On my first ship there was two rudders so we had a port steering gear room and a starboard steering gear room. In each room there are two hydraulic power packs which can run independently or together as they have separate power supplies and oil tanks, which complies with SOLAS regulation. There is also an emergency steering console in each room although from the starboard console you can control the operation of both the port and starboard rudders.
No.1 & 2 pumps are on the portside and No.3 & 4 pumps are on the starboard side. Each pump has its own starter panel where the pump can be started and stopped. There is a switch which has 3 settings, remote, off and local. When in the remote setting, control of the pump and the steering gear is on the bridge, this is the setting during normal operation. Off as is suggested, will stop the pump or stop it from being started. Local however, will start the pump from the local position but control of the operation will still be on the bridge.
On each console there is a tiller switch which determines the location of control. On the Portside console there are three positions, Remote (Bridge), Emergency (Port Console) and Starboard (Starboard Console). On the Starboard console there are only two settings, Remote (Bridge) and Emergency (Starboard Console)
In each steering gear room on the steering console there is a magnetic and gyro compass. The Port side console has only one joystick to control the port rudder however control can be passed to the starboard console which has a joystick control for each rudder. Given the correct settings on the starter panel and the emergency console the steering can be operated remotely or locally. The settings are as follows,
Normal Operation – Starter Panel Switch – Remote Control – Local Tiller Switch – Bridge
Local Tiller Operation – Starter Panel Switch – Remote Control – Local Tiller Switch – Emergency
Solenoid Operation – Starter Panel Switch – Local Control – Local Tiller Switch – Emergency
If operation is not possible from either the bridge or the emergency steering console then solenoid operations must be used. To operate the steering in solenoid position you must firstly have the starter panel and the local tiller switch in the correct position ( see above).
On the power pack itself there are electrically operated solenoid valves but if needed, the valve can be pushed in either direction manually to achieve operation of the rudder. As the solenoid valve has to be pushed manually then one person can only operate one power pack, if two power packs are needed then two people must operate the individual valves simultaneously and in the same direction.
If the above settings and protocols are adhered to then control of the power packs operation and control of the rudder movements can be adaptable during an emergency situation. This also complies with the following key regulations according to SOLAS.
During emergency operation the rudder must be able to move from 15 degrees in one direction to 15 degrees in the opposite direction in no more than 60 seconds while at the ships deepest draft and travelling at half maximum speed ahead or 7 knots, whichever is greater.
Any ship of 70,000 GT or above must have two or more independent, identical steering systems.
Any Electro-Hydraulic means of steering must have a rudder position indicator at the place of navigation (bridge) and at a local machinery station (Emergency steering console).
Any Electro-Hydraulic means of steering must have at least 2 sources of power, e.g. be able to be operated on normal power and also from the emergency power supply/emergency switchboard.
