Steering a ship means controlling her heading by turning the rudder, so she follows the course the officer of the watch or pilot orders. On a merchant ship a helmsman steers from the bridge by hand, or an autopilot does it.
This guide is written for deck cadets and trainee helmsmen. It explains what steers a ship, how the rudder turns her, helm orders, hand steering technique, steering modes, the pivot point, and what inspectors check.
What Does It Mean to Steer a Ship?
To steer a ship is to keep her on a set heading, or turn her onto a new one, by moving the rudder. The person doing it is the helmsman, and the wheel or control is called the helm.
“Steer the ship” is also a common figure of speech. It means to lead or guide an organisation, the way a captain guides a ship.
Steering is only one part of handling a ship. Engine speed, thrusters, tugs and anchors are also used, especially at low speed in port. In an emergency, a hard-over turn often avoids danger ahead sooner than a crash stop.
What Steers a Ship?
A ship is steered by her rudder, a flat or foil-shaped blade hinged at the stern behind the propeller. The steering gear turns the rudder, and the helmsman controls the steering gear from the bridge.
- Rudder: deflects the flow of water past the stern. See how a ship’s rudder works for rudder types and forces.
- Steering gear: the electro-hydraulic machinery in the steering gear room that turns the rudder. It sits in the steering gear room at the stern.
- Helm or wheel: the wheel, tiller or joystick on the bridge that the helmsman uses to order a rudder angle.
- Other steering devices: bow thrusters, azimuth thrusters and podded drives also turn ships, mainly at low speed.
How Does a Rudder Turn a Ship?
When the rudder is put over, water flowing past it creates a sideways lift force. This pushes the stern the opposite way, so the bow swings towards the side the rudder was turned to.
Starboard rudder pushes the stern to port, and the ship turns to starboard. The ship does not simply turn at the rudder angle. She swings about her pivot point and slides slightly sideways through the turn.
The rudder only works with water flowing past it. Propeller wash over the rudder gives steering effect even at low ship speed. That is why a short burst of engine power helps a slow ship turn.
Who Steers a Ship?
A helmsman, usually an able seafarer deck, steers by hand on the orders of the officer of the watch, master or pilot. In open water the autopilot usually steers.
Ratings who steer are certified under STCW for forming part of a bridge navigational watch. The officer of the watch stays responsible for the ship’s heading, even when a helmsman or pilot is at the wheel.
What Are the Standard Helm Orders?
Helm orders tell the helmsman which rudder angle or course to steer. The IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases set the standard wording, and every order is repeated back by the helmsman.
| Helm order | What the helmsman does |
|---|---|
| Port (starboard) five / ten / fifteen / twenty | Put the rudder to that angle to port or starboard |
| Hard-a-port (hard-a-starboard) | Put the rudder fully over, usually 35° |
| Midships | Put the rudder amidships (0°) |
| Ease to five / ten | Reduce the rudder angle to the figure given |
| Steady | Reduce the swing as quickly as possible |
| Steady as she goes | Steer the heading the ship is on at the moment of the order |
| Steer one-two-five | Steer the course given, read out digit by digit |
| Nothing to port (starboard) | Do not let the heading go to port (starboard) of the course |
| Report if she does not answer the wheel | Tell the officer at once if the ship stops responding |
| Finished with wheel | No more steering needed |
The order is closed-loop. The helmsman repeats it, carries it out, and reports when it is done, for example “Wheel is port ten” or “Steady on one-two-five”.
Directions are always given as port and starboard, never left and right. Port is the left side facing forward; a quick memory aid is in the guide to port and starboard directions.
How Do You Steer a Ship by Hand?
Steer with small rudder movements and watch the rate of turn as well as the compass. Meet the swing with opposite rudder before the ship reaches the new heading.
- Check the course ordered and the rudder angle indicator before taking the wheel.
- Steer by the gyro repeater, and know where the magnetic compass is if the gyro fails.
- Use small rudder angles, usually 5° to 10°, to correct the heading in open water.
- Avoid large, late rudder movements, which make the ship snake about her course.
- Watch the rate of turn indicator; the swing starts and stops some seconds after the rudder moves.
- Before reaching the new heading, apply opposite rudder to check the swing. This is “meeting her”.
- In narrow channels, steer on a fixed mark ahead, such as a leading line, as well as the compass.
- Report at once if the ship is slow to answer or the rudder indicator does not follow the wheel.
A ship in shallow water, a following sea or with trim by the head is harder to steer. She may need larger rudder angles and earlier correction. Shallow water also reduces the under-keel clearance, so speed stays within the passage plan limits. Steering by a magnetic compass also needs allowance for deviation and slower card movement.
What Are the Steering Modes on a Ship?
