You are on watch in open water, making 12 knots. Without warning the helm becomes unresponsive — the autopilot is not reacting and the manual wheel produces no movement. The vessel is holding her course for now, but you have seconds to make decisions that could determine whether this is an inconvenience or a catastrophe.
What you are dealing with
Steering gear failure falls into three broad categories:
- Loss of bridge steering control (helm signals not reaching the steering gear room)
- Loss of main steering gear (hydraulic or mechanical failure in the gear itself)
- Loss of auxiliary/emergency steering capability
Your duty is to maintain directional control at all times, transfer control to a working system as fast as possible, and inform the Master immediately.
Immediate actions — steering failure
- Inform the Master — this is non-negotiable and comes first or simultaneous with step 2.
- Transfer to alternative steering position — most yachts have at least three: autopilot, NFU (non-follow-up) lever on the bridge, and emergency steering locally in the steering gear room. Know the sequence and practice it.
- Reduce speed — buy time and reduce the vessel's commitment to her current track.
- Sound the appropriate signal if in a confined channel or near traffic (Rule 34 — vessel not under command signals may become relevant if control cannot be regained quickly).
- Station a helmsman at emergency steering — a competent crew member must be sent aft with a radio. Establish clear helm orders.
- Post additional lookout — the OOW's cognitive load is now very high.
- Broadcast a security message (Sécurité) if operating in a TSS, narrow channel, or near other traffic.
- Consider anchoring if in shallow water with sea room running out.
- Engage the duty engineer to investigate and repair.
- Make an entry in the logbook — time, nature of failure, actions taken.
Bridge control and telegraph failure
If engine telegraph fails, communication with the engine room must continue by telephone or radio. Many yachts operate on direct bridge control (DBD/IPS/electric drives) — loss of bridge control may mean loss of propulsion too, compounding the situation. Know your own vessel's contingency: manual override at the engine, dedicated phone line, or local control panel in the engine room.
SOLAS / MCA context
SOLAS Chapter II-1 governs the construction and performance standards for steering gear — for example, the requirement to carry auxiliary steering gear capable of being brought into operation quickly. The drill and testing requirements are found in SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 26. Under Regulation 26.1, the steering gear must be checked and tested within 12 hours before departure. Under Regulation 26.4, emergency steering drills must be conducted at least once every three months; these drills must include direct control of the vessel from within the steering gear compartment, the communications procedure with the navigation bridge, and — where applicable — the operation of alternative power supplies. On a UK ship, the dates and details of all such drills and tests must be recorded in the Official Log Book.
MSN 1858 underpins the certification and examination framework within which these requirements are assessed. For the oral, be clear that you know the drill requirement exists and that you have practised emergency steering on your own vessel — examiners will probe this.
Key principle: Control the vessel first, then communicate, then investigate. Never leave the bridge unmanned during the emergency.