Why navies often prefer even propeller counts

Do propeller-driven ships tend to turn better in one direction as aircraft do?

The effect is much smaller once ships use multiple counteracting propellers, which is one reason navies generally prefer an even number of shafts and propellers.

Multiple propellers can be arranged to limit their tendency to favor a turn in one direction. The Royal Navy generally prefers an even number for this reason. Two or four propellers are favored over layouts that can create additional handling issues. The comparison with aircraft has limits because ship propellers rotate more slowly and work in water rather than air.