Starboard side - Port side - AceBoater.com A clear and comprehensive course. Sign Up for Free My Profile Search Starboard side - Port side The sidelights are coloured either red or green. The sidelights determine the priority on the water: the color displayed on the starboard side is green and the red light is on the port side. The sidelights are located in front of the boat. They each displaying a constant beam and affixed in a manner that the light is projected to the front and sides allow you to determine if the oncoming craft is heading towards you or from one side or another. They are used to give a person a visual picture of which side of the vessel they are looking at in darkness or reduced visibility. Depending on the situation they will determine who has the right of way in a meeting or crossing situation. If you see a red running light at night crossing or meeting you most likely are the give-way vessel and do not have the right of way. If you see green you most likely are the stand-on vessel and have the right of way. IF YOU LIKED THIS PAGE, YOU COULD ALSO LIKE THESE ONES: Port and Starboard - left or right?

- part of the Accelerated Learning Series PORT AND STARBOARD, LEFT OR RIGHT? If you find yourself on a ship, how do you know which side is starboard and which side is port? As a Naval Man the answer is quite simple - Port is left and starboard is right. But if you were travelling on a ship for the first time, how could you remember that? Well, it is really quite simple. There are four letters in the words PORT and LEFT so you can easily remember that the left side of a ship is the port side. Another way of distinguishing between port and starboard is by using the colours red and green. The port navigation light of a ship is always red and the starboard one is always green. An easy way to remember that is to know that Port (the drink) is red and so by a process of elimination (not a difficult one, I'll admit) the starboard light will be green. My thanks to Kysdonn who e-mailed me about learning the Port and Starboard of Aircraft - "It's simple. Port has only 4 letters and so does Left. Starboard is a longer word and so is Right compared to Left.

Therefore, short to short and long to long." Navigation Lights - BoatSafe.com Check Your Navigation Lights Will You Be Seen In Time? Operating at night (or in reduced visibility) can present some special challenges. Not only is your depth perception lessened, bright lights on the shore can cast misleading reflections on the water and if you wear glasses, or worse yet bifocals, you simply don't see as well at night as you do during the day. It is not only important that you be able to identify other vessels operating in your proximity, it is equally important that other vessels see you.Most recreational vessels are less than 30 feet in length and, according to the Rules of the Road, shall be equipped with navigation lights. These lights not only have a certain arc through which they can be seen but must be seen from a minimum distance. The following lighting requirements are for recreational vessels less than 12 meters in length. (approximately 39.4') Light White 2 The arc of the lights and color allows you to determine the direction a vessel is moving. How good are your lights? You should test them to see how visible you might be at night.

Whether on a trailer or at the marina, switch on your lights and see how well they can be seen. Walk away from the boat or row away, if you are at anchor or at a mooring, and see how visible the lights are as you move further away. How easy are they to see against the background of lights on shore? Does your stern light shine dead astern over the required 135º arc or does it shine to one side or up or down. Can it be seen from the required 2 miles and why is that important? As an example, let's say that your stern light for some reason can only be seen for 1/2 mile. You are underway at 8 knots and a large ship is approaching at 15 knots. The ship is only 4 minutes away from collision with you. By the time the ship "might" see you, identify the light and decide on the reaction that should be taken, it is too late. A ship traveling at 15 knots may take miles to stop. Look at the stern light again, as you move from the stern toward the bow, does the stern light "disappear" as the sidelight "appears"?

The stern light should disappear and sidelight appear at 22.5º abaft the beam. If you don't see the green starboard sidelight or the red port sidelight when the stern light disappears there is a problem with the arc of one or all these lights. This means that if another boat were approaching you at the angle where no lights are seen there is increase risk of collision. If both the sternlight and sidelights are seen brightly at the same time you still have a problem. A vessel approaching won't know whether they are overtaking or crossing and whether they should give-way or stand-on. You should also check to make sure that your masthead light disappears at the same time each sidelight disappears and they both disappear when the stern light appears. Check your sidelights from dead ahead. You should see both red and green. However, by moving toward one side just 1-3º you should then see only one light. If you still see two lights, an approaching vessel won't be able to tell which direction your are going. It is very important to be seen from a distance but also for an approaching vessel to be able to determine your direction of travel.

