Fishing Q&A
How come all small boats have the controls on the right, opposite of a car?
obviously excluding center console fishing boats and larger ships.
Public Comments
- They're designed more for right handed boaters, with the shifter mounted to the right..I have a center console myself and would never go back to the side mount.It must be akward for leftys to operate the right mount.
- Many boats are made to to a skier or wakeboarder. The traffic pattern in lakes and rivers is clockwise and that would put the boat operator on the side where opposing traffic would be coming from.
- It's probably one of those things which started one way, and ended up sticking by tradition. For example, the QUERTY keyboard we still use today was originally designed so that typists who used old fashioned typewriters could have an easier time unsticking the letters. It has no functional purpose today. There is a website that purports to have an answer. It states that because propellers on boats turn clockwise, smaller boats have a tendency to tilt to the left. Placing the column and the driver on the right makes the right heavier, so it counteracts the effect. I am not sure if this is really the case, but have a look at the site: http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mdriveboat.html Once the system was established, it stuck, kind of like QUERTY.
- power boats were invented by the English, and just like they have the car steering wheel on the right because they drive in the other side of the road they put the boat steering wheel on the right because they drive on the other side of the ocean
- actually NOT all small boats have them on the right; look at some of the flat bottom speed boats.... there are plenty with the driver on the left.
- Torque Steer !! if the boat has one prop, the right side rides higher. Putting the driver on the right balances a small boat. That's my answer and I'm sticking too it.
- Because of" prop walk"... to counter act prop walk. because the prop spins clockwise the boat will turn to the stbd. side. to counter act ,placing the weight of the capt. on the far right it will help correct this.
