What Is the Tiller on a Ship?
One of the most important parts of a ship is its steering components. As man has evolved, so has the technology that has allowed men to traverse the seas. From the days of the Vikings, with the long ships driven by sails, to today's nuclear powered aircraft carriers, the ships helm has remained an intergral part of its navigation system.
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Definition
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In its simplest form, a tiller is a basic device used to steer a ship. Early designs consisted of a long pole attached to the vessel's rudder, which was then pushed either left or right depending upon which way the captain wanted to turn the ship. Tillers are moved opposite of the direction that the ship should go. For example, if the pilot were to make a turn to port (left) then the tiller would need to be pushed to the starboard (right).
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Contemporary Uses
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While tillers were once common on all ships, the use of a wheel at the helm has replaced them on most ships and boats today. One place where they can still be found in use is on small outboard motors. These small horsepower engines are traditionally attached to the transom of a boat and come equipped with a foldable tiller that also serves as the throttle for the engine.
Size
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Tillers could be any any size so long as they were effectively turning the rudder. Small ones could be operated by hand, while larger ones were connected to a system of pulleys to make moving them less difficult.
Misconceptions
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On the night of April 12, 1912 the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the Atlantic and sank. When First Officer Robert Murdoch first saw the impending iceberg, he attempted to steer around it by ordering the helm "Hard a'starboard". This prompted the helmsman to turn the wheel to port, causing the ship to turn to port. This order and the action carried out is correct, although to those unfamiliar with such nautical terminology it may seem incorrect.
Fun Fact
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Although tillers were primarily used on ships, they were also used on early automobiles before the creation of the steering wheel. Today, hook and ladder fire apparatus still employ a driver seated in a small cab at the rear of the truck who is responsible for assisting the driver by helping to turn the ladder portion of the truck. This position is still referred to as the tillerman.
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References
- Photo Credit "The Black Pearl" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: Kevitivity (Kevin Stanchfield) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
