The wheelhouse is an enclosed compartment containing a ship’s wheel, used to steer the ship by controlling the rudder. It was developed to create a shelter for the wheel and the sailor who steers it. Today, detached wheelhouses are rare, with the wheel housed in the rest of the bridge.
A wheelhouse is an enclosed compartment containing a ship’s wheel, which is used to steer the ship by controlling the rudder. Today detached wheelhouses are rare, with the wheel housed in the rest of the bridge, when the wheel exists; Toggle mechanisms are used to steer many boats today. While the stick lacks the romantic associations of the ship’s wheel, it takes up less space and is becoming increasingly common, although many private sailing boats still have a wheel as a reference to sailing history.
When ship wheels were located in an exposed condition on the ship, they could be extremely unpleasant to use. Especially since wheel control could be vital in rough conditions, sailors could find themselves quite miserable behind the wheel in rainy, snowy, and other nasty weather. Such conditions could also damage the wheel, shortening its life as well as potentially fatal interference with the steering mechanism. The wheelhouse was developed to create a shelter for the wheel and the sailor who steers it.
Over time, the design of the bridge changed, partly in response to an increasing number of devices used to navigate ships. Rather than simply using a wheel and compass, a ship may have a variety of controls to run engines, watch out for nautical hazards, chart a navigation path, and communicate with other ships. These devices are housed in a larger enclosed bridge which has replaced the wheelhouse, although the term “wheelhouse” is still sometimes used to refer to the control center of a simple wheel-steered ship.
The wheelhouse is often at the front of the boat, and is surrounded by windows for good visibility so that the person behind the wheel can clearly see where they are going. There may be enough room for several people, including a pilot who can help guide the ship as it enters a port. Numerous examples of traditional wheelhouses can be seen in films and artwork depicting various sailing events and scenes.
Thanks to the iconic status of the ship’s wheel, it’s not uncommon to see bars, pubs, and other facilities in port cities with “wheelhouse” in their name. These installations evoke the ship’s wheel to appeal to sailors and others who love the sea, and can also echo the owner’s desire to be on the ocean, rather than shoreline. Naturally, such businesses are often adorned with ship’s wheels.
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