Question 548 Deck Safety

The correct answer is D) "gyro" to "hand". When steering by autopilot and the vessel starts deviating from the course without corrective action, the proper emergency procedure is to immediately change from the "gyro" mode to the "hand" mode. This allows the operator to take direct manual control of the steering and make the necessary corrections to return the vessel to the proper heading. The other options are incorrect because: A) Changing from "control" to "hand" does not address the issue of the autopilot failing to maintain the course. B) Changing from "gyro" to "control" may not provide the immediate control needed to correct the deviation. C) Changing from "hand" to "gyro" would put the vessel back under autopilot control, which has already proven unreliable in this situation.