"Hard-a-port"

[oak]

Pals,

I've just read an account where a naval officer said that he "jammed the helm hard-a-port" and just managed to clear the stern of another ship. I have a vague recollection of reading/hearing somewhere that "hard-a-port" means a turn to starboard and "hard-a-starboard" means a turn to port. Am I correct in this?

I'd be very grateful if any pal could explain, please, exactly what happens during the previously outlined sequence of events.

Regards,

Philip

[Tartan_Terrier]

It does seem a bit odd, but it's all explained here:

http://users.senet.com.au/~gittins/wheel.html

[oak]

Many thanks Tartan Terrier.

[David B]

15 years in the deep water navy and I never heard of that. Hard-a-port means the nose of the ship turns to port as quickly as it will go. How you achieve

that is another matter.

David

[dfaulder]

I too (on more restricted experience - sailing vessels up to 150 foot tall ships) had never heard this, but did find the linked article illuminating. I certainly had never made the link between the the wheel operation and the sailing instruction "Lee-ho" (or "Helm's-a-lee"), describing the process of turning to windward to tack. This involves pushing a tiller to leeward, but turning a wheel to windward.

Another possible aspect that non sailors don't appreciate is that when you turn, a ship or boat turns about a centre of resistance (usually approximately midway along its hull length). So when you turn to port, your bows turns that way, but your stern moves the opposite way (particularly at slow speed with tight turning). This is very useful to know in confined areas (such as racing round the bouys). It does get forgotten however. I can remember being a crew member on a sail training ship sailing in confined waters just off Cowes (during Cowes week, HMY Brittania moored offshore) and Prince Consort bouy got a bit close; the officer of the watch ordered the helm to be put "hard-a-port" (modern meaning - turn to port). The bowsprit narrowly missed the bouy but the stern of the ship swung (to starboard) straight onto the bouy. Literally a clanger, heard half across the Solent!

David

[Gibbo]

There's a story in Admiral Andrew Cunningham's memoirs, A Sailor's Odyssey, about the RN's change in helm orders. In March 1934, about a month after the change he was in command of the Mediterranean Fleet's destroyers, flying his flag in the cruiser HMS Coventry. During night exercises in poor weather, a destroyer appeared heading for Coventry. The obvious thing to do was a sharp turn to starboard, but in the heat of the moment Cunningham gave the old order of 'hard a 'port'. Coventry's captain immediately gave the correct order of 'hard a 'starboard.' The helmsman, receiving two contradictory orders, did nothing, which turned out to be the best thing to have done as the destroyer passed within three yards of Coventry's starboard side.

[NigelS]

Thought you might like to see these definitions from a reprint of Admiral W H Smyth's 'Sailor's Word-Book: An alphabetical digest of alphabetical Nautical Terms' originally published in 1867

Hard-A-Lee

The situation of the tiller when it brings the rudder hard over to windward. Strictly speaking, it only relates to a tiller which extends

forward

from the rudder-head; now many extend

aft

, in which case the

order

remains the same, but the tiller and rudder are both brought over to windward. Also, the order to put the tiller in this position

Hard-A-Port!

The order so to place the tiller as to bring the rudder over to the starboard-side of the stern-post, whichever way the tiller leads.

Hard-A-Starboard

The order so to place the tiller as to bring the rudder over to the port-side of the stern-post, whichever way the tiller leads.

Hard-A-Weather!

The order so to place the tiller as to bring the rudder on the lee-side of the stern-post, whichever way the tiller leads, in order to bear away; it is the position of the helm as opposed to Hard-A-lee. Also, A hardy seamen

I do like the second definition for Hard-A-weather!

NigelS

[sotonmate]

P

The purpose of your question is undoubtedly to make us all think !

I am now (metaphorically) sitting in my father-in-law's small motor boat with a helm at the stern. I want to turn to port so I push the helm to starboard because I know that the rudder will also point to starboard,but it's effect will be to force the vessel to port.

I am now in his cabin boat with a wheel. When I turn the wheel to port I go to port !

I've had enough of this thinking !

Sotonmate

[David B]

The tiller, because it is one end of a fulcrum actually goes in the opposite direction to the rudder which is the other end of the fulcrum. A steering wheel connects

to the rudder in a different manner so therefore turning the wheel anti-clockwise turns the rudder to port and clockwise to starboard.

I guess we have evolved from the old days of sail to something just as confusing.

[west coast]

H.M book of seamanship 1937. mike.

[apwright]

The film Titanic gets it right.

When the iceberg is sighted the order "hard-a-starboard" is given, so the helmsman turns the wheel to port and the ship's bow moves to port.

Adrian

[David B]

It would seem that in days past they couldn't even trust a lowly seaman to turn the tiller in the correct direction, I guess they got used to it and there would have

been confusion for a while until the current generation of seamen got used it. Imaging what would happen if we turned the steering wheel of a car anti clockwise

and the vehicle went around a right hand turn.

David

[oak]

Thanks Pals,

I didn't realise that my question would lead to such an interesting discussion.

Philip

[Ghost]

Good job you didn't mention American sailors, with their left and right instaed of P & S. That would have confused everyone.

Alan

[David B]

Alan,

Now you have confused me bringing in the tin tanks, I can just imaging the order "Hardá left". O M G

David

[HMS Zinnia]

Good job you didn't mention American sailors, with their left and right instaed of P & S. That would have confused everyone.

Hi!

same in the French Navy, instead of "bâbord" (port) & "tribord" (starboard) , which sometimes cannot clearly be heard by the helmsman, they use "la barre à gauche" (left) or "la barre à droite" (right).

in the nowadays Belgian Navy, as we use the Royal Navy system since WW2, it's "bakboord" or "stuurboord", or "bâbord" & "tribord", following the main language of the helmsman when manoeuvering.

quite easy, as a matter of facts

Regards,

Laurent