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this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2023
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Is there a reason they don't just say left and right?
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).
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.
TIL about steer boards, thanks!
Same!
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".
Steer board => star board?
"From Middle English sterbord, stere-bourd, stere-burd, from Old English stēorbord, from Proto-West Germanic *steurubord, equivalent to steer + board (“side (of a ship)”), referring to ancient ships with the steering oar set to the right (to accommodate right-handed crew)"
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/starboard
Correct. Sailors aren’t known for their diction lol
whaat.
This makes so much sense.
Then you have to say something like "your left or mine?" This removes any ambiguity, and that might matter when one is at sea.
Your port or mine?
OUR port
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.