Port and starboard

Short description: Nautical terms for direction

Schematic view of a ship's navigation lights indicating its port (red) and starboard (green) sides

Port and starboard are nautical terms for watercraft and spacecraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow (front).

Vessels with bilateral symmetry have left and right halves which are mirror images of each other. One asymmetric feature is where access to a boat, ship, or aircraft is at the side; it is usually only on the port side (hence the name).

## Contents

* 1 Side
* 2 Etymology
* 3 Importance of standard terms
* 4 Other nautical uses
* 5 See also
* 6 Notes
* 7 References

## Side

Port side and starboard side respectively refer to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow. The port and starboard sides of the vessel always refer to the same portion of the vessel's structure, and do not depend on the position of someone aboard the vessel.

The port side is the side to the left of an observer aboard the vessel and facing the bow, towards the direction the vessel is heading when underway in the forward direction. The starboard side is to the right of such an observer.[1]

This convention allows orders and information to be communicated unambiguously, without needing to know which way any particular crew member is facing.[2][3]

## Etymology

Image from the Bayeux Tapestry showing a longship with a steering oar on the starboard side.[4] Oncoming boat indicating its port (red) and starboard (green) sides

Starboard derives from the Old English steorbord, steor meaning steer, and bord meaning side. Before ships had rudders, they were steered with a steering oar on the right hand side of the ship, because more people are right-handed.[2] The "steer-board" etymology is shared by the German Steuerbord, Dutch stuurboord, Icelandic stjórnborði, Scandinavian styrbord, French tribord, Italian tribordo,[lower-alpha 1] Portuguese estibordo, Spanish estribor and Estonian tüürpoord.

Since the steering oar was on the right side of the boat, it would dock on the left side. In Old English, this side was known as bæcbord.[6] An Anglo-Saxon record of a voyage by Ohthere of Hålogaland used the word "bæcbord" ("back-board") for the left side of a ship. With the steering rudder on the starboard side the man on the rudder had his back to the left side of ship. German Backbord, Dutch bakboord, Icelandic bakborði, Swedish babord, Spanish babor, Portuguese bombordo, Italian babordo,[lower-alpha 1] French bâbord, and Estonian pakpoord, are all cognate.

From around 1300 the term ladde-borde was used, from Middle English ladebord, lade meaning load, and bord meaning side.[3] Ladebord was changed to larboard in the 1500s, possibly by association with starboard. This side was also called port, since it was the docking side.[7] The Oxford English Dictionary cites this usage since 1543.[8]

Larboard sounds similar to starboard and in 1844 the Royal Navy ordered that port be used instead.[9][10] The United States Navy followed suit in 1846.[11] Larboard continued to be used well into the 1850s by whalers.[12] In chapter 12 of Life on the Mississippi (1883) Mark Twain writes larboard to refer to the left side of the ship (Mississippi River steamboat) in his days on the river – circa 1857–1861.[13] Lewis Carroll rhymed larboard and starboard in "Fit the Second" of The Hunting of the Snark (1876).[14]

## Importance of standard terms

The navigational treaty convention, the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea—for instance, as appears in the UK's Merchant Shipping (Distress Signals and Prevention of Collisions) Regulations 1996 (and comparable US documents from the US Coast Guard)[15]—sets forth requirements for maritime vessels to avoid collisions, whether by sail or powered, and whether a vessel is overtaking, approaching head-on, or crossing.[15]: 11–12 To set forth these navigational rules, the terms starboard and port are essential, and to aid in in situ decision-making, the two sides of each vessel are marked, dusk to dawn, by navigation lights, the vessel's starboard side by green and its port side by red.[15]: 15 Aircraft are lit in the same way.

## Other nautical uses

Port and starboard are also commonly used when dividing crews; for example with a two watch system the teams supplying the personnel are often named Port and Starboard. This may extend to entire crews, such as the forward-deployed crews of the Royal Navy’s Gulf-based frigate,[16] or ballistic missile submarines.

