TOPIC: Driver's side steering wheel?

Can someone explain that?

Being port or starboard, the steering wheel is always on the drivers side.

I still don't fully understand. I've never seen it set up like this till I got mine. Is there a reason for it?

Figure that out after a couple of beers.

Yup, Driverside like a car in a boat is for using a DR or Direct drive Mercury, made from 1957 to 1961. The reason they put the steering on the left side is the weight of the driver controlled the torque from the dr motor which was a left hand rotation. All other motors of that time line were right hand rotation.

That verifies what I heard. It is potentially "more valuable"?

only if it had the original engine with it, other wise not so much. Now if you find the right kind of engine thats fits the year of the boat in a R mercury that would help bring it back to original.

Just getting caught up on posts. Good one, Neil.

Well that was something I've been looking into. Although you said Mercury. I've been looking for a '57 Wizard outboard, but I've only come across 4.5 and 5.5hp's. Not quite what I had in mind. So wouldn't Wizard use it's own outboard? Or was that something you purchased separately back then?

I believe the dealer selling the (new) boats to the public would wait and rig them with the engine choice of the buyer. (Kind of a package deal, but certainly would effect the total price paid.) This is also true of the starboard or port steering options, I'm told.

Wizard outboards and Wizard boats had no corporate relationship. Wizard outboards were rebadged Mercurys (and later Olivers) sold through Western Auto Parts stores.

The steering wheel is always on the driver's side, no matter if it's on the right, left or smack dab in the middle.

Are you asking if it's on the left vs. the right (port vs. starboard)? Makes no difference at all. Very often the steering was rigged at the dealership, so it was what ever they or a customer desired. There is no significance where it is located.

Most of my outboards have starboard side steering wheel. I have a '63 stern drive Thompson that has steering on the port (left) side. Many inboards have port side steering wheel.

Andreas

I was told a LOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG time ago that Port and Starboard Steering was for Right and Left handed drivers pulling skiers. When turning back to view the skier you wanted to keep you dominant hand on the wheel soooooo, A righty had Starboard Steering and a Lefty had Port. But Hey, that was from an OLD landlocked Okie that prolly knew less than I do!!!!

P.S.

But it sounded good to a kid!!!!!