STEERING AND COMPLYING WITH HELM ORDERS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: DEMOSTRATE THE

PROPER STEERING OF THE SHIP AND COMPLIED
THE HELM ORDERS

ESTRADA, KING LENARD

FERNANDO, HYACINTH NICOLE ABELO
FLORES, KYLE VINCENT
GABATA, PAUL JASPER
GONZALES, AMIEL NIELSEN
Standard commands to the helm
• The courses the helmsman steers must be ordered
by the conning or watch officer. The helmsman
should have the ship on course before he or she
surrenders the wheel to his or her relief. The
words port and starboard are never used when
giving orders to the helmsman.
What is the proper steering of the ship?
• The ship is steered by turning the rudder at an
angle. When the vessel is moving ahead it leaves
behind a stream of water. The rudder creates an
obstruction to the stream.
How the rudder turns the ship the proper procedure and the
Helms order?
• The rudder moves in the direction of lower pressure. As the
rudder goes, so goes the stern, and the boat turns. During
turns the boat pivots around a point near its midsection—
roughly at the mast on a sloop. The stern moves one way, the
bow moves the other way, as the boat changes direction
What does the helm order ease the 5 mean?
• OOW: “Ease to five,” HELMSMAN: “Ease to Five,” Slowly turns
the wheel to 5o of port helm, once the rudder angle indicator
displays the ordered helm then reports. HELMSMAN: “Five of
Port wheel on Sir/Ma'am,”
What is standard wheel orders?
• Standard Wheel Orders. The art of steering
a ship can be gained by practice. The ship's
head, rudder and steering wheel all turn
the same way, that is, to turn the ship to
starboard one must turn the wheel to
starboard.
 Standardizing Helm Orders
• The International Maritime Organization (IMO) standardized wheel
orders which is recommended in the industry. What we use today
can be found in the book Standard Marine Communication
Phrases (SMCP).
• The phrases used in commanding rudder angles are the same
throughout the industry.
• Once you learn them on one ship, you can apply them unto your
next vessel. Mastering them today means mastering them forever.
• Helm Orders, Meaning And Execution
• Steering wheel is the wheel that you control to turn the rudder. I
will interchangeably use steering wheel and rudder henceforth.
• 1. Midships, Rudder midships or Midships the wheel
These three orders are one and the same. It means that
the rudder to be held in the fore and aft position.
You can do this by turning the steering wheel to zero
position
 
• 2. Port / starboard five
Turn the rudder five degrees to port/ starboard as shown
in the indicator.
 
• 3. Port / starboard ten
Turn the rudder ten degrees to port/ starboard as shown
in the indicator.
• 4. Port / starboard fifteen
Turn the rudder fifteen degrees to port/
starboard as shown in the indicator.
• 5. Port / starboard twenty
Turn the rudder twenty degrees to port/ starboard
as shown in the indicator.
• 6. Port / starboard twenty-five
Turn the rudder twenty-five degrees to
port/ starboard as shown in the indicator.
• 7. Hard-a-port / starboard, hard to port / starboard or hard port / starboard
All three have the same meaning.
However, their execution may vary depending on the type of rudder the vessel has. You have
to obtain this information to the helmsman you’re going to relieve. Otherwise, you can ask the
OOW.

I was on a tanker ship using Becker rudder and the maximum rudder angle was 60 degrees
on both sides.
 
• 8. Nothing to port/starboard
Avoid allowing the vessel’s head to go to port/starboard.
 
• 9. Meet her or Check her
One of the most confusing command but the most seldom used.
In SMCP, the definition only goes as far as this: Check the swing of the vessel´s head in a turn.
It doesn’t give context so lets elaborate below.

Execution:
The helm order “meet her” is used when the ship is turning.
When the conning officer or pilot gives you this command, immediately check the ship’s
heading and apply counter rudder to stop the vessel’s swing.
• 10. Steady
This is similar to the wheel order meet her.
Similarly, it is given when the vessel is swinging fast. But the order steady
is most widely used when steering.
When the conning officer gives this command, you as the man on the
wheel, must immediately Reduce the vessel’s swing as rapidly as possible!
However, its full execution is completed when the ship stops turning.
By this, you can now say to the pilot, “Steady now, Sir” or “Steady now,
Mr. Pilot”.
 
• 11. Steady as she goes
The helm order steady and steady as she goes are given consecutively.
When the conning officer sees that the ship’s swing is greatly reduced,
his next command would sometimes be “steady as she goes”.
 
