When an English pilot cries out “Port!” or what comes to the same thing, holds his hand out to port, he does not wish the vessel’s head to be turned to port, but that the helm or tiller be put to port, this action of course turning the vessel’s head in a starboard direction.
Wheels are now generally used in the place of tillers on all craft of any size. Now a wheel works in a contrary direction to a tiller, that is, a wheel turning to port turns the vessel’s head to port. In this case, when an English pilot cries out “Port!” he means that the wheel rudder and head of the vessel are all to be turned to starboard.
If this rule—viz., that on every occasion on which the orders “port” or “starboard” are given, the vessel’s head must be turned in the opposite direction—prevailed everywhere, all would accustom themselves to it and there would not be much confusion. But, if we cross the Channel to France, or visit some other continental countries, we find the pilots always speak of the vessel’s head and not of the helm when they give an order. In France, “Port!” does not signify “Port your helm!” but “Turn your vessel’s head to port,” which is the reverse of what a British pilot would mean when giving the same order.
There are other methods of giving orders to the man at the tiller which must be thoroughly understood by every amateur. The author has seen a somewhat experienced yachtsman puzzled when a boatman, who had come on board to pilot us, cried out, “Bear up!” at the same time holding his hand to windward.
Had he cried out “Bear away!” the yachtsman would have understood that the order applied to the head of the vessel—that the vessel was to be steered away from the wind. But “Bear up!” and the hand pointing to windward confused him, and he steered to windward or luffed.
Now these two orders mean exactly the same; but whereas “Bear away!” applies to the vessel’s head, “Bear up!” applies to the vessel’s helm or tiller which must be pushed up to windward. So, too, the pilot’s hand, pointing to windward, signified, “Put the helm in that direction,” and not “Turn the vessel in that direction.”
In the table below the orders in general use are defined:—
1. “Port” signifies “Turn the helm or tiller to port.”
2. “Starboard” signifies “Turn the helm or tiller to starboard.”
3. “Luff” signifies “Turn the vessel’s head to windward.”