Posted by Jonathan Labaree on February 25, 2004 at 15:01:17 from 207.5.234.19 user JLabaree.
In Reply to: Re: why steer from right? posted by Laurence Monkhouse on February 25, 2004 at 07:17:16:
I am not sure if this adds to the discussion or not, but I have included picture (and a link to it in case the picture doesn’t show up) of how the Vikings set up their steering oars, or more precisely, their tillers. As you see, the tiller comes across the front of the helmsman. I'm not sure this arrangement makes it any easier to steer from the starboard or port side. Indeed, I would have thought that a right-handed helmsman would have found it a bit easier to steer if the steering oar hung from the port side as this would give his right arm more leverage.