When boating at night remember the following: "When two lights you see ahead, turn your helm and show your red". Boating Definitions and Mnemonics A Small Boat Guide to the RULES OF THE ROAD by John Mellor and was submitted by Alistair Barclay. An alternative, invented by myself, is Red over White over Red / Rudder Might be Dead. This rhymes, but isn't quite accurate (a vessel with a truly dead rudder is Not Under Command, Red over Red). Stern Lights Boats can also show stern lights to help identify them. These are only visible when you are behind the boat. Some stern light combinations include: Yellow over Yellow A pushy inland fellow This refers to the stern lights of a tug pushing a barge, under the inland rules only. Improved by Rod McFadden. Yellow over White My towline is tight This refers to the stern lights of a tug towing astern. (Improved by Jim Woodward.) Control Lights Lights are also used to control passage through bridges and locks. So far, I only have information for the European lock system, submitted by Ray Battersby. More will be added as time and knowledge permit.

European (International) Harbor Traffic Control Signal Lights This entire section was written and submitted by Ray Battersby. Traffic-Light control signals are commonplace at the entrances to European ports. These are generally of the form, Red, White (Yellow) and Green, vertically arranged and often with other lamps in parallel. Because of the need to identify inbound and outbound traffic, they don't use a simple Red = Stop, White (yellow) = Prepare to Move and Green = Go (as for road traffic - that would be too simple and too easy to remember!) but a combination. However, by studying the Silk Cut Almanac, I have found that the following rules apply: If the top lamp is showing RED irrespective of any other lamp that may be shining, you must STOP and wait for the lights signals to change. If the bottom lamp is shining GREEN irrespective of any other lamp that may be showing, then you can GO. If the middle lamp is showing WHITE (sometimes YELLOW), you must call Harbor Control on VHF to ask permission before making a move.

NOTE: Although the above matches the official interpretation in terms of your own rights of passage, using this abbreviated interpretation, a sharp lookout for other shipping movements (especially from the opposite direction and from astern) is strongly advised. Buoyage There are two buoyage systems used in the world, named "A" and "B". Buoyage system "A" is used in Europe, Asia, and Australia, with the exception of Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. System "B" is used elsewhere, notably including all of the Americas. The two systems use opposite color codes. In both systems, the buoys also have coded shapes, called cans and nuns. A can is a simple cylinder, like an oil can. A nun is conical, with the name being reminiscent of the pointed hats worn by some orders of nuns. In both systems, cans appear on the left when returning from sea to port, nuns on the right. Buoyage Numbering In both systems, green buoys are given odd numbers and red buoys are even. The numbering starts at "1" at the mouth of the harbor or river, and increases from there. The following two mnemonics, submitted by David H.

Shaffer, may help remember the numbering scheme in the IALA "B" system: Demods Buoy numbers DEcrease MOving DownStream. You'll never see a nun 69 Nun (cone-shaped) buoys always have an even number. Buoyage System "A" The mnemonics given below are for buoyage system "A." Be sure to learn the right mnemonics for your area! Barrels to Port In IALA "A," red-colored buoys are cans, which are shaped like barrels. A sailor returning from a long trip looks forward to a barrel of port, so when coming into port, keep your port side closest to the red barrel and you will be on the way to the nearest tavern. This was invented by Alistair Barclay; many thanks to him for submitting it. Bleeding Heart In IALA "A," red-colored buoys are kept to the side of your heart (left) when returning to port. This was suggested on Yacht-L by Matthijs van Couwelaar. Buoyage System "B" The mnemonics given below are for buoyage system "B." Be sure to learn the right mnemonics for your area!

