Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

[Franki]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

hmmm, in australia, our cars wheel is on the right hand (starboard) side.<br />in boat it is also on right hand side..<br /><br />gearshift/throttle is on opposite sides, car and boat... <br /><br />wish it was in the middle in the boat.. cos my 17footer is narrow beam.. and I am 120kg (250 pounds + I think)<br /><br />I end up standing in the middle and steering from there sometimes.. even with the girlfriend and fuel on the other side.. <br /><br />still, its there, it works, i'll do..<br /><br />didn't consider the torque effect.. <br /><br />rgds<br /><br />Frank

 

[crab bait]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

i got the 'REAL' answer..<br /><br />cause of right handed throttle, prop torque,& cause we like it that way...

 

[gslpro]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

HAHAHAHA <br />Very good Crab Bait...I think that sums it all up.<br />Hey....Why don't we have front-prop boats like front-wheel cars?<br />Hmmm..Just wondering.<br /> <br />-Gary

 

[crab bait]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

i do.. i gotta prop on the front of my little pond boat.. an it steers with a 'foot pad'that lays on the 'right' side of the deck..

 

[C17LoadSmasher]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

Hmm well fancy this.. aircraft are piloted from the left seat, and helicopters from the right....maybe there is something funny about choopers too?

 

[steelespike]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

In the thirties they built outboards with the prop in front of the gearcase.Called a tractor<br />set up.I think most were used in racing.

 

[Capt Ken]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

To counter act the torque of the prop. In the beginning, boat builders thought all props should turn clockwise on all single engine boats. Chris Craft was one of the last builders to back away from this idea. Even up into the 70's they installed counter-rotating engines in their single engine boats so the prop would turn clockwise. With a clock-wise turning prop, the boat has a tendency to raise up on the starboard side when at speed. The added weight on the starboard side help to counteract this. The old timers on this board should remember the days of old when engines were mounted in boats with the flywheel forward and the transmissions were bolted to the front of the crankshaft. This was the easiest way to turn the prop to the right. Of course back then they turned a lot bigger props than the boats now a days so the torque isn't as much of a factor.

 

[Bart Sr.]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

Hi All>>>>>>>>I would like to renew my earlier question about the smartazz post.Did I miss something or was it deleted???Please respond!!!

 

[blifsey]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

here 'ya go...<br />Thread re: smartazz

 

[Bart Sr.]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

Thank You HotByte.

 

[taz33911]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

Most engines are set up for the steering cable to be mounted on the starboard side of the engine if you want it on the port side you are going to need a longer cable to route it to the port side.But I am also used to shifting with my right hand if I was in england or Austalia I might have a problem with that but I was born and live in the U.S. so it is fine with me.

 

[golfer]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

Well,<br />Here is my input on all of this...The theories are all weak except the starbard yeild...I have a 27' Fountain Fever, and the steering is on the right. Here are the theory killers:<br /><br />1) My prop is left hand rotation, kills the weight distribution theory.<br /><br />2) My throttle control is on the left, not the right, kills the right hand shift theory.<br /><br />My "opinion" on the matter is that they put the steering on the right side just to drive us crazy wondering why...

 

[Bart Sr.]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

Just to clear my mind of this I only want to say that I REALLY HAVE often wondered about steering wheel placement AND I HAVE SLEPT BETTER after hearing all these good answers.If YOU take the interjection of some of the lighter side of my personality in my posts as being a SMARTAZZ then that is YOUR opinion.Thank you!!!!!!!!

 

[rltycheck]

Re: Why boat steering wheels opposite cars?

I gotta go with Erie Guy (partly due to the fact he's out of Port Clinton). Partly it's for the visual radius.<br /><br />Another reason is that most american are right handed (sorry lefties). We shift with the right hand, steer with the left. To put the helm on the left side of the boat necessitates an additional bend in the cable, and we all know that the fewer bends the better.<br /><br />As for the comment about sportboats having left helms... this is race inspired so that the boat can be operated by one person in a casual setting, or divide the operation tasks of steering and throttling to two different people. It's kinda dumb for most of these boats as they are usually very fast looking, but so underpowered they could never really race.<br /><br />Good topic though, made me think!