History question

[mikesmiph]

Can anyone tell me where the idea of driving our boats on the right side came from? I have always wondered this. I love the style of the new Nitro Z9 CDC, mostly because you drive it like a car.

[VinceR]

Mike, here is the best answer that I have found. It seems to be confirmed on several sites.

Boat propellers turn clockwise, and hulls used to be designed in such a way that when there was torque on the prop, the right side of the boat would rise up. So the wheel was put on the right, so the weight of the driver would counteract that. This is not a problem with modern hulls, but the design stuck.

[mikesmiph]

Thanks for the answer Vince. You are a font of knowledge.

[dartag]

took this photo last year in Fla.  Took me a while to figure out what all the gages were for.  You can switch the wheel and drive from either side.  Maybe the English drive on the other side.

[Mike S.]

took this photo last year in Fla.  Took me a while to figure out what all the gages were for.  You can switch the wheel and drive from either side.  Maybe the English drive on the other side.

That looks like a catamaran.  Alot of those boats, such as the Nortech's and so on, are built to drive on the left just like a car.  That one does look like you can switch sides, though.  Kinda wierd.

[ronhuntfish]

I always preferrred this explanation.
Way back before boats had motors, they were usually steered from the right side (since most people were right handed) with a board (which is where 'starboard' came from).

It probably made more sense also to steer from the opposite side that was to the shore (port) side.

I think it makes more sense that the practice carried over from well before boats had motors.

[oldjigger]

I just sold an 88 Skeeter Sk2000 which had a center counsel but was driven from the left side of the boat.