Topic: Another silly question from across the pond

[Fighting Sailor]

Hi Y'all,
The Flower Class Corvette and Armed Trawler are my first non-USN surface ship projects (I've done a number of U-Boats)  so I am attempting to immerse myself in the subject.  So I will have many questions which might not be directly related to the models themselves, I simply want to get a thorough feel for life in the Royal Navy circa 1944...
Ok... Silly question number 1:  I know that up until the building of Titanic the ships helm wheel would turn in the opposite direction from the desired rudder movement i.e. turn the wheel port to turn the rudder starboard etc... Its my understanding this was a holdover from the time when wheels were first put in use and was done because sailors used to a tiller would find it more comfortable or familiar.  How long did this practice persist? Or, is it still standard in the Royal Navy of today? Thanks for your patience with your cousin across the pond...

[minerva]

Hi,
 For a comprehensive answer on steering gear.
check out (Google) Hastie's telemotor steering gear.
In basic terms the wheel turns and compresses a cylinder
of telemotor fluid (Glycerin and water) this in turn moves an actuator
in the steering compartment attached to the swash plate of an electric
motor which pumps hydraulic fluid to one end of a ram (or a pair of rams)
which are attached to the rudder post.
 The simple answer is turn the wheel to port the rudder moves to port.
(rudder head arm moves stbd and rudder tail moves to port)
Ship moves to port.

[minerva]

Check this out, it will show an aircraft carrier turning into wind
to launch aircraft. You'll see the wheel house and the ships head turning.
It may help. If not it's still a great video of the RN carrier force in the 1960's.
( HMS Hermes)
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b34_1343560957

[Troy Tempest]

Luvverly footage, good old Hermes and Victorious

[minerva]

The sad fact is that when that video was made, we had 400 ships
and now we don't even have 40 !
PATHETIC isn't it.

[Troy Tempest]

Plenty of Admirals to go around tho'

[Fighting Sailor]

I appreciate your replies, so the wheel no longer turns opposite... When did this change?   
Sorry, if I wasn't clear, I do understand the workings of steering gear (I qualified Conning Officer aboard Ronald Reagan CVN 76)    I was curious about the old opposite turning wheels... 

[radio joe]

Not right my friend wheels were never opposite turn wheel to port the ship turns to port, it was the way steering orders were
given that was opposite because the orders were given as a helm or tiller ie. Hard o port the tiller was put to port turning the boat
to starboard, the way orders were given changed in 1933 as it was causing confusion, it is now widely speculated the old style
order given on the Titanic was misinterpreted by the helms man when told hard to starboard he turned the wheel to starboard
actually toward the iceberg before realizing and turning the wheel to port, a classic case of the confusion caused by the old style
of tiller orders.

[minerva]

What was it like to serve with Nelson , Joe ?

[radio joe]

It was ok Pauline but I could never get used to that there hardtack

[minerva]

 I thought you'd say that Nelson was fine, but his grandad was a bit of a tartar !

[Fighting Sailor]

Now that does make sense.... Funny how such paradigms persist due to the simple phrase "We have always done it this way" ... So, to be clear, it was the orders from the Conn too the Helmsman which were opposite, not the actual steering gear...   In the USN we always gave rudder orders as Left and Right (not Port and Starboard). This was so the kid on the wheel fresh from some Midwest town wouldn't get confused. Thanks for clearing that up for me...
Question 2:  Standard USN bridge stations are: Officer of the Deck, Conning Officer, Quartermaster of the watch, Boatswains Mate of the watch, Helm, Lee Helm and lookouts... What are the typical stations in the RN?

[minerva]

In the Royal Navy we assume that everyone is able to tell Port from Stbd. !
Prior to local bridge control (of steering).
It would have been something like (depending on class of ship).
Officer of the watch, (sometimes second officer of the watch)
Yeoman, Bosun's mate & Lookouts.(with navigator and radar rating in the plot)
Once again depending of class of ship.
Helm orders were always in the style of
e.g.
Bridge - port 20
wheelhouse - port 20 sir.
wheel house- 20 degrees of port wheel on.
Bridge - midships
wheelhouse - midships sir,
wheelhouse - wheel amidships sir.
Bridge - steer course  120
Wheel house - Course 120 sir.

None of the USN's "Right full rudder" etc.

[colin]

Sir...!!!!!   
Should that not be "Maam"..     

or ... Ay ay kap'n 

[paul swainson]

Also do not forget to lift your left hand and touch the forehead when saying it.