pirate ship steering wheel name

A ship’s wheel or boat’s wheel is a device used aboard a water vessel to steer that vessel and control its course. Together with the rest of the steering mechanism, it forms part of the helm.  It is connected to a mechanical, electric servo, or hydraulic system which alters the horizontal angle of the vessel’s rudder relative to its hull. In some modern ships the wheel is replaced with a simple toggle that remotely controls an electro-mechanical or electro-hydraulic drive for the rudder, with a rudder position indicator presenting feedback to the helmsman.

History

Until the invention of the ship’s wheel, the helmsman relied on a tiller—a horizontal bar fitted directly to the top of the rudder post—or a whipstaff—a vertical stick acting on the arm of the ship’s tiller. Near the start of the 18th century, a large number of vessels appeared using the ship’s wheel design, but historians are unclear when the approach was first used.

Design

A traditional ship’s wheel is composed of eight cylindrical wooden spokes (though sometimes as few as six or as many as ten) shaped like balusters and all joined at a central wooden hub or nave (sometimes covered with a brass nave plate) which housed the axle. The square hole at the centre of the hub through which the axle ran is called the drive square and was often lined with a brass plate (and therefore called a brass boss, though this term was used more often to refer to a brass hub and nave plate) which was frequently etched with the name of the wheel’s manufacturer. The outer rim is composed of sections each made up of stacks of three felloes, the facing felloe, the middle felloe, and the after felloe.

Because each group of three felloes at one time made up a quarter of the distance around the rim, the entire outer wooden wheel was sometimes called the quadrant. Each spoke ran through the middle felloe creating a series of handles beyond the wheel’s rim. One of these handles/ spokes was frequently provided with extra grooves at its tip which could be felt by a helmsman steering in the dark and used by him to determine the exact position of the rudder—this was the king spoke and when it pointed straight upward the rudder was believed to be dead straight to the hull.

The completed ship’s wheel and associated axle and pedestal(s) might even be taller than the person using it. The wood used in construction of this type of wheel was most often either teak or mahogany, both of which are very durable tropical hardwoods capable of surviving the effects of salt water spray and regular use without significant decomposition. Modern design—particularly on smaller vessels—can deviate from the template.

What is a Pirate Ship Steering Wheel Called?

Avast me hearties! Admit it, you always thought they were saying aha me hearties didn’t you! Well, I did anyway, until I started researching into the topics of pirates this week. The reason being? My youngest son came home from school and asked me “what is a pirate ship steering wheel called?” I didn’t have a clue, so looked it up:

A steering wheel on a pirate ship is called the helm, or sometimes just by the name of the wheel. It’s designed to change the rudder’s angle so that the pirate’s ship can turn. In classic pirate ships they could need more than two pirates to turn it, being extremely heavy.

What is the proper name for the steering wheel ship? Unless you’re familiar with the various sailing terminology, it can be difficult to know the proper names for each part of a ship or boat. It’s tricky to understand the various terms too because there are the proper names that experienced sailors refer to, as well as slang and common phrases used. Most inexperienced sailors would refer to the steering wheel as the boat wheel; others would say it’s a steering wheel.

However, the wheel is an important part of the boat because it drives the ship. It steers the boat, changing direction when necessary, and is connected to the rudder. While modern ships have ditched the traditional steering wheel ship, it still uses the same idea. A toggle is used on larger ships that are connected to a remote control. It is that which changes the direction of the rudder.

The Ship’s Steering Wheel

You’ve probably heard of this already but for those who haven’t, the steering wheel is also known as the ship’s wheel. In some cases, it’s known as the boat wheel. While you might believe a ship and boat wheel are two very different things, they’re actually one and the same. Of course, every sailor or sailing enthusiast will have a preference as to what they call the ship’s wheel. Some may refer to the wheel as the helm since it’s where you control the bulk of the boat.

The Helm

Some may also refer to the ship’s wheel as the helm. In modern maritime, the helm is the more common phrase associated with the steering wheel. While some old-timers still refer to the wheel as the boat or ship’s wheel, it’s fairly rare. As said, most will call it the helm and it’s the more modern terminology too. However, the helm can come in many forms, including a toggle or console rather than a traditional or rounded steering wheel.

Of course, a traditional steering wheel ship will maintain the standard boat wheel design but on smaller vessels, they’re less used. Traditional ship wheels were made of strong wood and were round in shape. They were designed to control the ship without having to leave the top deck. Captains would turn the wheel in the direction they wanted to sail, and the boat’s rudder would change course. It was a fairly simple form of sailing and while modern boats differ slightly, the premise remains the same.

Most people think of boat steering wheels like the ones seen in pirate movies. It’s a classic design made entirely out of wood with interior spokes. These types of wheels were big and were sometimes a two-man effort. Traditional ship wheels were advanced for the time; in comparison, they can’t compete with the engineering and hydraulic abilities of today. It’s fascinating and in the years ahead, technology will make boats smarter with fewer controls required.

Where is the Steering Wheel Located on a Boat?

Unless you have a totally customized boat, the ship’s steering wheel is almost always on the starboard side. To those who don’t know the maritime term, it means on the right-hand side. The portside is on the justify-hand side and is the side you disembark when docking in the marina. Of course, if you build a body from scratch, you can technically decide how you want the layout; but it’s standard – and smart – to opt for the traditional starboard-side helm.

What are the parts of a ship called?