My thoughts exactly, Roy, but the helm is the steering system. the question asked about the steering WHEEL

Who has the helm, or I have the helm, are in common use 'on board'.
Roy

Well at least I am not alone in getting it wrong. I always thought the HELM was the area where the Ships Wheel was, and included all the steering gear required to manoeuvre the boat/ship. The Wheel is just a part of the HELM, hence it is sometimes called the Helm Wheel. 😉 After doing much research to find out why I was supposedly wrong. I had to edit this. Ai has chosen as it's answer as a common term for the ships wheel. However after much research the HELM is definitely the means by which a boat/ship is guided through the water using the steering gear. The part that the Helmsman uses can be a tiller, steering oar (obviously a form of rudder itself), joystick or wheel all connected to the rudder. All of the interconnection apparatus, the part the Helmsman touches and the rudder is classed as the helm. The term Helm "instrument by which a ship is steered," from Old English helma "rudder; position of guidance, control," from Proto-Germanic *helmaz (source also of Old Norse hjalm, Old High German helmo, German Helm "handle") I doubt anyone will admit to the Ai getting it wrong.

I believe three of the answers could be correct .
Rick

If it had been WHAT IS THE NAME FOR A BOAT'S STEERING? I believe the answer should be HELM👎

Hi, Phil-
"I must say steve s you are looking good for a man of that age".

Thanks for that Phil, but you haven't seen my "War wounds"....... mainly caused with a slip of the stanley knife 🤕🤕------but I had them treated by Florence Nightingale 🙄😉.
As for the May 1st q-o-t-d you are right, Ai made it the shortest answer, but the answer was in the question this time.👍🙄. The last four questions of April were all the longest answers..😐

Another wrong answer!

Ha being crafty today it was the shortest answer but did mot catch me out 🤣🤣
Philuk👍

I understand the motion is derived from the way a Porpoise moves through the water, and is called "porpoising". They used the term a lot in Formula 1 racing when they had all that trouble with the aerodynamics. Unlike the oceanographic glider the F1 cars were not doing it on porpoise. Sorry, I just had to say it. 😉

The retractable sail was very fascinating, however, a real stroke of genius.

Process of elimination bought into play. Only one answer mentioned Wings, gliders have wings so I took a chance. They should have had "wings" in two of the choices, just to make it more of a challenge...😎😎

Todays answer is not correct they do not use sails but pitch backwards and forwards to dive and rise causing movement.
Philuk👍

I did not know that either ,but I thought it was such a clever idea I wanted it to be the answer.
Roy

How are we meant to know the answer to this one.The only reason I knew the answer is my interest in drones and have looked into underwater types during my research into building autonomy into my RC submarine

I must say steve s you are looking good for a man of that age😂
Philuk👍

Well, Roy I hoped you weren't going to ask me that!😮.
You have given me a right headache.. 🤕🤕

When I was 20 years young on board the Golden Hind with Drake, circumnavigating the World, in 1580, that meant I was 245 years old on HMS Victory when we defeated the French and Spanish at the Battle of Trafalgar, in 1805, so now I must be.... 466 😁 I think ?😁😁. That was harder than Q-O-T-D.

When I mentioned the MLC rules to Admiral Nelson he nearly had me keelhauled.😮.

Hi Steve , Just how old are you????😮😮😮
Roy

Roy,
With that comment you obvious haven't been fighting onboard one of Sir Francis Drake's or Admiral Nelson's Galleons like what I av ⛵😁😁😁⛵.......

The last 3 questions are nearly "revision questions" (April 23, 24, 25). The cable one I got wrong the last time ☹️

In my thinking if you were to the leeward of an enemy you would be leaning over and pointing your guns higher giving more range to fire.
Whereas the enemy ship would be leaning towards you with guns dipped lower and less range. Possibly having to close the lower gun ports.
But what do I know it all seems a bit dangerous to me.
Roy

Sorry, I was in the wrong topic.
I deleted it.

It's the first time I have got that question right! I chose longest answer and crossed my fingers
Roy

Answer B could have been correct if it had stated gun ports clear to windward, rather than smoke clearing, which was the killer part of that answer. Read all the answers firast before jumping in.

Not to mention the gun ports of the leeward vessel being above the waterline

That's true, Nick, but until everyone learns the problems of staying downwind in the days of galeons and vessels, the AI ​​will never give up, hahahahah.

Repeat question...

APRIL 21

Is this question bad?

I Wouold like to thank you all that said they were glad that my op went well..
I now just need to get through the stiches out and the recovery physio.
I can't wait to get back behind thewheel of my car again, but my wife is holding me back on that
so is one of my sons and he lives 250 miles away. they say fitness first. OH WELL.

