Throttle
 

Perhaps they liked to fish for marlins and it would be easier to back down on the fish with this configuration

Often have wondered myself why the throttle is on the left. The first thing I changed on my boat.

Funny thing is about the wheel is that it actually works out well for me having the wheel on the starboard side as this allows my "strong" hand (right) to do the steering since the inboard requires a lot of wheel spinning during docking.

Don't ask me, when they came from the factory the wheel was in the middle and the rigger cut the throttle in - I have seen quite a few on the left side but all mine and everyone that left our dealership here in Tampa was always on the right - always seemed retarded to me and I would have to change it

With over 13,000 hours, Moesly has flown virtually everything in the Army Air Corps WWII inventory! However his book, "A Pilots Story", relates that most of his time was in the C-54 (DC-4) 4 engine transport. In a multi-engine transport, the throttles would have been on either the right OR left depending on whether you were the pilot or co-pilot!

Mine is a 1972 23 with original console, helm center, throttle to starboard