Why do ships use “port” and “starboard” instead of “left” and “right?”
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Why do ships use “port” and “starboard” instead of “left” and “right?”
1–10 of 636 posts
Re: Why do ships use “port” and “starboard” instead of “left” and “right?”
#2"Driver" and "passenger" side for cars. Oh wait, doesn't work in England etc.
I guess for ships there is no variation between countries? Starboard is presumably where the wheel was so everyone must have left it on the right side?
Re: Why do ships use “port” and “starboard” instead of “left” and “right?”
#3Re: Why do ships use “port” and “starboard” instead of “left” and “right?”
#4"Driver" and "passenger" side for cars. Oh wait, doesn't work in England etc. I guess for ships there is no variation between countries? Starboard is presumably where the wheel was so everyone must have left it on the right side?
I've always assumed that "driver" and "passenger" were simply reversed for England, etc.
I'd reverse it for postal trucks, after all, or cars imported from England and such.
Re: Why do ships use “port” and “starboard” instead of “left” and “right?”
#5I wonder why more people are right-handed. What could be a biological basis for that?
Re: Why do ships use “port” and “starboard” instead of “left” and “right?”
#6This explanation feels kind of awkward. My left hand does not depend on my orientation, so I am unclear why the "left side" of a boat would.
I get why there are better terms to use when talking about others. At least, I think I do. But it feels like there is more history to these terms than just "needs to be fixed."
Re: Why do ships use “port” and “starboard” instead of “left” and “right?”
#7This explanation feels kind of awkward. My left hand does not depend on my orientation, so I am unclear why the "left side" of a boat would. I get why there are better terms to use when talking about others. At least, I think I do. But it feels like there is more history to these terms than just "needs to be fixed."
Because if you face the back of the boat the sides reverse. It’s similar to stage left. When you can’t afford to be confused, one name is better than a conflicting argument between your left and the boats left.
Re: Why do ships use “port” and “starboard” instead of “left” and “right?”
#8I understand that the terms are mostly unambiguous, but I always wonder how these get defined in edge cases. For example ferries, at least where I live, alternate the direction of travel as they go back and forth. There isn't a fixed "bow" or "stern" from which to define port and starboard.
Re: Why do ships use “port” and “starboard” instead of “left” and “right?”
#9better https://www.divescotty.com/underwater-blog/boat-side-starboa...
Much better explanation! Thanks for linking it in.
Re: Why do ships use “port” and “starboard” instead of “left” and “right?”
#10This explanation feels kind of awkward. My left hand does not depend on my orientation, so I am unclear why the "left side" of a boat would. I get why there are better terms to use when talking about others. At least, I think I do. But it feels like there is more history to these terms than just "needs to be fixed."
Because if you face the back of the boat the sides reverse. It’s similar to stage left. When you can’t afford to be confused, one name is better than a conflicting argument between your left and the boats left.
But if I'm looking at you and speak of your left hand, I am not speaking of the hand to my left. Literally nobody does that. At least not on purpose.