositionofthe
rudder,ensuringaccurateandproportionalcontrol.

35.Howdoesthesteeringgearcontributetofuelefficiencyinshipoperations?

-Efficientsteeringgearoperation,includingpropertrimandcoursemaintenance, contributes
tooptimalfuelefficiencyduringvoyages.

36.Describetheroleoftheclassificationsocietyinensuringthecomplianceofsteeringgear withsafetystandards.

-Theclassificationsocietycertifiesthatthesteeringgearmeetsinternationalsafety
standards,ensuringthevessel'sseaworthiness.
37.Explaintheterm"rudderhard-overtest"anditspurposeinsteeringgearmaintenance.

-Therudderhard-overtestverifiesthatthesteeringgearcanmovetherudderfromone
extremepositiontoanotherwithinaspecifiedtimeframe,ensuringproperfunctionality.

38.Whatarethepotentialrisksassociatedwithover-relianceonautopilotsystemsfor steering?

-Risksincludecomplacency,reducedsituationalawareness,andthepotentialforsystem
malfunctions,emphasizingtheimportanceofmanualcontrolproficiency.

39.Howdoesthesteeringgearcontributetotheoverallmaneuverabilityofthevessel?

-Thesteeringgearplaysacrucialroleinthevessel'smaneuverability,allowingforprecise
controlduringdocking,turns,andothernavigationalmaneuvers.

40.Explaintheterm"rate-of-turnindicator"anditsrelevanceinsteeringgearoperation.

-Therate-of-turnindicatorprovidesinformationonthevessel'sturningrate,aidingthecrew
inmakingadjustmentstomaintainadesiredcourse.

41.Describetheprocedureforaligningtherudderaftermaintenanceorrepairs.

-Aligningtherudderinvolvesensuringthatitiscenteredandproperlypositionedafter
maintenance,followingestablishedprocedurestoavoidoperationalissues.

42.Whatisthepurposeofthesteeringgear'scontrolunitorcontrolsystem? -
Thecontrolunitmanagesandinterpretssteeringcommands,ensuringacoordinated
responsefromthesteeringgearincontrollingthevessel'sdirection.

43.Explaintheterm"rudderstockbearing"anditssignificanceinsteeringgearmaintenance.

-Rudderstockbearingssupporttherudderstock,andtheirpropermaintenanceisessential
topreventwearandensuresmoothoperationofthesteeringgear.

44.Howcanthecrewensureproperlubricationofmovingpartsinthesteeringgearsystem?

-Regularlycheckingandmaintainingappropriatelevelsoflubricationinthesteeringgear
componentsisessentialtopreventfrictionandensuresmoothoperation.

45.DescribetheroleoftheThirdEngineerinassistingwithsteeringgearmaintenance.

-TheThirdEngineersupportstheengineeringteaminmaintainingandtroubleshootingthe
steeringgearsystem,contributingtooveralloperationalreliability.

46.Explaintheterm"hydrauliclock"anditspotentialimpactonsteeringgearoperation.

-Hydrauliclockreferstoaconditionwherefluidcannotflowfreelyinthehydraulicsystem,
potentiallyimpedingthemovementofthesteeringgearandrequiringpromptresolution.
47.Whataretheconsiderationsforsteeringgearoperationinicyconditions?

-Inicyconditions,thecrewmustconsiderthepotentialimpactoficeaccumulationonthe
rudderandtakemeasurestopreventsteeringdifficulties.

48.Describetheroleoftheemergencysteeringpositiononthevessel.

-Theemergencysteeringpositionprovidesamanualcontrolstationforthesteeringgear,
allowingthecrewtotakeoverincaseofaprimarysystemfailure.

49.Explaintheterm"steeringgeartelemotor"anditsfunctioninremotesteeringcontrol.

-Thesteeringgeartelemotortransmitssteeringcommandsfromthebridgetothesteering
gear,enablingremotecontrolofthevessel'sdirection.

50.Whattrainingandcertificationrequirementsaretypicallynecessaryforcrewmembers
involvedinoperatingandmaintainingthesteeringgear?

-Crewmembersshouldundergorelevanttrainingandholdcertificationstodemonstrate
proficiencyinoperatingandmaintainingthesteeringgear,ensuringahighlevelof competenceandsafety.