Automation, Monitoring and

Alarms of Steering System

A Steering Gear is the equipment provided on ships
to turn the ship to left (Port side) or to right
(Starboard side) while in motion during sailing. The
Steering Gear works only when the ship is in motion
and, does not work when the ship is stationary. All
the ships are to be provided with, an efficient main
steering gear, an auxiliary steering gear and, except
for very small ships, the main steering gear should
be power operated.
Monitoring of the Steering System
Steering Gear – Testing and Drills:
• The full movement of the rudder as per the
required capabilities of the steering gear
system present onboard.
• A visual inspection of all the linkages and
connection in the steering gear.
• The means of communication between the
steering gear room and navigational bridge must
always be operational.
 Alarms of the Steering System
Off Course Alarm

• an off-course alarm serves for the purpose of

notifying the operator if there is any difference in
the set course and the actual heading of the
vessel. The user can manually set the required
amount of degrees, after which an alarm will
sound to notify the user that the set degree of
difference has exceeded.
 Self-Tensioning Mooring Winches
• self-tension winch – Winches designed to
heave-in automatically whenever the line
tension falls below a certain pre-set value.
Likewise, they pay out if the line tension
exceeds a pre-set value. The use of the self-
tension winches is not recommended except
for mooring deployed at 90° to the ship axis.
 Automatic shut-down of cargo-pumping on
abnormal operating conditions of inert gas
system on board tankers
What is Inert gas system?
• Inert gas system is the most important
integrated system for oil tankers for safe
operation of the ship.
• When the concentration reaches around 10 %,
an atmosphere is created inside tank in which
hydrocarbon vapors cannot burn. The
concentration of inert gas is kept around 5%
as a safety limit.
• The requirement of the cargo Emergency
Shutdown (ESD) system are to stop cargo
liquid and vapour flow in the event of an
emergency and to bring the cargo handling
system to a safe, static condition. The earlier
method of cargo shut down comprise of
manual trip points and automatic fire sensors
that can initiate remote closure of emergency
shutdown valves "for shutting down liquid and
vapour cargo transfer between ship and shore.
 Automatic shut down of cargo pumping and loading on
tankers and gas carriers

• An ESD system is basically a link between the ship and the terminal.
It can be automatically activated either by pre-defined conditions,
such as high tank levels or high pressure, or manually activated by
an emergency button.
• Another key feature of any ESD system is the ability to stop the
cargo operation safely. No party either on board or at shore, should
have to shut a valve against a full flow of incoming liquid. A system
that links the ship and shore can allow either party to activate a
pre-defined and controlled shutdown procedure. This process aims
to protect the system against unacceptable pressure surges and
brings the transfer operation to a static condition safely.
• Once activated, by either party or an abnormal condition, then a
series of events starts to return the cargo system to a static
condition so that any remedial action can be taken in a timely and
safe manner. This includes the structured closing of valves both
onboard and ashore and the tripping of pumps and compressors.