See full version: Why Is a Steering Wheel on the Right Side of a Boat
According to the United Kingdom's National Maritime Museum, as larger boats developed, the paddle was gradually replaced by a large oar permanently attached to the right side. Anglo-Saxon sailors called this device the "steorboard" which gradually became "starboard". The steering apparatus was eventually placed in the center of the ship's stern but the term "starboard" remained the name for the ship's right-hand side.
The steering apparatus was on the right side of boats long before the invention of engines and propellers, however. The earliest boats were propelled and steered by paddles. Right-handed paddlers would naturally steer from the right-hand side of the boat. Since the majority of people are right handed, steering on the right gradually became customary. here
Like other elements of boating, the placement of the steering wheel is based on both ancient customs and practical concerns. Steering on the right-hand side is likely as old as boating itself.
According to the column "The Straight Dope," the steering wheel is on the right side of power boats for mechanical reasons. Boat propellers spin clockwise and the torque on the propeller caused the right side of older model boat hulls to rise out of the water. Boat designers placed the steering wheel on the right so that the weight of the boat's operator would keep the boat even in the water. more
Today the left-hand side of a ship is called "port". However, in the early Middle Ages, Anglo-Saxon sailors used the term "baecbord" which may have come from the fact that the sailor steering the ship had his back to the left-hand side. In later times, sailors used the term "larboard" which may have been derived from "ladderboard", meaning the left-hand side of the ship where passengers and cargo were loaded ('laded') in order to avoid crushing the "steorboard". In the 19th century, "port" was adopted as the term for the left-hand side because of confusion caused by the similar sounding words "starboard" and "larboard". here
And so, because the right side had that relatively fragile steering oar hanging on it, ships typically approached the harbour with their left side. At first it was called larboard, but in 1844 the Royal Navy ordered that it should be called port, because larboard sounds too similar to starboard. The term larboard comes from the Old English, where the term lade basically meant load.
If you took a walk in a harbour you would quickly notice that many smaller boats and yachts have their steering wheels mounted on the right side of the cabin. Why is that? Contrary to what you might think, itt has absolutely nothing to do with the country and laws where these vessels were built.
Traditional Viking longship with its steering oar on the right side. (Urban, Wikimedia(CC BY-SA 3.0) [links]
Port and starboard are nautical terms that are used to avoid confusion. Left and right depend a lot on the observer, meaning that your left is someone’s right. Meanwhile the port side of the ship is always it’s port side. It is defined as the side of the vessel which is to the left of an observer aboard the vessel and facing the front (bow) of the vessel. And, of course, starboard side is the opposite – it is always on the right. [links]
With cars it’s quite simple – in some countries they drive on the left, in others – on the right side of the street. Accordingly, they are either right hand drive or left hand drive. Obviously, this is not the case with water vessels and yet most of the smaller boats and yachts are like cars in England – their steering wheels are on the right. more
There really is no practical reason why one side is prefered more than the other one. But it has something to do with the definitions of port and starboard sides of the watercraft. here
Silly me - I thought maybe the English were going to claim to have invented the boat, and thats why it was on the right side! more
Actually the Vikings had their steer board (steering wheel) on the right side. So the correct place for a steering wheel then would be on the right side. This just has to be correct since we get the word starboard for the Viking steer board. Doesn't explain the green light though.<br />The above was something picket up between between my first boat and changing a lifter. [links]
Re: Why is steering wheel on right side?
Re: Why is steering wheel on right side?
The helm is an essential component of the boat’s steering. The helm changes a wheel’s rotary motion in a push-pull cycle on the cable, which moves the propeller left, right, or amidship (in the middle). It is common to see rotary helms, and that use gears to turn the rudder. [links]
The main reason for having a big steering wheel on sailboats is to give the boat’s driver more natural control. Other reasons as to why the steering wheels come in such a large size are: more
Racing boats have a big steering wheel because it allows the helmsman to sit further windward, which gives the jib a better visual. The jib has an essential function, and that function is to increase performance and overall strength by decreasing turbulence. The vessel’s driver can then, in turn, move weight to the rail with ease.
The steering wheel consists of the following: here
There you have it. The answer to the big question, why are boat steering wheels so big. The big wheel helps navigate the boat with minimal effort, for a better visual and even decrease friction on large ships. We have also gone over the mechanics of a boat steering wheel and some maintenance tips for you. I hope you found this article helpful. [links]