Red Right Returning In IALA "B," red-colored buoys are nuns, which are kept to the right ( starboard ) side of the boat when returning from the ocean to port. There is a detailed convention for defining exactly what "returning" means in ambiguous situations (i.e., on canals and rivers), which will not be repeated here. Green Going Out The complement to "Red right returning," indicating that green buoys are left to starboard when you are heading out to sea. Suggested by Paul Atterton. Even Red Left Port (Suggested by Peter W. Meek, improved by Jeremiah V. Donovan and Kathy Spahn). The image is of a day so perfect that even the old red-headed sailor left his rocking chair to go to sea, where he belongs (not that boring old port). This mnemonic has the advantage that it also serves for the colors of running lights, for remembering that port is the left side of the boat, and for recalling that red markers are even-numbered. Sound Signals There are many sound signals used in situations of limited visibility (i.e., fog), and when two ships need to agree on the maneuvers necessary to avoid collisions (see the right-of-way rules below).

Most of these signals are quite hard to remember, and there didn't seem to be any mnemonics for them, so I invented some to help me out. For collision avoidance, there are two systems. On inland waterways, intention/agreement signals are used. On international (offshore) waters, actual rudder actions are signaled. Fortunately, although at first glance the two systems differ, both actually use the same effective meanings for signals. So all you have to remember is that on an inland waterway, if somebody toots at you, you need to agree by repeating the same pattern back at them, and if you toot, don't change course until you get agreement. If you disagree, give the danger signal . Inland uses intention/agreement, offshore signals rudder operations. In sound signals, a short blast has a duration of about 1 second; a prolonged blast is 4-6 seconds. When you are approaching another boat head-on (more or less), the first two mnemonics below give the same information: turning to port will cause the other boat to pass on your starboard side.

This simplifies things: since both mnemonics refer to a double blast, you can just memorize that fact, and know that the other direction is the single-blast case. Note: If you are exactly head-on, or very nearly so, the COLREGS prefer that you turn to starboard (single blast). Port Rudder Action Blast twice short, Turn to port Leaving a Boat on Your Starboard Side Double blast, Starboard pass A double blast always means that you are turning (COLREGS) or will turn (inland waters) to port. This means that you will pass the other boat on your starboard side. Backing Down Three in turn, Power astern This indicates a boat that is slowing or stopping to avoid risk of collision. Danger Signal Blast quick five To stay alive This is the danger signal, to be given if you think there is confusion or imminent danger of a collision. Navigational Formulas Navigation often requires relatively complicated arithmetic. The most common is compass corrections: converting between true directions and a compass reading. Timid Virgins Make Dull Company at Weddings (Or "Add Whiskey.") This is the formula for converting true directions or courses to compass readings: True plus Variation equals Magnetic heading.

Beyond that, add the Deviation to get the Compass heading. In all of these corrections, "at weddings" means Add Westerly variations and deviations as part of the calculation (and, by implication, subtract easterly ones). There are a number of minor variations on this mnemonic, but the differences aren't important. (Before you call me or anyone else sexist, note that virgins can be of either sex. If you think virgins make perfectly fine company, please remember that it's just a memory aid, not a politico-religious philosophy. In any case, I'm just quoting other people. Don't send me flames. Sheesh!) Can Dead Men Vote Twice at Elections? This is the formula for converting compass headings back to true ones: Compass plus Deviation equals Magnetic heading. Beyond that, add the Variation to get the True heading. In all of these corrections, "at elections" means Add Easterly deviations and variations as part of the calculation (and, by implication, subtract westerly ones).

Charter Boaters Detest Returning This refers to the common mnemonic for predicting a collision: CBDR, for "Constant Bearing, Decreasing Range." If the bearing to another vessel does not change, and the range is getting less, you are going to bump. Note that this refers to the true or magnetic bearing, not the relative value. Submitted by Steven Hodgson. Right-of-Way Rules The rules for who has the right of way are complex. The basic rule, of course, is General Responsibility: notwithstanding any other rule, you're not supposed to run into other people or things. That ought to be obvious. For recreational boaters, a commonly-observed practical corollary is "tonnage has the right of way": stay out of the way of big boats, because even if you're technically right, you're going to be the loser in a collision. Nevertheless, there are rules about who goes first, and you ought to know them. Since they're complex and lengthy, I invented a mnemonic to help recall them. (Note: I've tried to summarize the essence of the COLREGS here. If you think I've gotten things wrong, you're welcome to e-mail me and set me straight.

