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I always remember that port and left both are the shorter word, and have the same number of letters.
this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2023
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Do we have any red port wine left?
There's only a right way to find out
Honestly, yeah. That's what I relied on as well and what was taught to me. Also what I then taught to the people under me. I have no other real way of understanding it. I know why we use port/starboard but I've never looked into why port/starboard are the words we've stuck with.
That's easy. We use 'port' because that's the left side, and 'starboard' because that's the other side of the boat.
No, no. No need to thank me. I'm just one humble man trading information gleaned from a long life of learning.
IIRC, it was because the tiller for the rudder (with which you steer) was on the right side. (Styrbord in Swedish = steer board) As to why you have port in English, I have no idea. It's babord in Swedish, from bakbord (back board) as when steering, the left side was behind you.
Edit: Apparently it's port because you'd dock with the left side to the port as otherwise you'd crush the rudder, which again was on the right.
That's essentially how I always remember it. Port and left both have 4 letters.
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My grandfather was a bomber pilot and he always remembered it by picturing himself flying north along the east coast, where all the ports would be on the left.
Did he never have to fly back?
In his mind's eye he could fly north forever.
Also, the old name for "port" is "larboard", which starts with an L for left.
Additionally, "starboard" has 'r's (for "right").
... so does "port"
But starboard has 2
And two times right is right; less times right is left
Port is short. My BIL taught me that this summer!
and even, as in even numbers.
Port, left, even...all words an even number of letters Starboard, right, odd...all words are an odd number of letters.
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I always picture a drunken sailor asking how much port is left. It works for me.
Okay that's infuriatingly clever... I'm going to have to use that.
And port is red. Green means you're on Starboard and GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!!
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Is there a reason they don't just say left and right?
Left and Right rely on the orientation of the person. So if I'm looking ahead at you, and you're looking at me, my left is different than yours. However, port and starboard don't change based on position of the viewer but the position of the vessel. Cuts out any ambiguity.
Still doesn't seem necessary. Your orientation doesn't matter if you always take the direction as if you were in the drivers seat (captains chair). It's the same with cars, left side is drivers side, right side is passenger (unless you're in one of those backwards countries, then left would be passenger, right would be driver, but it's still the same side of the vehicle).
Your orientation doesn’t matter if you always take the direction as if you were in the drivers seat
Correct. And you would refer to that as something specific because if you just said left people might think that you are talking about your personal left. So you come up with short hand to mean the left when facing the front of the ship, and right when facing the front of the ship. The words that were agreed upon for this purpose? Port and starboard.
On a ship people will not be facing the same direction at all times. This is why the shorthand was invented. As someone who actually spent time on boats and where this was important, trust me. It's necessary.
It's the ship version of stage left and stage right for theatre. Or drivers side and passenger side for cars.
We use these types of phrases all the time to avoid any ambiguity.
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Historically, boats had rudders (or “steer boards”) along the side of the ship instead of in the middle like we’d see them today. It was always on the right side of the boat, so to avoid smashing your rudder into the dock, you’d dock your ship on the other side. That means it was always the left side that literally faced the port, while starboard faced out into open water to protect that side from damage.
rudders (or “steer boards”)
The "board" part comes from "side of a ship", as in "the board where the steer is attached".
Same meaning as in "going over-board".
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Then you have to say something like "your left or mine?" This removes any ambiguity, and that might matter when one is at sea.
Also, port is red and Starboard is green. Usually boats will colour the sheets to match. It helps to identify the lines when someone tells you to ease the port sheet.
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I remember being young taking my boaters safety course and having to take this section over three times. Why does left and right stop existing once you are on a floating pos?
Because left and right can be interpreted as direction from your point of view. Port and starboard are always understood as left and right of the vessel you are currently in.
In performance arts, stage left and stage right perform the same function as well. "Stage" directions are always from the perspective of a performer, so that referring to right/left is absolute.
Is the joke here that it would be embarrassing for the captain to forget this?
Yes.
I need something like this to remember left and right correctly.
Port and left have four letters.
Mars also has 4 letters, which is useful when you're trying to remember which portal to travel through at the end of the Vault of Glass raid.
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Your pointer finger and thumb make an L on your left hand.
"Red right returning". You must be leaving port.
You grew up on a boat?
Nah, but we did live on an island where sailing and fishing is very important. Our boat was trash but we did have a boat.
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