The steering rod was 70 centimeters in front of the sub. the rods are not under the crew but they are under the crews bench. This astonishing discovery is evidence of the great amount of planning and design that went into the engineering of the worlds first modern submarine. The steering rod was similar to an airplanes joy stick. This could be the first joy stick. The stern was in the the back of the HL HUNLEY. Horace Hunley made up the HUNLEY by sketches from his mind. The steering rod was quarts out of the men's way. The bench had appeared to be at the back of the sub. There was no steering wheel on the sub. the HUNLEY was the first modern sub.