Which Side?

[Deleted member 478]

The tiller/throttle on my outboard is on the port side of the engine and if I sit on the starboard side of the dingy, the throttle works in the same way as that of a motorbike, but I have to stretch to turn to starboard. Sitting on the opposite side of the dingy makes it easier to steer, but the throttle action is not natural and I tend to open it when I actually mean to close it.

Do you drive your tender left or right handed and which side do you think is the correct side to sit?

 

[Twister_Ken]

Sit to stbd, left hand on o/b (and I'm no southpaw).

On the other hand (ba-boom!) I've no idea which way a motorcycle throttle twists.

 

[Judders]

I sit in the middle of the thwart with an oar in each hand... unless I can get the crew to do it, in which case I sit in the stern sheets pretending to be Jack Aubury.

 

[shmoo]

I have always thought that I should sit on the left, with my back towards, in general, boats with fewer reasons for me to give way to. I face right/forward where, in general, boats I have to give way to come from.

I have worded this carefully so as not to start a COLREGS fire storm. So IMHO, your milage may vary and so on...

 

[tcm]

I sit on port side facing starboardish, use throttle on rght hand like as mobike, and outboard has throttle on port side too. Ths means i can see my giveway zone from ahead to five oclock, and can easily rip o/b towards me for the turn to starboard.

Is this enough to start a colregs firestorm?

 

[aitchw]

Me too. Sitting to starboard reaching across the ob feels very uncomfortable and requires a stretch to go to starboard to any great degree. Don't have any mobike experience to influence the decision.

 

[Thistle]

I see the argument about field of view but does sitting to port not mean that you have to stretch across the engine to reach the gear lever?

I sit to starboard with the tiller / throttle in my left hand. This means I face primarily forward but it really doesn't take much effort to look all round. To change gear I have to reach across myself with my right hand while continuing to steer with my left. It's not the most natural of actions but is easier than reaching across both myself and the engine and avoids the need to change hands on the tiller.

 

[Judders]

[ QUOTE ]
I have always thought that I should sit on the left, with my back towards, in general, boats with fewer reasons for me to give way to. I face right/forward where, in general, boats I have to give way to come from.

I have worded this carefully so as not to start a COLREGS fire storm. So IMHO, your milage may vary and so on...

[/ QUOTE ]

Well as I am on my way to a racing boat, Colregs don't apply to me so I have no need to look out.

 

[benjenbav]

I kneel facing the stern intermittently swearing and lashing the crew with the knotted end of the starter cord. The kids cower behind me. Yes, it's a British Seagull.

 

[shmoo]

[ QUOTE ]

you have to stretch across the engine to reach the gear lever?


[/ QUOTE ]

Gear lever? What gear lever?

 

[tcm]

Yes, it has to throttle in right hand else works a bit strange for non-southpaw.

 

[doris]

Not being Islamic does it really matter which hand you use? If you sail solo you are probably well versed in changing hands for a quick twist and pull. Just a question of practice.

 

[Judders]

The only engined tenders that I have ever used have seperate throttles, but I guess the answer is 'however works for you'.

I have an inboard outboard on FR and sit on the starboard side for ease of access to the gear, which is usually more important than the throttle in close quarters, but of course I am not using the engine to steer as I'm using the tiller.

 

[pyrojames]

I sit on which ever side is most likely to keep my bum dry. Typicall the lee side, although if it is blowing hard, then a wets jacket tucked under me and facing down wind works better. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[vyv_cox]

The reason that the tiller is on the port side is so that when driven from starboard side it does not turn under the steersman. If driven on the port side the tiller is almost unmanageable in a starboard turn.

 

[Scillypete]

on my old tinker traveller I used to like to stand, which is not recommended unless you like swimming. This enabled me to keep a good lookout and a dry bum and I never did fall out, could have done with a longer tiller though.

 

[Malcb]

The convention taught on any powerboat courses, for tiller operated engines, is sit on the Starboard side as it gives better steerage without trapping the helmsman when doing a turn when he has to pull the tiller towards him. Also for engines which have a gear lever, they are usually on the starboard side, so are easier to operate if the hlemsman is on that side.

Yamaha engines, certainly the larger ones, have the gear lever in the centre, However it does give more freedom for the helmsman to sit on the starboard side when doing tight manouvers.

 

[lw395]

Using an outboard twistgrip with the right hand gives its the reverse characteristic to a motorbike, where dropping the wrist makes it go faster. This can be embarassing in a boat if you're used to a bike, and would be lethal on a big bike if you got too used to 'boat mode'. Some keelboats put at outboard on the side, the ones with it on the starboard side drive me nuts!

 

[KREW2]

[ QUOTE ]
I tend to open it when I actually mean to close it.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ahhhh!.......that explains why we were doing 15knts in Peurto Calero Marina.

 

[Danny Jo]

The following sequence taken by SWMBO at the start of Freestyle's cruise to Scotland in 2007 demonstrates the finer points of outboard handling and attention to COLREGS.

I never had a problem with the BSA Bantam 175, Norton Navigator 350, BSA Thunderbolt 650, Motor Guzzi 500 or Beemer 650, but outboard throttles fox me every time. Even thinking about it carefully doesn't help, because I invariably choose the wrong option.