Good to hear the op went well, you are one step closer to becoming bionic man

Regards
Ed

Glad to hear your op went well. Hopefully the 6 weeks will pass quickly! Sorry to hear about your brother in law. Best wishes Duncan

Glad your op went well but very sorry to hear about your brother inlaw.
My brother died in india the first i knew was when his step daugther rang me to tell me he had died and his body had been cremated in india the next day.
Philuk👍

i am back home, my op went well. I spentnone night in hospital, never slept at all.
No real pain just ached quit a bit. got sent out the next day.
then to top it the following day my brother in law has passed away. I couldn't even drive to get to see him in the hospital..
Because i am so unsteady on my feet my wife wouldnt let me go in a cab to visit him in the other hospital also because of nurovirous that was in there.
i have known him for 60 years, since I left school, he has been like a second dad to me, I am devistated. I don't know what to do now.
This is hard to do left handed, my right arms in a sling for at least 4 weeks and I cant drive for at lest 6 to 8 weeks I'm told . It's a reverse joint operation , ball and socket done the opposite way round.






















i

Another one with a built in answer!

Years ago, scuba diving beyond certain depths was the exclusive preserve of the military and a very few professionals (e.g., underwater welders), but that's no longer the case.
Many divers descend to prohibitive depths (impossible with scuba).
I've seen quite a few of them dive with us.
Unfortunately, courses using this mix (correct answer to the "question of the day") and the necessary equipment are too expensive for me.
Some might wonder why dive so deep if the colors fade.
That's true, but beyond the simple pleasure of doing it, there are several wrecks.

Did not have a clue on this one so went for the longest answer, it worked😆

Boatshed,

Wishing you the best on your surgery (I refrained from referencing "Luck", hopefully the Dotors aren't relying on luck).

I have a couple knees that need replacing. But, I'm either too chicken or too stubborn to get it done (not sure which).

Hopefully it will be a success, and you will have a speedy recovery.

Dave B

Longest answer again April 17th.
Boatshed,
Does that mean you'll be changing your name to Bionic Boatshed 😁😁.
All the best with the op, you will be chasing the nurses round after a bit of a rest.🤕
I've come back from the Dental hospital today with quite a few broken teeth having been removed, so you can now call me Nany Mcfee.☹️☹️.
A really good professional service was provided, but I'll be having soup for a while.

Boatshed, good luck with the operation, hope everything goes well.

I won't be answerig a few for a few days, I am off in about 20 minutes to go to the hospiatal for my shoulder opp..
I am getting a new joint if all goes well and no cancellations when I get there???
I can only hope. I have every faith in the NHS today. Here's hoping.
I will catch up on some when I get home I hope.

It sure is with MY retriever, Roy😁

I feel at home again Titanic hit the spot for me!

I thought Bark 'eel was part of dog training.
Roy

Hi Steve, ordered on line, stuck indoors after another fall. Today's question is one of those self answering questions...

April 12th Question has been asked at least 3 times now, so a "Revision Question" on the fenders.😀😀.

Nick, the Swallows & Amazon clinker built boat ⛵ is in the latest (April 2026) Model Boats mag, it has 8 pages on the motor and build info,
-but the new issue May, will be out on the 17th so you will have to get it before the shops replace the April edition with the latest May one !!👍👍

Thanks for the tip Steve. Any idea what month? Roy, there was a wharf on the Mersey (Wallasey side) riverfront near the Alfred lock. It was called the Fisherman's Wharf, a rather err, challenging establishment, but after several big fights and a nasty fire it was closed by the authorities!

That is an interesting and misunderstood question.
WHARF has become a word but it is an acronym. On the maps around rivers etc a whare house with river access was abreviated to:- Whare House At River Frontage. Hence Wharf.

But it has now become a word but really only applies if it has quay access to the river.

I don't expect A.I. knew that!

Roy

Ok, Nick, if you haven't started the Swallows & Amazon kit yet 🤔, you'll have to get the magazine for the good and bad bits in the construction of it ☹️😀.

Steve, I have one of those Swallows and Amazons kits, and the Seagull to go with it...

Hi, Roy, as we have had a question about the Voit Schneider propulsion system a while ago, I jumped straight in with the "wrong" answer ☹️. (April 7th qotd).

As for the April 8th one, Ai must have been reading this month's Model Boats magazine about building the Swallows & Amazon dinghy kit, by John Mileson. He mentions the garboard strakes next to the keel.😀😀 A very good read on building a clinker type dinghy kit 👍👍😁, and also giving us the correct answer !!

I think the ASD / Voith propulsion question should be at least re-thought as the answer given is too debatable.

Roy

I agree with Simple Sailor, B and D are both correct

well that is an interesting question. I think the answer conflicts with the question. It asks about 360-degree of thrust which both ASD and VSP can give. However the Ai's chosen answer then seeks to qualify it's answer by saying that VSP propelled tugs are not classified as an ASD tugs. As far as the question is concerned both types of propulsion are correct. Plus. Not one of them can give 360-degrees of thrust, they can only direct their thrust through 360-degrees. Anyway enough of my ranting. 😀 Have a nice day..