## See also

* Anatomical terms of location, another example of terms of directionality that do not depend on the location of the observer for things that are bilaterally symmetrical
* Dexter and sinister, in heraldry
* Direction (disambiguation)
* Glossary of nautical terms
* Handedness
* Laterality, preference in humans etc. for doing things with the left or right hand etc.
* List of ship directions
* Proper right and proper left, in images of people, etc.
* Reflection symmetry
* Sinistral and dextral, chirality, in scientific contexts
* Terms of orientation

## Notes

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 However the proper Italian terms for starboard and port are dritta and sinistra respectively. The offshoots from French tribordo and babordo were largely, and only, used in adventure novels of the nineteenth century translated from French.[5]

## References

1. ↑ US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Why do ships use 'port' and 'starboard' instead of 'left' and 'right?'" (in EN-US). https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/port-starboard.html.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 NOS Staff (December 8, 2014). "Why Do Ships use "Port" and "Starboard" Instead of "Left" and "Right?"". NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) Ocean Facts. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/port-starboard.html.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 RMG Staff (February 2, 2017). "Port and Starboard: Why do Sailors say 'Port' and 'Starboard', for "Left" and "Right?"". Discover: Explore by Theme. Greenwich, England, UK: Royal Museums Greenwich. http://www.rmg.co.uk/explore/sea-and-ships/facts/faqs/customs-and-origins/port-and-starboard.
4. ↑ Grape, Wolfgang (1994). The Bayeux Tapestry: Monument to a Norman Triumph. Art and Design Series. Munich, DEU: Prestel. p. 95. ISBN 978-3791313658. https://archive.org/details/bayeuxtapestry00wolf. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
5. ↑ "tribórdo". https://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/tribordo.
6. ↑ "Etymology of "starboard" by etymonline" (in en-US). https://www.etymonline.com/word/starboard.
7. ↑ Administration, US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric. "Unlike left and right, port and starboard refer to fixed locations on a vessel." (in EN-US). https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/port-starboard.html.
8. ↑ port (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, September 2005, http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/148093 (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
9. ↑ Admiralty Circular No. 2, November 22, 1844, cited in Western Courier newspaper (Plymouth) December 11, 1844.
10. ↑ Norie, John William; Hobbs, J. S. (1847). Sailing directions for the Bay of Biscay, including the coasts of France and Spain, from Ushant to Cape Finisterre (A new ed., rev. and considerably improved ed.). C. Wilson. p. 1. OCLC 41208722. https://books.google.com/books?id=xREEAAAAQAAJ. Retrieved 7 February 2010. "An order, recently issued by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, states, that in order to prevent mistakes, which frequently occur from the similarity of the words starboard and larboard, in future, the word port is to be substituted for larboard, in all Her Majesty's ships or vessels."
11. ↑ George Bancroft (February 18, 1846). "Port and Starboard: General Order, 18 February 1846". General Orders. Washington, DC: US Navy, Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/g/general-orders/general-order-port-and-starboard.html.
12. ↑ Morton, Harry (1983-01-01). The Whale's Wake. University of Hawaii Press. p. 84. ISBN 9780824808303. https://books.google.com/books?id=7GNLAQAAIAAJ&q="Whaling+journals+even+as+late+as+the+1850s". Retrieved 2020-03-20.
13. ↑ Twain, Mark (1883). "Life on the Mississippi » Chapter 12". http://www.online-literature.com/twain/life_mississippi/13/. "... the steersman at the tiller obeys the order to 'hold her up to starboard;' or, 'let her fall off to larboard; term 'larboard' is never used at sea now, to signify the left hand; but was always used on the river in my time]"
14. ↑ Carroll, Lewis (1978). Gasson, Roy. ed. The Illustrated Lewis Carroll. Jupiter Books. p. 231. "He was thoughtful and grave - but the orders he gave
Were enough to bewilder a crew.
When he cried "Steer to starboard, but keep her head larboard!"
What on earth was the helmsman to do?"
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 MCA Staff (2004). The Merchant Shipping (Distress Signals and Prevention of Collisions) Regulations 1996. Southampton, ENG: Crown Department of Transport, Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/281965/msn1781.pdf. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
16. ↑ "Montrose's Starboard Crew back in the groove for Gulf mission". https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news/2020/july/23/200723-montrose-starboard-crew-back-in-the-groove-for-gulf-mission.

