A buddy is having a windshield boat built and asked me an interesting question...starboard or port side?

All of my open sleds have been on the starboard side..


He will be running the motor by hand some but majority with the TR1


Curious if there is a real reason it seems that when using your left hand to run the tiller it would make logical sense to have it on the starboard side so that your facing the inside of your boat...what da you guys think?

I'm a port, left hand tiller user........Now I'm a right hand person BUT if I try to control my tiller handle with my right hand....bad things happen...

My biggest gripe.....on most small kicker motors, the handle itself it not in the center.......it would make it MUCH BETTER to have tiller handle in the center of the motor....

Starboard side is where most normal people put the kicker.
However, there are those counter-intuitive types that will place the kicker on the port side.
This is to declare their counter-intuitiveness to the world.
And spell checker is happy.

Port side as the motors are made to run with the left hand.

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Starboard, putting it on the port side can plant you in the middle of the boat in an awkward position. I don't ever need to move, I can turn off the main motor, drop the kicker and have it running before a port guy can even reposition (tiller).

Ill just say statisically guys in Washington install the kicker on the port side and those Oryigonians for some reason favor starboard. Guess it comes down to... are ya regular or goofy footed? Whetever feels natural to the strength of your planting position and wrist is the right way. Glen Wooldridge makes fun of me cuz im right handed and use my right hand for a tiller... what does he know anyway.

She likes it on this side

Port side left hand steer for me. I sit in the middle and face forward.

All about personal preference and what the layout permits.

From a tiller boat, you are running up the river with your left hand on the tiller, you stop, fold up handle, the trolling motor should be right in front of you on the port side of your vessel. You won't need to turn around or step backwards to deploy.

However, it probably has more to do with your boat set up than anything. I have ran both ways, and never really thought about it.

Portly men put the kicker on the port side, duh

Keeps the boat balanced

Port side for me as well!!

I think there's some crisis counseling needed here.
This port side stuff is going pandemic.

Most in Washington rig Portside.

Most in Oregon rig Starboardside.

The gravitational force of OR convinces most in Vancouver to rig Starboardside as well.

Go to your bathroom, if your toilet flushes counter clockwise, rig it on the Starboard.

Well, glad it's just the Vortex Effect and not some childhood trauma.
Hmmm....wonder if the northern peoples use counter-rotating props as well ?

I don't think center console guys should be allowed to comment.