Auxiliary Steering Gear

Auxiliary steering gear is the redundant steering capability SOLAS requires so a ship can keep steering after a single failure in the main system. SOLAS II-1/29 mandates both a main and an auxiliary steering gear, arranged so a single failure in one does not disable the other. The main gear must put the rudder over from 35 degrees on one side to 30 degrees on the other in 28 seconds at maximum service speed; the auxiliary gear must achieve 15 to 15 degrees in 60 seconds at half speed or 7 knots, whichever is greater. Tankers, chemical tankers, and gas carriers above 10,000 GT face additional power-unit redundancy under II-1/29.6.