What hand do you use to steer your tiller steer outboard with?

[Go Gecko]

Here is a philosophical question for you. I am right handed but use my left hand on my tiller:P. I have tried using my right hand but it just doesn't seem right.:o How about the rest of you, which hand do you use?:-?

Cheers,

GG

[Shelby35]

Same as you but my Dad was right handed and used his right. Suspose it is what ever is most comfortable.
Byron

[Boat hog 2]

Left hand if the tiller is on the left..................

[Gon Fishun]

Sit on starboard side and use left hand. The tiller is on the port side. Have tried the other way but it don't quite work. :-?
Right handed also.

Might have something to do with using throttles on motor bikes, the direction of rotation.

[Midnight]

Right hand for me, got in the habit as kid in rubber duckies, you can't reach the tiller and throttle sitting on the starboard side.
I have been sitting on the "wrong" side for over 30 years now :)

[Feral]

Your telling me using the other hand feels like a stranger ;)

I am left handed, left hand on the tiller. That is the side the tiller is on, it would be hard to use it right handed.

[MTAQ/BTAQ]

I was a high school marine studies teacher in Queensland for many years (taught power boating, sailing, diving, first aid, radio etc) and I always said that you steer with your left hand as they are set up always for left handed steering (apparently the Japanese mass produced the first outboards and set them up that way and all manufacturers have followed since - I could stand correction on this) so you have the right hand to hold the gunwale in bumpy conditions and also to retrieve man overboard with your right hand (83% of the population are right handed).

[lucee81]

Left handed

[Scott Ashe]

I have cerebral palsy and have very limited use of my left hand, so my only option is to use my right hand and I'm fine with that. My mate who drives occasionally uses his left hand.

[jmwarner]

I was always taught to steer with both if you needed to balance out the boat properly. I started with my right because i had a thundercat and being young I needed the strength because they will turn unbelievably sharp and I couldn't drive it at full power because i would loose control for a bit after i first got it. Now I preferably use my left because I had to at school but now it feels more natural but if I have to I can still drive the same using my right hand.

[Stik-ugly]

Left handed

[wirlybird]

i have driven them with both but left feels natural to me especially if your in the boat by yourself.

[Boat hog 2]

I was a high school marine studies teacher in Queensland for many years (taught power boating, sailing, diving, first aid, radio etc) and I always said that you steer with your left hand as they are set up always for left handed steering (apparently the Japanese mass produced the first outboards and set them up that way and all manufacturers have followed since - I could stand correction on this) so you have the right hand to hold the gunwale in bumpy conditions and also to retrieve man overboard with your right hand (83% of the population are right handed).

Funny that........my marine studies teacher gave me that exact explanation.

[Richo1]

I sit on the starboard side, steer with left hand, hang on and use gears with the right hand.

[Mike Delisser]

Always left, except in the duckies at the surf club.

[deckie]

I automatically assume the Southpaw/Goofy Footer stance when i sit down at one...unless the sun is in my face on that side. No idea why..but glad we're now tackling the big issues.

[wayno60]

Left hand if the tiller is on the left..................

yep same here....on the little tinnie..

[chris69]

Im left handed and steer with my left,i always thought that your steering position steering from the left gives you more vision on the port side being the most important side.

[PeterKroll]

Tiller on the left of the outboard, and I use my left hand to steer, thought I am right handed. If I sat on the other side to drive with my right hand, I think the tiller would jam in my ribcage when I tried to turn left.

Because I now have to push the tiller to the left and extend my arm to turn right, I'm thinking that I probably choose to turn left more often than I turn right because I have more control.

Of course, that's a whole other question.

[Nslfishing]

I'm left handed and steer with my right and sit on the port side. Tiller is on port side but I feel like I got more control with my right hand. Is that weird :)

Cheers Nic

[myusernam]

non master hand

[thelump]

Right handed but steer with my left. Tiller is/was on the left.

[bazza65]

Same as you Go Gecko. But my shoulder sure does ache after a days fishing and crabbing.
bazza

[ScottB]

Right handed, always steer with my left. I always sat on the Stbd side as this was where I could see the tell tale from, and assumed that this is why outboards were set up with the tiller on the left??