23Steering gear: testing and drills

23 Steering gear: testing and drills
[SOLAS V/26]

23.1 Within 12 hours prior to a ship’s departure from a port, the master must ensure that the ship's steering gear is checked and tested by the ship's crew in accordance with Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Regulation 26 of Chapter V of SOLAS.

23.2 Where applicable to a ship, simple operating instructions with a block diagram showing the change-over procedures for remote steering gear control systems and steering gear power units must be permanently displayed on the navigating bridge and in the steering gear compartment.

23.3 The master of a ship must ensure that all officers concerned with the operation or maintenance of steering gear are familiar with the operation of the steering systems fitted on the ship and with the procedures for changing from one system to another.

23.4 The master of a ship must ensure that, in addition to complying with 23.1, emergency steering drills take place at least once every 3 months in order to practice emergency steering procedures. These drills must include direct control from within the steering gear compartment, the communications procedure with the navigating bridge and, where applicable, the operation of alternative power supplies.

23.5 The Manager, Ship Inspections, may exempt a ship or class of ships that regularly plies on voyages of short duration from compliance with 23.1.

23.6 The master of a ship exempted from compliance with 23.1 must carry out the checks and tests specified so far as those checks and tests are applicable, at least once every week.

23.7 The master of a ship must ensure that the date upon which the checks and tests specified in 23.1 or 23.6 are carried out, and the date and details of emergency steering drills specified in 23.4 are carried out, are recorded in the official log-book.