Steering direction

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Lopez Mike
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Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 6:41 am
Boat Name: S.L. Spiffy
Location: Lopez Island, Washington State, USA

Re: Steering direction

Post by Lopez Mike » Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:32 pm

Aha! Now you have me all confused again. Jack and Den had me all convinced that forward (counter clockwise from inside the boat) should be to Port.

I think I'll stay with their logic for now.
Also, it will keep me out of trouble with Barbara!

Mike
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fredrosse
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Re: Steering direction

Post by fredrosse » Sun Dec 23, 2012 11:01 pm

I was always questioning this, until someone told me how turning the wheel clockwise always turns the boat to the right. The logic is the same for an automobile, all of them, when you face the steering wheel from inside the vehicle, turn right when the wheel is turned clockwise. This is the same in the USA or England where they drive on the wrong side of the road.

I also thought in "rudderspeak" a boat is turned "Left" or "Right", not to "Port" or "Starboard", am I wrong here?

In any event I had no room on my steamer for a conventional steering wheel, and thought I would be confused with the steering wheel shaft running athwartships, so I opted for a partial wheel, with steering shaft running fwd-aft along the side of the boat. My electric boat has the same setup, and it has been entirely satisfactory, with no cables whatsoever.
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