Drive da boat on the left or right?

[Thunderhead19]

There seems to be some discrepancy regarding which side is the "Traditional" helm side. I believe it all comes back to the terminology "Steerboard" or in modern english Starboard is the traditional side of the tiller handle to steer from. "Port" or Port in modern english is the "Traditional" side to dock on. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to chase some Norsemen out of my garden. shoo... shooo.

[Corpus Skipper]

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to chase some Norsemen out of my garden. shoo... shooo.

They've got spray for that

[stevel]

I've heard that you can trap them using stale beer in a container that is too deep for them to crawl out of. The only problem is that I've never managed to let an opened beer get warm, let alone stale.

[safewalrus]

What about in the wheelhouse out of the weather? preferably somewhere you can see where your going?

[cyclops]

As long as the wheel is round and in front of me, I could not care less.

[marshmat]

How about a sidestick controller, Cyclops? ;-)

[mackid068]

I could care less. I'm a dinghy sailor with quite a bit of powerboating experience, and I feel that a center steering boat, if available, is much better for visibility and safety.

[safewalrus]

anything is better than a whipstaff!

[cyclops]

I like center steering, if the boat has the space.

[mackid068]

Yeah, I agree.

[marshmat]

Centre steering is great!

Still, for what I do, I'll take a starboard helm over a centre one- the reason being that when piloting solo, or with incompetent crew, I can reach out to my right and grab the dock myself without leaving the helm. (This is for runabouts of course- wouldn't try that with a 30-footer!)

[mackid068]

Certainly.

[Timbard]

Interestingly , the Edwardian River (Thames) lauches I have looked at all have the wheel on the starboard side!

[JimCooper]

Originally Posted by jehardiman

Starboard, As ABoatGuy says because you meet starboard to. Also because most people are right handed which put the throttle/shift in the proper hand.

Hey
Don't mean to be rude but (if I read you right) I think you'd better read Colregs fella !
I have a very definate choice for a Port helm if it has to be off one side . In a channel you can see the markers easily on Stbd, but a vessel passing to PORT especially when a bit smaller than you, can be real hard to see from the stbd side.

I've been in many boats that have had two helms , one usually off-centre and one on-centre. At sea you helm happily from either, in traffic you always take the best view regardless of the side.

As someone said prop walk comes into it too when docking. Some larger boats have additional controls in the strangest of places. Wherever its convenient.


Jim

[jehardiman]

Originally Posted by JimCooper

Hey
Don't mean to be rude but (if I read you right) I think you'd better read Colregs fella !

I have read the COLREGS, and if you followed the reference you would see that ABoatGuy and I refer to stbd-stbd meet because you are the burdened vessel. And yes, if possible you should have helm repeaters on the bridge wings, but the original thread topic was about single helm runabouts, not large vessels.

In the very limited channel meeting situation you propose (or if following the old sing-song) you are correct that you will meet port-port, but in this case you are the equally previliged stand-on vessel and should be watching the stbd side closely as that is your burdened side. The rules also require other considerations, such as seperation and overtaking, while in a channel that relieve the need to closely watch the port side (your previliged side), but not the starboard (unless of course you or the others around you just ignore the rules).