Port side helm

[Tx91z28]

What are everyone's thoughts on this? For a hand throttle it seems like it would be awkward (for right handers) but with a hot foot would it not be better to have the pedal on the flat floor rather than mounted up on the side of the hull. I'm thinking leg angle/comfort here, mounting is not an issue on the slanted side obviously, make a small platform...

 

[paulsboats]

ive seen on a old donzi. port side helm, why not its your boat.

 

[RNGRDVE]

most boats are set up with a starboard helm due to the rotation of the drive/prop assembly. It keeps the boat better balanced starboard drive. I'm pretty sure the Donzi's with port helm had a counter rotating drive.

 

[Tx91z28]

ah ok, I assume thats due to the "climbing" force produced by the prop rotating CW right?

 

[RNGRDVE]

I can't give technical info, thats just what I have read before. There was a discussion on that here not that long ago.

 

[jumbofordman]

A lot of the older jet boats have port side helms.

 

[paulsboats]

i did a port side helm on a 21 grady i converted from a i/o to an outboard with a bracket and it was fine

 

[atc250r]

On a jet boat there's no prop so no issue there. I would think on a heavy boat like that Grady it wouldn't be much of an issue either, on a small, lightweight boat maybe it would. I know when the battery was on the Starboard side of my Liner it would sit kind of crooked when I was in it alone but just moving the battery to the other side solved it so even a relatively heavy boat can be affected by something as small as moving 60lbs.

 

[Jimway]

Port side helm on the Playmate. You get used to it pretty quick.

 

[roadkill636]

Im thinking of doing it on my Viking. Just to be diffrent.

 

[ezstriper]

A lot of "west coast" performance boats came/come with port helms, my chris craft XK-19 jet had one as well...