For avoiding a high permanent load of the main and control drives
rotatable around the vertical axis for ships for the straight forward
sailing by a small and compact course keeping rudder system provided for
this purpose, for a propulsion system (10) for ships, in particular for
cruise vessels (100) with combined main and control drives (20), in
particular with at least one podded propulsor (25; 25'), whereby the
drive and at least one propeller (26; 26') are combined in a rotatable
gondel-type unit or gondel-type housing (27) placed outside the proper
hull (110) in the stern area (115), at least one course keeping rudder
system (30; 30') is placed outside the swivelling range of the podded
propulsor (25) or of the podded propulsors (25; 25') in the stern area
(115) of the hull (110) as an independent, separate, small and preferably
electrohydraulically driven rudder configured with a flow favourable
profile which makes available only the steering moments necessary for the
ship during the straight forward travelling, preferably under course
control operation (or autopilot operation), the main and control drives
being unused during the straight forward travelling, no longer used and
remaining in inoperative position.