And make it ring.
Staghound...Extreme clipper 1850 by rwiederrich 1/96
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So if the helmsman stood in front of the wheel to steer, how did he know where he was going? His back would be to the bow.
A helmsman relies upon visual references, a magnetic compas, Cross-staff, Hourglass, Quadrant, Mariner's astrolabe, Kamal, and a rudder angle indicator to steer a steady course. some of the common tools are located in the binnacle, right in front of the helm.
Compass
The compass originated in China in the 3rd century, but didn't become common in Europe until the 15th century. 16th century compasses displayed a compass rose, which indicated 32 points of direction.
Cross-staff
A rectangular wooden staff with a scale and cross-pieces of different lengths. Sailors would use each cross-piece to measure latitude.
Hourglass
Sailors used sandglasses to measure time, which could range from 30 seconds to hours. They used solid materials instead of liquids, which would thicken with temperature changes.
Quadrant
A simple instrument that used a plumb bob to measure latitude by determining the angle between the sun or a star and the horizon.
Mariner's astrolabe
Developed in the late 15th century, this instrument was used in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was replaced by the back staff, octant, and sextant.
Kamal
Used the position of Polaris (the North Star) to determine latitude. Sailors would tie a knot in a cord, hold the knot between their teeth, and hold the wooden piece out vertically. They would then pull the cord taut to line it up with the North Star.
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The helmsman or in stormy weather helmsmen stood along side of the wheel facing forward. In addition to being able to see the compass he needed to be able to see the weather luff of the main topsail. If this began to luff then he was heading too high (too close to the wind) and needed to fall off (steer more away from the wind). While he was given a compass course to steer it was also his job to keep the sails full. Compass courses would have been given in “boxed directions”; the 32 directions obtained by boxing the compass ie, North, North by East, etc rather than exact numerical bearings that are used today so he had some leeway when steering the ordered course and still keeping the ships sails full.
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Roger
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Indeed....and in most cases this took him off his true compass bearing....ultimately resulting in the need to tack. Rarely did the wind blow the direction you were headed.
Good description of the helmsman's navigational tooling.
Rob
This is most likely a small boat\ship's helm. On a three decker the helm is a, almost the same size as the helmsman.
Below is the helm of the Cony (HMS Constitution)
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Norgale, beautiful photo. I've boarded Old Ironsides many times. Each time I find it's amazing how large this venerable 1800s Frigate really is. On a clipper ship, it would have been single, although Great Republic carried a double wheel like a ship of war due to her large size.
This double wheel shows that it was designed for two to four helmsmen at the same time. On the other hand, fishing boats like Gloucester Schooners wouldn't have needed such a large wheel. In fact, it would have been unmanageable. That's why it's so small on the Fisherman's Memorial. I shared it just to show the position of the helmsman to answer your question.
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For the last few nights I have been reading CSS Forester’s Captain From Connecticut about a fictional American Frigate during the War of 1812. At the moment the ship is trapped by the British and Forester provides an excellent account of the helmsman steering in shifting winds to keep the sails full while also struggling to maintain the ordered compass course.
Roger
Roger