* v
* t
* e

Parts of a sailing ship

* Aftercastle
* Afterdeck
* Anchor
* Anchor windlass
* Apparent wind indicator
* Beakhead
* Bilge
* Bilgeboard
* Bitts
* Boom brake
* Bow
* Bowsprit
* Capstan
* Cathead
* Centreboard
* Chains
* Cockpit
* Crow's nest
* Daggerboard
* Deck
* Figurehead
* Forecastle
* Gangway
* Gunwale
* Head
* Hull
* Jackline
* Jibboom
* Keel
* Keel (Canting)
* Kelson
* Leeboard
* Mast
* Orlop deck
* Poop deck
* Porthole
* Prow
* Quarter gallery
* Quarterdeck
* Rudder
* Ship's wheel
* Skeg
* Stem
* Stern
* Sternpost
* Strake
* Taffrail
* Tiller
* Top
* Transom
* Whipstaff
* Winch

* v
* t
* e

Aircraft components and systems

Airframe structure|

* Aft pressure bulkhead
* Cabane strut
* Canopy
* Cruciform tail
* Dope
* Empennage
* Fabric covering
* Fairing
* Flying wires
* Former
* Fuselage
* Hardpoint
* Interplane strut
* Jury strut
* Leading edge
* Lift strut
* Longeron
* Nacelle
* Rib
* Ring tail
* Spar
* Stabilizer
* Stressed skin
* Strut
* T-tail
* Tailplane
* Trailing edge
* Triple tail
* Twin tail
* Vertical stabilizer
* V-tail
* Y-tail
* Wing root
* Wing tip
* Wingbox

Flight controls|

* Aileron
* Airbrake
* Artificial feel
* Autopilot
* Canard
* Centre stick
* Deceleron
* Dive brake
* Electro-hydraulic actuator
* Elevator
* Elevon
* Flaperon
* Flight control modes
* Fly-by-wire
* Gust lock
* Rudder
* Servo tab
* Side-stick
* Spoiler
* Spoileron
* Stabilator
* Stick pusher
* Stick shaker
* Trim tab
* Wing warping
* Yaw damper
* Yoke

Aerodynamic and high-lift
devices|

* Active Aeroelastic Wing
* Adaptive compliant wing
* Blown flap
* Channel wing
* Dog-tooth
* Droop
* Flap
* Gouge flap
* Gurney flap
* Krueger flap
* Leading-edge cuff
* LEX
* Slats
* Slot
* Stall strips
* Strake
* Variable-sweep wing
* Vortex generator
* Vortilon
* Wing fence
* Winglet

Avionic and flight
instrument systems|

* ACAS
* Air data computer
* Airspeed indicator
* Altimeter
* Annunciator panel
* Attitude indicator
* Compass
* Course deviation indicator
* EFIS
* EICAS
* Flight management system
* Glass cockpit
* GPS
* Heading indicator
* Horizontal situation indicator
* INS
* Pitot-static system
* Radar altimeter
* TCAS
* Transponder
* Turn and slip indicator
* Vertical Speed Indicator
* Yaw string

Propulsion controls,
devices and fuel systems|

* Autothrottle
* Drop tank
* FADEC
* Fuel tank
* Gascolator
* Inlet cone
* Intake ramp
* NACA cowling
* Self-sealing fuel tank
* Splitter plate
* Throttle
* Thrust lever
* Thrust reversal
* Townend ring
* Wet wing

Landing and arresting gear|

* Aircraft tire
* Arrestor hook
* Autobrake
* Conventional landing gear
* Drogue parachute
* Landing gear
* Landing gear extender
* Oleo strut
* Tricycle landing gear
* Tundra tire

Escape systems|

* Ejection seat
* Escape crew capsule

Other systems|

* Aircraft lavatory
* Auxiliary power unit
* Bleed air system
* Deicing boot
* Emergency oxygen system
* Flight recorder
* Entertainment system
* Environmental control system
* Hydraulic system
* Ice protection system
* Landing lights
* Navigation light
* Passenger service unit
* Ram air turbine
* Weeping wing

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port and starboard. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Port_and_starboard&oldid=4347652"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template