Outboard motors turn in the opposite direction to the desired direction due to the way they steer. Personal watercraft use a steering wheel, while tiller-controlled outboards require the operator to push or pull the tiller handle in the opposite direction to turn the boat.
When looking at the direction of the outboard, most people are intrigued by the fact that the motor seems to turn in the opposite direction that the operator wants to go. The reason for this is simple. When outboard steering is used to turn a boat, the engine turns in a way that will allow the stern or rear of the boat to be pushed to point the bow or front of the boat in the desired direction. In this sense, outboard steering works much like a regular forklift that uses its rear tires to steer. This is not a typical concern when using a steering wheel to control the boat; however, when using a tiller to control the direction of the outboard, it can sometimes be confusing.
Most personal watercraft are set up so that the rider or operator can simply drive the boat the same way they would drive a car. Using a sheave and cable system or a hydraulically powered ram, the outboard’s steering is controlled simply by turning the steering wheel in the intended direction of travel. Due to the nature of a boat sliding through the water, most turns are accompanied by a slight hesitation and are not as sharp as a car turn. As the boat glides through the water, the turns are more of a controlled slide, although most outboard steering systems provide relatively quick maneuvering and quick reactions.
Outboard steering procedures for a tiller-controlled outboard motor are often confusing to beginning boaters. The tiller-controlled outboard has the throttle mounted on a long handle or tiller that protrudes from the front of the outboard motor. The operator sits in the back of the boat and controls the speed by twisting the throttle. The boat is turned by pulling or pushing the tiller handle toward or away from the operator. This action causes the outboard to rotate on its mount, thus turning the boat. The direction the spear needs to be moved in order to turn the boat is often the confusing point.
In this form of outboard steering, the operator who wants to turn the boat to the right must push or pull the tiller to the left of the boat. This, of course, depends on which side of the boat the operator is sitting on. To go left, the rudder is moved to the right. This style of outboard steering is easily learned and quickly becomes second nature to most boaters.
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