As soon as he says this, steer a steady course on the compass heading
indicated at the time of the order.
• 12. Ease to five / ten / fifteen / twenty
Reduce amount of rudder to 5°/ 10°/ 15°/ 20° and hold.
For example, if your current rudder angle is at port thirty and the pilot orders you to ease to
ten, immediately put the rudder angle to port ten
Here’s the typical scenario:
Pilot: Starboard twenty.
Helmsman: Starboard twenty… Starboard twenty now, sir.
Pilot: Ease to five.
Helmsman: Ease to five… Starboard five now, sir.
Pilot: Very well
 
• 13. Keep the buoy/ mark/ beacon/ lighthouse… on port side / starboard side/ ahead
Self explanatory. Keep the target on the side the pilot tells you.
Sometimes, he does not give order on any course but these markers.
Before doing so however, he will make sure which marker he is referring to.
Your response: Leading lights dead ahead now, Mr. Pilot.
or
Your response: Keep the buoy on port side, copy.
 
Steering by Compass
Not all the times helm orders are given.
Sometimes, the conning officer commands you to steer a specific course. Its up to how on
how to best execute it.
14. Starboard, steer zero-eight-two
Bring the ship’s heading to zero eight two (082°).
Your response: Starboard, steer zero-eight-two.
*(After completing the order)
Helmsman: Starboard, steer zero-eight-two now, sir.
Other response variation may include:
Helmsman: Zero-eight-two now, sir.
Or
Helmsman: Steering/ Heading zero-eight-two now, sir.
Conning Officer: Very well, thank you.
 
Other Helm Commands:
Some conning officers, instead of looking at the rudder angle indicator, will ask you something.
Perhaps they are using the binoculars to try to avoid something and wants to double check the
previous command.
Or they could be trying to get your attention.
 
15. What’s your course/ heading/ rudder?
The conning officer is asking about the course/ heading or rudder angle.
Your response: Course/ heading is zero-nine-seven.
Or
Helmsman: Rudder is starboard five, sir.
16. Mind your helm/ rudder
In the most basic term, it says “Pay attention”!
The conning officer wants you to focus on your steering instead of
being distracted with something else.
He usually says this if he notices that you are not paying attention to
your duties on the wheel.
 
17. Report to me if you have no steering H3
Steaming at low speed affects the steering of the ship. Since the pilot
is aware of this, he usually tells you to report if you have no steering.
If it comes to this situation and you report it to him, he usually gives
the engine a “kick” just to turn the vessel.
Report back to him if the vessel starts turning or steering is back by
saying so.
18. Finish with the wheel
Lastly, when the maneuvering is finished, ship is alongside and mooring
ropes are fast, its time for the conning officer to let you go of this duty.
The proper way of saying this is, “Finish with the wheel.”
Your response would be, “Finish with the wheel, thank you.”
Or if the rudder is not in amidships (its usually in midship position
before letting go), here’s a typical response.
Helmsman: Finish with the wheel, rudder is still on port ten.
 
The conning officer would then tell you to put into midships before
letting you go.
Steering the ship doesn’t only happens during canal transit. It is also
used in open sea during bad weather or when there is heavy traffic.
Shipmasters also use these helm orders during anchoring since they
mostly prefer hand steering.
 The Helm and Helmsman Duties
• Never relieve the helm nor should the
helmsman surrender the helm when the
vessel is in a turn, and until the vessel has
been steadied on the new ordered course to
steer. To relieve the helm and the helmsman
on watch, the following information should be
part of the pass down from the helmsman you
are relieving:
• The ordered ship's course in true or magnetic, and the
compass or repeater that is being steered by.
• If steering by gyro compass, what is the ordered true
course, what is the gyro error, the gyro course to steer
true, and what is the magnetic compass checking
course. (The checking course is the equivalent course to
steer by magnetic compass if the gyro compass fails.)
• Any steering peculiarity such as "Carrying a little right
rudder," or "Carrying mostly left."
• Any received orders that are still standing, such as
"Steer Nothing to the Left," or "Steady on Course
090º ."
• In restricted waters, is the ship being steered on a
range, landmark or light, make sure it is pointed out to
you and you are clear and sure that you recognize it.
• What steering unit is engaged (Port or Starboard),
and if the standby steering unit is "off or in stand-by."
• What is the condition of all helm equipment.
• What has the weather and sea state been.
• Any special circumstances or instructions that you
should know about.
• Once you are ready to relieve the helm, first
report to the officer of the watch that you are
ready to relieve the watch, and request
permission to relieve the helm. Wait for the
officer of the watch to acknowledge your
report and gives you permission to relieve the
helm.
• On some ships the routine is a bit more
formal, where a full report is required to be
stated verbally to the officer on watch by the
person relieving the helm, for example;
• "Sir/Ma'am, request permission to relieve the
helm, steering course 100º true, 101º per gyro
compass, checking course is 106º , steering on
the port steering, starboard steering unit is in
standby."
• The officer on watch normally will
acknowledge and give you permission to
relieve the helm by stating "very well" or "very
well, relieve the helm."