Steering & Maneuvering

How far does a ship travel before stopping? Track reach, head reach, the IMO crash-stop limit of 15 ship lengths, and other ways to avoid danger ahead.

Under-keel clearance explained: how to calculate static and dynamic UKC, which allowances to deduct, company UKC minimums and how UKC is monitored.

What a ship rudder does and how it turns the ship, why it sits behind the propeller, its parts and types, the 35° hard-over limit and what surveyors check.

Trim by the head lowers the bow, lifts the propeller and hurts steering. Learn how trim is calculated, why stern trim is preferred and when head trim is OK.

The IS Code stability criteria for timber deck cargo, what the calculation must include, timber load lines, and how deck timber is stowed, lashed and checked.

LCB and LCF govern a ship’s trim and stability. Here is how they differ from LCG, and how deck officers apply them with hydrostatic tables and MCT1cm.

What beaching a ship means, when a master beaches a damaged ship, the procedure and refloating, and how beaching yards in South Asia scrap old ships today.

What a telemotor is, how its transmitter and receiver send the helm order to the steering gear, the hydraulic and electric types, and how it is maintained.

How ship steering gear moves the rudder, its main parts and types, follow-up and non-follow-up modes, and the SOLAS rules for testing and emergency drills.

Where a ship’s center of gravity and center of buoyancy sit, how loading moves them, and how they create the righting lever that keeps a ship upright.