Steering wheels

[kaydano]

Why are car steering wheels on the left and boats on the right?

 

[SEMPERFI8387]

I read that the "STEER BOARD" (starboard) was mounted to the right, allowed docking to PORT side and it kind of remained.

Torque steer comes up in research, but that makes no sense in a larger boat (weight offset counteracts torque steer).

Also read, by navigation rules, boat to right has "right of way" (typically) so they are easier to see ???

Don't know about cars, never really wondered, I do know it was a PITA to learn drive right hand when I went to England ...... BUT, once you got used to it, it seemed as normal as LH drive.

 

[Rockie69]

I have often wondered about LH steering wheel. When two vehicle collide in the US there is always impact to the LH side (if crossing the center line). If the industry standard were to switch to RH there would potentially be lives saved as you would be putting the drivers further away from the impact.

 

[BulldogsCadillac]

I have often wondered about LH steering wheel. When two vehicle collide in the US there is always impact to the LH side (if crossing the center line). If the industry standard were to switch to RH there would potentially be lives saved as you would be putting the drivers further away from the impact.

true, but you would probably have MORE head ons since people wouldn't be sure they where the center line is.

 

[Ecoman]

I found 2 sources for this: the propeller turns clockwise and tends to raise the right side.

So, the weight of the "pilot" would help to stabilize the boat if he was on the right, so the steering wheel was placed there.

Boat propellers turn clockwise, sez Leon, and hulls used to be designed in such a way that when there was torque on the prop, the right side of the boat would rise up. So the wheel was put on the right, so the weight of these "healthy sized" fishermen would counteract that.

http://www.amphicars.com/acleft.htm

early powered boats used automotive engines and often were simply the engine in the middle of a boat with an extension on the rear of the crankshaft to drive a propeller at the back of the boat. Most engines (and until recently all engines) turn in a clockwise direction when viewed from the rear. A high powered engine particularly in a small round hulled boat will succumb to the laws of physics and the boat will try to turn in the opposite direction to the propeller. This could be seen in the right side lifting slightly when under power, to overcome this early boat builders put the seat, steering gear, and anything else heavy, on the right.

 

[SFC J]

Ive never heard anyone say Steer Board equals Starboard. Thats a good one to tell people that cant remember which is which!

 

[SEMPERFI8387]

Ive never heard anyone say Steer Board equals Starboard. Thats a good one to tell people that cant remember which is which!

It comes from early boats that had a Steering Board (rudder) hanging off the right side. Originally pronounced a a Steorbord

 

[SEMPERFI8387]

From Wikipedia:

Starboard (right)

The origin of the term starboard comes from early boating practices. Before ships had rudders on their centrelines, they were steered by use of a specialized steering oar. This oar was held by an oarsman located in the stern (back) of the ship. However, similar to now, there were many more right-handed sailors than left-handed sailors. This meant that the steering oar (which had been broadened to provide better control) used to be affixed to the right side of the ship. The word starboard comes from Old English steorbord, literally meaning the side on which the ship is steered, descendant from the Old Norse words stýri meaning "rudder" (from the verb stýra, literally "being at the helm", "having a hand in") and borð meaning etymologically "board", then the "side of a ship".

 

[Grizz]

my steering wheel doesn't matter witch side its on....it just spins round and round. still no motor.........BREAKING NEWS.....the dealer just called and said the engine would be delivered tomorrow !!!!!!!!!   ok,  we'll see !!! maybe,,,,probably.

 

[kaydano]

Since Semp's on a roll, how about aft and bow?  Why were those words picked?

 

[Link]

Good question Kaydano, like making Semp work

 

[SEMPERFI8387]

Since Semp's on a roll, how about aft and bow? Why were those words picked?

You asked .... Bow:

The term bow comes from the old days of timber boat building. It is derived from the use of the trunk and a bow (bough) or large limb of a tree where the natural strength from the grown curved fibres of the wood provides the strength for this most vulnerable part of the ship or boat. The shipwright would cut the bow and trunk vertically through the felled tree to find the most natural curved form. This is also the "forward" part of the ship/boat.

Stern:

The stern is the rear or aft part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter to the taffrail. This is also the "aft" part of the ship/boat.

Aft: An adverb, meaning "toward the stern," as in "lay aft to the boiler room," from the Anglo-Saxon aeft, meaning "rear,"

After: An adjective, meaning toward the stern, as in "we're taking water in the after boiler room." Sometimes shortened to "aft," as in "the aft boiler room," but nautical purists draw the line at such corruption of the language.

 

[goldnrod24]

That explains why my wife told me to "stick it in my aft."

She descends from a long line of sailors!