Posted by Allan_Lang on April 27, 2012 at 17:19:25 user Allan_Lang.
In Reply to: Re: Remote link Titanic to WDMTGTS posted by Tom Napier on April 15, 2012 at 17:10:12:
The steering convention still being used on the Titanic was a hold-over from the days of the tiller. "Starboard your helm" literally meant push the tiller (or wheel) to starboard. This turns the rudder to port and steers the boat to the left.
Actually "Starboard your helm" meant push the wheel to the port. That's a holdover from the days of the whipstaff (as Andy points out below). Although the order is given with respect to the imaginary tiller, the reaction to the order by the helmsman during the transition period was to be the same: "Push the steery thing to the left".
This occasionally catches film nitpickers of Titanic movies who note the "error" of the Officer saying "Full Starboard", and the helmsman turning the wheel to port.