Date: 201310
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: SFO.Airport, CA
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: B737-700
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Climb
Airspace: Class B SFO
ATC / advisory: Tower SFO
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown
Second reporter function: First Officer
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Crew
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Just after takeoff from Runway 01L at SFO; the Tower Controller told us; 'Left turn to PORTE; climb to one five thousand; contact Departure.' I thought that seemed like an odd clearance from Tower; but the First Officer had already switched to Departure. I verified with the First Officer that the Tower had indeed cleared us left to PORTE; started the turn; and asked him to confirm our clearance with Departure. Departure told us to turn left heading 280 and climb to one five thousand. The Departure Controller asked if Tower had given us that clearance. We said yes and he asked what were the words that the Tower Controller used. He then said that was the second time that morning that a crew said they had [received] that clearance and started an early turn. The flight continued uneventfully with no known conflicts. Knowing that was a strange clearance; I feel we should have remained on the published departure and queried the Tower before changing frequencies. Our workload at that critical phase and the fact that the Tower frequency was congested added to the confusion. We are still not sure if the Tower cleared us left to PORTE or used non-standard terminology to clear us left to join the departure. If the Tower wanted us to turn left to join the SFO R350 to SEPDY and remain on the departure; he should have used standard terminology.


Second narrative: We were cleared for takeoff at SFO on 1L on a PORTE Departure. At approximately 500 feet AGL; SFO Tower told us; 'Left turn direct PORTE; climb and maintain 15;000 feet; contact NorCal on 135.1.' I (Pilot Monitoring) thought that was weird; and the Pilot Flying and I looked at each other. When I checked in with NorCal; I told them '1;500 feet for 15;000 feet left turn direct PORTE.' They asked us to roll out on 280 heading and then asked us if we were given that clearance. I read back to him the exact clearance that is mentioned above. He said that was the second time that SFO Tower had given that clearance. Preventative Measures: We complied with a valid ATC clearance. Even though it was unusual; that directive could have been issued to keep us out of conflict with something that we didn't know about. I believe we used good communications skills with NorCal when we checked in to let him know what we were doing since it was a 'out of the ordinary' clearance that we had been given.


Synopsis: Air carrier departing SFO on Runway 1L was confused with regard to the phraseology used by the Tower Controller and the intent of same.