I'll appreciate it if you do, and I'll correct this Web page as soon as possible after I'm corrected.) However, note that this mnemonic is a simplification of the rules. I'm not trying to codify every word of the COLREGS, I'm just trying to help you remember the most important points. Please don't nitpick. On second thought, please do nitpick, because I care a lot about details, but please don't get upset if your particular nit never makes it into this Web page. The mnemonic below doesn't cover the situation where two similar boats are approaching (nearly) head-on. In that case, it is preferred that you alter course to starboard , so that you pass port-to-port (red to red, so that both are the give-way vessel; thanks to Paul Atterton for pointing this out). "Stay to the right and you'll be right," but the general-responsibility rule still overrides everything else. This mnemonic gives the "order of priority," with the most important first. To use it, find yourself and the other boat on the list. The boat which comes first has the right of way, and is the stand-on vessel.

If you both fall in the same category, then either the category itself tells you what to do (e.g., sailboats beat powerboats), or you must continue down the list. The mnemonic is "Generally, anchoring our red tugboat diligently minimizes surge loads." It is interpreted as follows: Generally, General responsibility. Above all else, don't have a collision. "I had the right of way" isn't a defense if there was something you could have done to avoid the other boat. anchoring Anchored. Anchored, stopped, or moored boats must be avoided by all other vessels. our Overtaken. Boats being overtaken have the right of way over the overtaking vessel. (This is true even if the slower boat is power and the faster boat is sail.) red Restricted maneuverability. Boats with restricted maneuverability, whether due to fishing, draft, length, towing, or other causes, have the right of way over vessels not so restricted. tugboat Traffic separation. Vessels participating in a traffic-separation scheme have the right of way over non-participating vessels. (If you must cross a traffic lane, try to do so at right angles.) diligently Downriver.

On certain inland waters, powerboats proceeding downriver have the right of way over upriver and crossing vessels. minimizes Man-powered beats sail beats motorboat beats seaplane. Human-powered boats (canoes and rowboats) have the right of way over sailboats, which in turn have the right of way over powerboats, and even they have the right of way over seaplanes. I think of this in terms of increasing technological sophistication: the fancier your equipment, the fewer rights you have (sort of a class reversal). This is an important one for sailors, of course, but note that there are a number of situations listed above where sailors must still give way. surge Starboard boat or starboard tack wins. This actually represents two rules, depending on whether the meeting boats are both sail or both power. (If one is sail and one is power, the rule above applies.) For power boats, the boat approaching from starboard has the right of way. For sailboats, the boat that is on starboard tack has the right of way, regardless of from where it is approaching. loads. Leeward boat wins.

When two sailboats meet on the same tack, the leeward boat has the right of way over the windward boat. Alistair Barclay sent me a different mnemonic, taken from A Small Boat Guide to the RULES OF THE ROAD by John Mellor: The mnemonic is "Nuclear restrictions constrain fishing and sailing, people say." It is interpreted as follows: Nuclear Not Under Command. ("NUC" for "nuclear"). A vessel that is "not under command" in the technical sense has the right of way. This refers to anchored or unoccupied vessels as well as those that have lost the ability to maneuver (e.g., through loss of power or their rudder). restrictions Restricted maneuverability. Boats with restricted maneuverability, whether due to fishing, draft, length, towing, or other causes, have the right of way over vessels not so restricted. (Note: Rod McFadden has pointed out that while it makes sense for NUC boats to have the right of way over those with restricted ability to maneuver, this is not explicitly mentioned in the COLREGS.

