Starboard Driving Position

[Huddo007]

Ok, so I was out on the water yesterday with the family and looking at all the lovely vessels enjoying our ANZAC public Holiday and a thought crossed my mind that I would like to know the answer to,

The common driving position for boats is on the the Starboard side, yet you navigate as if you are driving on the left hand side of the "road" all your american cars are driving seats on the Port side???? why is this so?

My only thought is that maybe because the vikings were some of the 1st to set sail and this is also the same with a train driving position, horse and cart?, perhaps just a historical thing?.

Could someone WOW me out there with the history of this

Cheers

[seapuppy]

well....it's a good question with no logical answer other than what we call in the design world as "Designers Preference"....

really though if you think of the give way side as being the stbd side...it gives a better view as your approaching a crossing boat....however in larger boats and yachts, the helm is in the ctr of the bridge or on the stbd side as most larger boats have their entrance on the stbd side....on really large boats and ships the steering station is anyplace on the bridge....usually in the aft of the bridge about midships as the spotters and capt are placed up near the windows.....

now if you look at the smaller boats design..the throttles are placed on the right as they hook up to the carburators on the left side of the engine....it's easier to run the throttle/steering cables on the stbd side of the boat....
it's all about least cost to run the cables without causing more design problems.......


SP

[9Ball]

Starboard
Man sailing a corbita (a small coastal vessel with two masts). Marble relief, ca. 256 AD, probably made in Africa Proconsularis (Tunisia). Found at Carthage.The origin of the term starboard comes from early boating practices. Before ships had rudders on their centrelines, they were steered by use of a specialised steering oar. This oar was held by an oarsman located in the stern (back) of the ship. However, like most of society, there were many more right-handed sailors than left-handed sailors. This meant that the steering oar (which had been broadened to provide better control) used to be affixed to the right side of the ship. The word starboard comes from Old English steorbord, literally meaning the side on which the ship is steered, descendant from the Old Norse words stýri meaning "rudder" (from the verb stýra, literally "being at the helm", "having a hand in") and borð meaning etymologically "board", then the "side of a ship".

[Huddo007]

Thanks 9ball that was a WOW...........I like

[Cymru]

Someone's been drinking and thinking too much! LOL. Maybe one too many at the Cornerstone Ale House?

[9Ball]

I'll have another Ale!!!! LOL

[seapuppy]

man..your a much better googler than I am.....I didn't find that definition at all!!!...



SP

[9Ball]

Here you go...: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_and_starboard

Todd