Port or Stb Helm Question

[Guest]

This is a question that has bothered me for sometime, not least of which I can't seem to get a the same answer from all us boaters out there. OK the QUESTION and most answers depend on what "type" of helm you have i.e tiller or wheel.
"If asked to put on (say) 30 degrees of Port helm" which way do you turn your helm". I ask this question because at my club we insist on all boats on moorings having the rudders set over to turn the boat to port so that all boats swing the same way in the tide, but having asked so many visitors to set this you would be surprised that if the owner has a wheel he automatically turns it to port and if it's a tiller he would push it to port, thus turning the boat to Stb. Come on fellow boaters give me the definative answer here, if asked to port your helm what do you do?

 

[halcyon]

Could depend on command, port helm on, or helm to port.

Brian

 

[oldsaltoz]

G’day Peter.
Perhaps the instruction is confusing to some, rather than request 30 degrees to port; request the ‘rudder’ be set to steer the boat to port and tell them why. I hope this helps. By the way I’m sure I would not set the tiller or a starboard rounding.

Andavagoodweekend Old Salt Oz……

 

[webcraft]

Please . . .

Don't ask me to 'port my helm' or 'put on port helm'

This is a classical example of unnecessary nautical bullshit.

I often have crew on board who are not very experienced, but who are enjoying the whole sailing experience. My instructions are normally full of phrases like:

'turn left

'push the tiller away from you'

Or just whatever is necessary to make sure my instructions are understood, and no-one feels stupid because they are not a member of the nautical master race.

If your club asks you to set your rudder so that the vessel will turn to port, then that seems simple enough - what is your problem?

- Nick






'

'turn to starboard'

BlueMoment.Com
http://www.bluemoment.com

 

[Jeremy_W]

Absolutely right (NM)

*

 

[chas]

I have never heard or used the expression "put your helm to port" and it would confuse me if did hear it. I suggest you stick to "come left" or "come port" (I prefer the former)!

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by chas on Mon May 6 10:13:45 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Guest]

Many years ago officers of British ships were instructed that the words 'port' or 'starboard' would in future always refer to the ship's head regardless of what other words were attached to them. This was after several accidents caused by the confusion.
On a sailing yacht the wind is more usually the reference line. However when for instance motoring up a fairway, the skipper might say 'Keep a bit more to starboard'. The wheel or tiller is just a tool and should not be mentioned.

 

[Oldhand]

I believe the terminology of applying port or starboard helm applies to ships with wheel stearing and thus putting port helm on would mean turning the rudder to port.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Landlubbers!!

When will they learn! Ffancy all the boats at moorings keeping parallel and turning in unison. What next! Looks count for everything. May the saints preserve us from such fools.

The only acceptable terms are such like "3 degrees to port" referring to the direction and magnitude of the change of course of the vessel. Forget the "Helm" and "Tiller" bit. The rest is 'jolly landlubber yacht club' speak and as relevant as the old "Navy Lark" radio programme was to an accurate portrayal of the Navy, or perhaps Wavy Navy, and as descriptive as "left hand down a bit". Grrrr! What a laugh.

 

[drawp]

Spot on, Nick. If anyone told me to "port your helm", I would ask him "What the f... are you talking about?". It's bad enough having my (Aussie) brother on board. He crews on a racing boat and is always saying things like "Up a bit" or "Down a bit". I have to stop and think every time.

 

[Guest]

Bet you wish you never asked?

 

[Guest]

Nick, I'm a turn left man myself. I never could get to grips with "luff up a bit" my brain couldn't work that fast<s>. As for my asking the question it was because in our club all swinging mooring holders are asked to set the rudder so that the boat wants to "turn left" because we are on a commercial river and the fairway between the moorings is narrow its best if all the boats want to turn the same way, but when we have visitors and they are asked to leave their rudders to port you would be surprised at the amount of perfectly good reasons why the owner gives his reasons for being correct even if the rudder is to stb. Admittedly this is normally with tiller steered boats.

 

[ccscott49]

What a load of old bilge! Turn to port or turn to starboard, or if you must, turn left or right, all the rest is crap! IMFHO

 

[Guest]

Re: Landlubbers!!

Jollyjack, I'm sorry you missed the point of the post, it was meant to be a genuine question. As for all in "nice lines and turning together" your right on our river it's nothing short of Bl**dy essensial and demanded by the Ports Authority. When youv'e a very narrow fairway and large commercial ships you dont need boats swinging all over the place as they come round the corner. Apart from that I bet you'd be the first to shout if the boat next to you continually hit yours.

 

[Guest]

Port and starboard are not nautical bullshit terms. For any users of this forum who don't know how to suck eggs, they are constant whichever way the boat is going and whichever way people aboard are facing.
A helmsman facing backwards when a boat is reversing will look the wrong way if told by somebody facing forwards to watch out for the boat coming in from the left. "Boat approaching from port" leaves no possibility of 'your left or my left' . . . crunch . . . misunderstandings.
Nautical terms are not bilge or bullshit. Properly used, they convey specific information in the fastest way possible with the least room for confusion.
Try saying 'put in the flattening reef and tighten the kicker to four and cunningham to three (or whatever)' in fewer words.

 

[ccscott49]

What does tighten the cunningham to three mean, I know what a cunningham is, but whats the three bit? I also know what a kicker is, but whats the four bit? Whats a "hack"? heard of hacking, riding a horse for pleasure around the countryside, heard of hacking a tree down. Could that be a journalist perhaps, you could use the correct term, couldn't you?

 

[Guest]

I wish I hadn't started this, everyone seems to be getting ever-so-slightly out of their prams (or cockpits) Oh well theres non so strange as folks<s>.

 

[halcyon]

Re: Landlubbers!!

Could it be the marina syndrome.

You have to frame the question to suit, ie

leave with port helm on,

leave all helms to make turn to port,

leave helm to make a turn to the left while standing at the blunt end, and looking at the pointed end,

delete as appropriate.


Brian

 

[SimonD]

I'm glad you have started it 'cos it gives me an opportunity to ask something that's being bothering me about the film "Titanic" (apart from Leonardo de whatsits acting).

When the OOW sees the iceberg he shouts "turn to port" or something like that. The helmsman then clearly turns the wheel to starboard, ie clockwise facing forward.

What's going on (or have we just stumbled on the real cause of the disaster?)

 

[Guest]

Peter, I'm pretty sure (trawling the memory banks) that when an order of "30 degrees port helm" was given on the bridge of a commercial vessel when manoevering the rudder was pointed to port at an angle of 30 degrees.

This meant that whether the ship was going ahead or astern or being moved by tugs under command of Pilot or Master, there was no ambiguity about where the rudder was going! ....unlike this thread!!! The rudder angle indicator shows the helmsman where the rudder is.

Where the ship is on a forward heading the Officer of the Watch tells the helm to steer a particluar course rather than give a change of course by degrees thereby further eliminating ambiguity


This would appear to apply to all vessels except the Titanic...!