how many left hand helm boats are on here???

[tiger lily]

i look at alot of classics around the areas that i run, which is a small chain of lakes where i live, but i mostly run my boat on lake erie and st. clair, most of them i see are all right hand steering, where only the ones with volvo drives on the left??? my boat is ford powered with a volvo drive, i really like the left hand steering because its unique, but every time i hop in it from another boat my throttle hand is confused at first.

[Ed Donnelly]

Criterion SS TRS drive, left steering......Ed

[TuxedoPk]

1970 21 GT, port side steering

[mrfixxall]

1977 x 18 left hand steer.

[Bob]

1971 Hornet- V Drive- port helm

[Rootsy]

1966 18 2+3... Starboard helm.... :D but it's not the norm... only ever heard of one other like it...

1997 16 2+2... Starboard Helm... but that's the standard location for all new classics...

almost EVERY classic from 1964 until the early 80's was Port helm unless a Mercruiser RH rotation drive was used (i am not adding the V drives and jets to this cause frankly it is too early for me to "think")... or something like that... the OMC Stringer drive boats were RH helm i do believe (my 18 came with that setup)... once the OMC and Merc power, incorporating RH rotation began becoming the norm the boats started becoming standard starboard helm... helm location is placed to offset list due to prop torque... ie put more weight on the side that'd ride higher...

which chain of lakes in Michigan????

Jamie

[Tony]

Welcome to the board...it's always great to find another Michigander!
My '67 Ski Sporter (16') is, of course, port helm. A secondary reason, in addition to the main one listed above, is that a European style appealed to Don Aronow. It kind of signified class, quality, and luxury.

What year is your Ford/Volvo Donzi, and what model? Got any pictures?

[Jamesbon]

1971 GT 21, Port side steering :D

[Islander]

'76 21GT Port side steering.

[sweet 16 1966]

Mine was thought to be a 1966 but in reading other posts and knowing it was originaly an Eaton with an Interceptor manifold, it could be older but certinally left hand. In a couple of hours, it will have a new water pump!

[hardcrab]

current boat : ............... '66 18' 2+3

previous boat : ............. '71 sweet sixteen

both port steering w/ volvo OD's

[tiger lily]

What year is your Ford/Volvo Donzi, and what model? Got any pictures?
it is a 78, with a ford 351, its not the original motor, i know the original was a 289, i have some pics, im going to try and post them..

[MOP]

The Gold Flake is a sweet touch! I see you have one of those modern soft ramps, hence the good tow vehicle!!

Phil

[Formula Jr]

The traditional nautical helm in on the starboard side. Thats what "Starboard" means. It means the Steer Board Side. This goes all the way back to tiller controlled side mounted rudders. Since the right arm is the usually the strongest, placing the rudder there became the standard. Our system of "right-of-way" rules are also based on a Starboard Helm and predates the same usage by automobiles. A starboard helm gives the pilot a better view to all the boats he has to give way to.

Placing the helm on the Port side was very much Jim Wynne's idea.
And was a business decision. The volvos can be set to spin either way.
A port helm works best with a drive that spins counter clockwise. The driver's weight counters the prop rotational torque. Only the volvos could spin this way. So if you made a boat with a port helm, you force people to use only Volvos. Wynne received royalties on each volvo sold.

Since the drives could also spin clockwise, they could be used on traditional boats also. Other makers of 60's era speed boats also had Port side helms. But this was more due to engine rotation and jetdrives, and marketing to people more use to Cars than Boats.

There is another side benefit to a port helm. Operating a steering wheel and thottle is very different than operating a tiller and sheets.

If you are right handed, then your strong arm is always on the wheel with a Port Helm. Pre-assisted steering, this was important.

I am Left Handed, so the traditional Starboard helm works best for me for precisely the opposite reasons the tradition was adopted.

[Jamesbon]

Great info. Formula.