Most ships have autopilot, follow-up, non-follow-up and local emergency steering. Follow-up moves the rudder to the angle set on the wheel and holds it there; non-follow-up moves it only while the control is held.
- Autopilot: keeps a set heading, or follows a track on modern systems.
- Follow-up: like a car, the rudder follows the wheel. Wheel at port ten means rudder at port ten.
- Non-follow-up: two buttons or a lever move the rudder while held. When released, the rudder stays where it is until moved back.
- Local or emergency: the rudder is controlled directly from the steering gear room if bridge control fails.
SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 24 requires changeover to manual steering in restricted visibility, heavy traffic and other hazardous situations. How each mode works inside the steering gear is explained in the guide to ship steering gear.
How Does the Pivot Point Affect Steering?
The pivot point is the point about which the ship appears to turn. Going ahead it moves forward, to roughly a quarter or a third of the length from the bow. The stern therefore swings much more than the bow.
- Stopped: the pivot point is near the centre of the ship.
- Starting ahead from rest: propeller thrust acts before the hull gains way. Some ship-handling texts place the pivot point as far forward as 1/8 L from the bow.
- Steady speed ahead: about 1/4 L from the bow, where hull resistance balances the propeller thrust.
- Turning ahead: lateral resistance on the hull pushes it back to about 1/3 L from the bow.
- Going astern: it moves aft, to a similar distance from the stern.
Hull shape also matters. Ship-handling texts quote the turning pivot point moving aft as the length-to-beam ratio falls:
| Length/beam ratio | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pivot point from bow | 0.33 L | 0.34 L | 0.35 L | 0.37 L | 0.40 L |
The further aft the pivot point, the shorter the lever between it and the rudder, and the less turning effect the rudder has. This is explained in more detail in the article on the pivot point of a ship.
Why Does a Ship Lose Speed When Turning?
A turning ship moves partly sideways, and the extra hull resistance plus rudder drag slow her down. In a hard-over turn, speed commonly falls by a third to a half.
Speed returns once the rudder is put back amidships and the ship steadies. The loss is part of the ship’s turning circle characteristics recorded in sea trials.
A turning ship also heels outward, away from the turn. On fast ships with low stability, such as container ships, heavy rudder at high speed can cause dangerous heel. Speed is reduced before large alterations.
How Were Ships Steered Before the Rudder?
Before the sternpost rudder, ships were steered with a large steering oar or side rudder mounted near the stern. The steering oar was usually on the right side, which gave starboard its name.
China used sternpost rudders from about the 1st century AD. In Europe they appeared around 1200 and replaced steering oars on larger, higher-sided ships.
Steering oars were capable: Viking ships crossed the North Atlantic with them. The sternpost rudder was stronger and easier to work on large hulls, which helped the long ocean voyages of the 15th and 16th centuries.
What Do Inspectors Check About Steering?
Port state control and vetting inspectors check that the bridge team can steer safely in every mode. They look at steering gear tests, changeover to manual steering, and whether the helmsman and officers know the procedures.
- Pre-departure steering gear tests and emergency steering drills recorded (SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 26).
- Manual steering tested after prolonged autopilot use and before entering restricted waters (SOLAS V/24).
- More than one steering gear power unit running in areas that call for special caution (SOLAS V/25).
- Changeover instructions between steering modes posted at the steering stand.
- Helm orders given and repeated in standard phrases, with the rudder indicator checked.
- Officers able to change from autopilot to hand steering and to emergency steering without hesitation.
In SIRE 2.0 tanker inspections, officers are often asked to demonstrate changing steering modes. Not knowing how to do this, or the alarms involved, is a common finding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does steer the ship mean?
Literally, it means controlling a ship’s heading with the rudder so she follows the ordered course. Figuratively, it means leading or guiding an organisation.
Is it “steer the ship” or “stir the ship”?
The correct phrase is “steer the ship”. To steer means to guide a vessel’s direction; “stir” means to mix and is a common misspelling here.
What is used to steer a ship?
The rudder, turned by the steering gear and controlled from the wheel or autopilot on the bridge. Bow thrusters, azimuth thrusters and pods also help at low speed.
What is a ship’s steering wheel called?
It is called the helm or the wheel. The person steering is the helmsman, and the console it sits on is the steering stand.
Who steers a ship?
A helmsman, usually an able seafarer deck, steers on the orders of the officer of the watch, master or pilot. In open water the autopilot usually steers.
How does follow-up steering work?
The rudder goes to the angle set on the wheel and stays there. Turning the wheel back to midships brings the rudder back amidships.
Why does a ship turn slowly after the rudder is put over?
A ship has great mass and inertia, so the swing builds up over some seconds. The rudder also needs water flowing past it to work.
Which way does the stern move when turning?
The stern swings away from the direction of the turn. With starboard rudder, the stern moves to port as the bow turns to starboard.
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