Ship course keeping control is a critical component of ship autopilot systems and has garnered significant research interest. To enhance the performance of course keeping under complex sea conditions, this study proposes an adaptive controller based on an event-triggering mechanism. The control law, incorporating adaptive parameters, is derived using a backstepping iterative algorithm, with specific parameters substituted for the "Yukun" vessel. A wind and wave disturbance model is developed using the Simulink toolbox, where white noise of varying intensities is superimposed to simulate sea state disturbances. Event-triggering conditions are designed to align with the operational requirements of the vessel and the prevailing sea conditions. Comparative simulation experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed adaptive controller and a traditional negative feedback controller. The results indicate that the adaptive controller outperforms the traditional negative feedback controller in terms of steering smoothness, course stability, and response speed, demonstrating its suitability for ensuring safe and environmentally friendly navigation.