Why on the right side?

(billthom) · (billthom) **Join Date: Apr 2005** 07-20-2005, 4:40 PM

Maybe a dumb question:

Why is the driver of a boat on the right side? My only guess is because most boats the prop turns a specific way, so the boat tends to turn right, so the driver is on that side.

Thoughts?

(salmon_tacos) · (salmon_tacos) **Join Date: Jan 2003** 07-20-2005, 5:35 PM

It may be a chicken and egg thing but I'm sure it's related to the rule that requires you to yield to boats approaching from your starboard side. If the driver were not on the starboard side, he might not always be able to see the boats to which he is supposed to yield.

74skier 07-20-2005, 5:57 PM

I used to be due to the prop rotation, now it is on the right just because it is on the right.

(mike_gilbert) · (mike_gilbert) **Join Date: Sep 2004** 07-20-2005, 11:30 PM

I always thought it was because of the trottle.

(mikeski) · (mikeski) **Join Date: Aug 2003** 07-20-2005, 11:30 PM

It's so your right hand can operate the throttle mounted on the side of the boat. Boats with foot throttles steer from the left so you can operate the foot throttle with your right foot.

(boarditup) · (boarditup) **Join Date: Jan 2004** 07-21-2005, 4:32 AM

The right is starboard, formerly steerboard, where the rudder was conrolled. The left side is port, the side you put up against the dock so you did not damage your steerboard. This came from the vikings and egyptians. Both had the same solution to the situation.

the_skeptic 07-21-2005, 5:09 AM

thats deep

(uga33) · (uga33) **Join Date: Jul 2003** 07-21-2005, 5:20 AM

I could not imagine working the throttle with my left hand as I'am right handed. It would be slow or fast and no in between.

leggester 07-21-2005, 5:54 AM

I'll be damned. Karl is right on with the most popular theory.

I thought I wa the only one with a brain stuffed with useless trivia!!! :-)

(whitlock87) · (whitlock87) **Join Date: Feb 2005** 07-21-2005, 6:48 AM

I have seen some new eliminator boats with the drive sitting on the left (Port) side of the boat. Also most pontoon boats have the drive dead center.

(wakedoctor) · (wakedoctor) **Join Date: Dec 2004** 07-21-2005, 7:22 AM

So does a "center console" boat.

(billthom) · (billthom) **Join Date: Apr 2005** 07-21-2005, 1:11 PM

Perfect. I knew this was a good place to ask. Thanks!

(boarditup) · (boarditup) **Join Date: Jan 2004** 07-21-2005, 1:59 PM

Lieutenant Karl DeLooff, United States Coast Guard Reserve (former)

My blood still runs blue.

(sloshake) · (sloshake) **Join Date: Mar 2003** 07-21-2005, 2:06 PM

Even with the Viking/Egyptian reasoning, it still sounds as though they at least arbitrarily picked the right side for steering. It just so happened to work well with the right hand on the throttle idea.

(rodmcinnis) · (rodmcinnis) **Join Date: Sep 2002** 07-22-2005, 1:37 PM

There is certainly no rules that dictate where it should be, and there are plenty of boats available where the steering is on the left.

I submit that any conventions that date back to the Vikings are outdated enough to not be a prime motivation as to where the helm station is.

As for the direction the prop turns: A lot of boats have their props turn different directions and yet the steering may or may not be on the same side. Correct Crafts (Nautiques) turn their props different than MasterCrafts and most of the other wakeboard boats.

One standard that appears to be common are tiller steered outboards. They all seem to have the tiller on the same side of the motor, which pretty much forces the operator to sit on the right side of the boat and steer with their left hand.

As for wakeboard boats, they are following the convention of tournament ski boats. A tournament ski boat is going to follow the convention of driver on the right, observer on the left just because that is how the AWSA approves them for competition.

(mmobius2001) · (mmobius2001) **Join Date: Jun 2004** 07-22-2005, 4:41 PM

i being left handed could never imagine holding the throttle w/ my left hand....