Why Are Most Helms on the Right?

[MonacoMike]

Interesting question...

https://www.boattest.com/view-news/6546

MM

 

[Woody]

It's for the same reason the right side is called starboard....most people are right handed.

 

[spikedaddy99]

Good thing I'm ambidextrous.

 

[Gofirstclass]

I would have guessed it's because most docking is done on the stbd side.

 

[Fred]

I believe it's for better visibility on the starboard side, the side you are more vulnerable on as a boat crossing from that side has the right of way.
At my point in life I don't give a dam what the social media consensus is.

 

[MonacoMike]

I believe it's for better visibility on the starboard side, the side you are more vulnerable on as a boat crossing from that side has the right of way.
At my point in life I don't give a dam what the social media consensus is.

But it is better than another winterizing thread. LOL

MM

 

[Woody]

The term starboard comes from the Old English steorbord, meaning the side on which the ship is steered. Before ships had rudders on their center-lines, they were steered with a steering oar at the stern of the ship. Because more people are right-handed it was placed on the right-hand side.

As the size of boats grew, so did the steering oar, making it much easier to tie a boat up to a dock on the side opposite the oar. This side became known as larboard, or “the loading side.” Over time, larboard—too easily confused with starboard—was replaced with port.

 

[Golfman25]

Nah, it's because most of us boaters can't stand the left.

 

[Gofirstclass]

Or left handed people.

 

[majoma]

My old Carver 57 had it on the left side and so my old Bayliner 40. I like it better on the right side as on my Sea Ray.

 

[Frtbroker]

I would give my right arm to be ambidextrous..........

 

[GypsmJim]

I can't believe nobody got the right answer. Most props are right handed, which makes the boat lean to port. Having the helm on the starboard side makes the boat run level with only 1 person aboard.

 

[Shananagins]

Nah, it's because most of us boaters can't stand the left.

 

[MonacoMike]

I can't believe nobody got the right answer. Most props are right handed, which makes the boat lean to port. Having the helm on the starboard side makes the boat run level with only 1 person aboard.

That was one of the options in the article that I linked you in the original post.

MM

 

[FootballFan]

I believe the SR 520 L Class the helm is on the port side. At least it is one of those 5xx L class boats.

 

[GypsmJim]

My old woodie (see avatar) has a port side wheel. Back in the day my particular model came with seats for a tiller steer. No steering systems were optional, thus any of them were either dealer installed or customer installed. Many of the early Lyman aft steer boats that I see (probably hal;f of them) have wheels mounted on the port side.

My boat originally came with a 1952 Mercury Mark 30, which I believe had a right handed prop. So whatever "theory" you subscribe to the original owner must have had other ideas.