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duffnit 
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Joined: October-12-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 235 |
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 Topic: Foolish QuestionPosted: March-12-2007 at 8:53am |
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Does anyone know when or why boats went from a port to a starboard helm?
Did this have anything to do with rotation/weight/ballance? Or was it something simple like ergonomics? Looking at some old boat pics made me wonder. d |
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Danny
"no offense- but the rate at which you spread bad information is very impressive" |
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8122pbrainard
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Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41045 |
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Posted: March-12-2007 at 3:25pm |
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Since a reverse rotation engine will always pull the stern in the port direction thats the side you always dock on. Then it's the boats mate reposibility for catching you so if you screw up the docking you can blame him or her!!
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eric lavine
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Posted: March-12-2007 at 7:51pm |
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maybe because of the controls? with more people being right handed? thats a damned good question though because i dont have any idea
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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scott8370
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Posted: March-12-2007 at 7:59pm |
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Maybe the British talked us into it. Or maybe, it's because(while boating) you pass on the right. I don't have any idea either.
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Scott
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The Dude
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Posted: March-12-2007 at 9:20pm |
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I searched to try to find the post, but there was a long discussion about this about 8 or 9 months ago. There are various theories, but most think it has to do with rotation and weight to counter it.
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scott8370
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Posted: March-12-2007 at 9:30pm |
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years ago the propeller on the boats were larger in diameter and the torque of the spinning propeller would make the right side of the boat lift out of the water.
so the boat manufactures put the steering wheel on the right side to give extra weight so the boat would ride more level.. |
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Scott
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duffnit
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Posted: March-12-2007 at 9:42pm |
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edit
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Danny
"no offense- but the rate at which you spread bad information is very impressive" |
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duffnit
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Posted: March-12-2007 at 9:47pm |
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Assuming that is true, it makes sense.
Good find Scott!! Now I can sleep again. lol d 
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Danny
"no offense- but the rate at which you spread bad information is very impressive" |
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reidp
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Joined: December-06-2003 Location: Mooresville, NC Status: Offline Points: 1804 |
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Posted: March-13-2007 at 5:32pm |
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Scott,
But wouldn't a standard rotation engine and LH prop, assuming the earliest boats would be constructed with this simplest readily available config, have lifted the port side? I don't have a clue as to why one side vs the other was chosen, but I feel that the RH engine/prop rotation in a small single screw might have followed the decision to locate the driver to starboard. It certainly would have been a lot easier over time to have done the opposite. While the majority of U.S. builders I just researched were building mostly starboard steer back to the 30s, Europeans have been building port helm boats forever. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm leaning towards Duffnit's original ponder of ergonomics potentially "driving" the boat. |
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Tim D
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Posted: March-13-2007 at 5:42pm |
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Does it have anything to do with boat traffic rules? You meet oncoming boats opposite as you do on the road with cars.
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Tim D
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scott8370
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Posted: March-13-2007 at 6:49pm |
Reid, I can't answer your question. The info I gave, came from a search on Yahoo. All I did was cut and paste. Scott |
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Scott
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reidp wrote: