Abstract: An improved rudder steering apparatus for ships is disclosed including a rudder-jam-responsive device for automatically disconnecting the tiller from the rudder shaft upon the occurrence of jamming or wedging of the rudder. A pair of cam track levers pivotally connected with a plate mounted on the rudder shaft are normally biased by an hydraulic piston-cylinder motor into engagement with a follower that is connected with the tiller. The motor is automatically operable by an overload-responsive device (such as a pressure-relief safety valve or an accumulator tank) to disconnect the levers from the follower device when the rudder is in a wedged or jammed condition.