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[–] 68 points 2 years ago (9 children)

I always remember that port and left both are the shorter word, and have the same number of letters.

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  • [–] [S] 11 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 15 points 2 years ago

    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.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Additionally, "starboard" has 'r's (for "right").

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  • [–] 14 points 2 years ago (2 children)
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    [–] 44 points 2 years ago (4 children)

    I always picture a drunken sailor asking how much port is left. It works for me.

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    [–] 18 points 2 years ago (5 children)

    Is there a reason they don't just say left and right?

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  • [–] [S] 55 points 2 years ago* (9 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago

    Like driver's side and passenger side on a car. It doesn't even matter where it was made and it will work out as long as they look for the steering wheel.

    *Except the McLaren F1 and probably a few others.

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  • [–] 20 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Left and right are referenced to yourself, or relative. Port and starboard are referenced to the ship, or absolute.
    It's the same reason people who work in theater say "stage right" and "stage left" instead of just "right" and "left."
    Imagine being on a boat for weeks, in the middle of the ocean, with no land in sight; it makes a lot of sense that you would think of locations in terms of the ship, as that is your only reference point.

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  • [–] 17 points 2 years ago* (4 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

    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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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I need something like this to remember left and right correctly.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Is the joke here that it would be embarrassing for the captain to forget this?

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    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?

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  • [–] 22 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago

    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.

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    "Red right returning". You must be leaving port.

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago (1 child)
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