Driving a boat?

Question

Why is it that in any country you drive a boat from the right side, but driving a car alternates with some countries from the left to the right side??

Answer 1

drive from the right because it has become standard to have the throttle control on the right hand side.  But in the case of Nitro brand 911 CDC you drive from the left hand side with the throttle on the right.  Or with Tracker brand pan fish you steer with a stick on your left and throttle on your right but you sit in the center.  And there are also countless boat brands and models that the driver sits in the center of the boat.  So all in all you are not always on the right side of the boat but almost always you will find the throttle on the right hand side.  Might have something to do with the fact that most people are right hand dominant.

Answer 2

Right hand dominance is a good point, but the main reason is that the torque of the prop causes the right side of the boat to raise and the drivers weight helps keep the boat from listing to port while underway.

Answer 3

Just the way it is.

Answer 4

Heck, I still trying to figure out why they keep changing the time back and forth every six months or so, and now if that not enough, they start changing the day to do it.

If you can figure that out, then you will have a good idea why steering wheels are left/right and no one knows what side of the road they on because they trying to change the clock in the car.

Answer 5

Depends on the manufacturer, not your location. Some boats are starboard-rigged, some are centerline-rigged, and some are q***r-rigged, which is nautical slang for a wheel on the port side. No kidding.