[Rootsy]

it is a 78, with a ford 351, its not the original motor, i know the original was a 289, i have some pics, im going to try and post them..

1978 was long past the era of the 289 which came to a close during 1968 with the introduction of the 302... and in 1969 with the 351W...

[tiger lily]

1978 was long past the era of the 289 which came to a close during 1968 with the introduction of the 302... and in 1969 with the 351W...


the boat had quite a neat history behind it, i have all the paper work for it, its been in the my family for years, but i just recently got it a few years ago, it might have gone through a few motors before we had it, ive always been into boating my dad has some awesome boats , but we just love this little one the most, the chain i run it on is where i live, not too far from you, out near dexter/picnkey area, but most of its run time is on lake erie..

[TuxedoPk]

The traditional nautical helm in on the starboard side. Thats what "Starboard" means. It means the Steer Board Side. This goes all the way back to tiller controlled side mounted rudders. Since the right arm is the usually the strongest, placing the rudder there became the standard.

Actually the term starboard predates using your strong arm on the tiller and goes back to the days of the Vikings where sides of ships were called 'boards' and the steering oar or 'star' was located on the right side of the ship. Because the oar was on the right side, ships were tied up to dock on their left side which was the loading side or 'larboard' side. Starboard-Larboard sounded to similar so the term 'port' came into play as reference to the side at which you tied up to in port.

[gnbrian]

85, 22' Classic, 290 Volvo, port side helm

[Flash]

You left out center line location?

Of course it's not the Donzi, its our 37' Hatteras!

But 16 has port side drive.

[FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack]

Actually the term starboard predates using your strong arm on the tiller and goes back to the days of the Vikings where sides of ships were called 'boards' and the steering oar or 'star' was located on the right side of the ship. Because the oar was on the right side, ships were tied up to dock on their left side which was the loading side or 'larboard' side. Starboard-Larboard sounded to similar so the term 'port' came into play as reference to the side at which you tied up to in port.

Thanks for the history lesson Tux. Go Vikings! Although, I thought that starboard was a contraction of the term "steering board" back when the boats had side mounted rudders and called them steering boards.
Now tell em' where the term "posh" comes from!

Eric

[FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack]

Both of my '67 18' 2+3s have port helms. One's a Volvo, the other's a V-drive, both with LH props.
My race boat has port side steering with a RH prop, placing the driver's weight on the inside of the turn. The weight bias plus the RH prop's natural tendency to push the boat to the left help it turn left for circle racing. Also, when you nail the throttle in the middle of the turn the torque will pick up the starboard chine (a good thing). FYI: The easy way to tell a drag boat from a circle boat is to look at which way the engine is mounted. Drag boats drive off the flywheel whereas, circle boats drive off the balancer.
In Australia, they used to run clockwise, so guys drove from the right side with LH props.

Eric

[Ted Guldemond]

1970 GT 21 Left with Volvo250 1968 St. Tropez Center with 280 Volvo

[Surfer]

1985, 18 Volvo / GM LH

[Islander]

Now tell em' where the term "posh" comes from!
Eric

Port Outbound Starboard Home

[Blewbyu]

Hey- I'm old, and the shorter it is ,the more likely I'm gonna use it.
Right/left is shorter than port/starboard.
If your hand gets confused, use a foot throttle. They rock.
Who needs "Starboard" anyway??? It's a riduculous(and long) word. Only boaters use it. Nobody else does, or cares if you can remember it. You can use it just at yacht club meetings if you really need the word. These boats are the proper size to use "left/right" comfortably. And they haven't been around long enough to have a historical need for a word like that. Same for bow/stern/athwartship/keel,etc.etc. All redundant. Words like 'cleat' and 'chock' and 'anchor' that are peculiar to boats are at least, precise. Hehehehe. Please discuss at length with your Power Squadron leader or CG Aux Training Officer.

[Blewbyu]

Jim Wynn was a smart man.
Volvo is the answer.