He comments, "I've been unable to find any case where a NUC/RAM collision occurred; it's safe to say that if such a collision ever does occur, the Admiralty Bar will dine well for quite some time!") constrain Constrained by draft. Boats constrained to a narrow channel by their draft have the right of way. (This is really a special case of restricted maneuverability). fishing and Fishing vessels. Vessels engaged in fishing (this means towing nets, etc., not people with a pole off the back end) have the right of way. (Again, this is a special case of restricted maneuverability). sailing Seaplanes. Seaplanes must avoid everybody else. Weather There are lots of weather mnemonics to help you predict and analyze the weather. Unfortunately, my best source at the moment is copyrighted ( Reed's Nautical Companion , which I highly recommend anyway, though I must admit a slight bias because the people there have been very nice to me). So I'm limited at the moment to a few things that I can be sure are in the public domain. I'll expand this as I can.

WARNING: Remember that most of these weather rhymes are rules of thumb, collected over the centuries before we had supercomputers to help with weather foreguessing (oops, forecasting). They are useful guides, but as in all areas of weather, there are no certainties. Don't complain to me if they are less than 100% accurate. When the wind is at your back, the low is on your left. A formula for finding the center of a weather system. This works only for the Northern Hemisphere; in the South, it's reversed. Combined with a feeling for the direction weather moves, you can use this to make forecasts. Submitted by David H. Shaffer. Red sky at morning, Sailors take warning. Red sky at night, Sailor's delight. One of many classics. I learned this when I was a kid. I don't recall the mechanisms that make it true, but a colorful dawn means bad weather, while a colorful sunset means that tomorrow will probably be great sailing. Here's to red sunsets! Reading the Color of the Bottom Ways to guess the depth, based on water color. This is useful in the Caribbean, among other places. The mnemonic goes from shallowest to deepest.

It was provided by Steve Hodgson. Brown brown, run aground, White white, you might, Green green, nice and clean, Blue blue, run right through. Chart Scale I don't think anybody has any trouble picking a chart of the appropriate scale out of a pile, since it's pretty obvious whether it covers just a harbor or the whole ocean. But a lot of us have trouble with naming the damned things. Here's a helpful mnemonic which I picked up from The Practical Pilot by Leonard Eyges: Small scale, small detail; large scale, large detail. So a large-scale chart is the one you'd ask for if you needed to enter a harbor. By the way, The Practical Pilot is the best book I've ever read on the subject of pleasure-boat navigation. Where Dutton's has advice on steering a battleship or tanker through a narrow channel (fascinating, but not something I ever expect to do), Eyges shows you how to tell whether that's one island or two on the horizon. My favorite coastal-navigation book! Boat Parts The most basic terms in boating are those used to describe parts and directions on the boat. Most of these don't have or need mnemonics.

(Do you really want to learn 50-odd different little rhymes just so you remember that the back of the boat is called the stern ?) But a few have some handy mnemonics. General Boat Parts Port The left-hand side of the boat when facing forward . Many people remember that "port and left both have four letters." Others use the mnemonic "I wonder if there's any red port wine left," which (as Rich Arimoto points out) is nice because it gets the color of the light into the mnemonic. A third option, suggested by Peter W. Meek, is Red Left Port. The image is of a red-headed sailor going to sea, where he belongs (not some nasty old port). This mnemonic has the advantage that it also serves for remembering the colors of running lights and the codes for buoyage system "B". The name "port" derives from the fact that steering was originally done from the right-hand side of the boat (see starboard , so the other side was put to the dock or "port". Starboard The right-hand side of the boat when facing forward . The easiest way to remember this is to learn where port is, and then recall that starboard is the opposite of port.

Incidentally, the word starboard comes from steerboard, because originally the rudder was just a board held on the side of the boat, and most steersmen were right-handed. Forward The aft end of the boat, usually the blunt end. Shackle A handy device for connecting things together. There are many types, but most consist of a "U" of metal, together with a removable metal piece that closes the top of the "U" to make an "O". You pull out the moving part, stick it through or around something, and fasten the whole thing together to make it hold. Often used to attach sails to things and things to sails. Sailboat Parts Boom A spar used to give shape to the bottom of any sail. If you don't watch out, it'll hit you in the head, and you'll hear a loud boom. Tack The forwardmost, lowest part of a triangular sail. Just remember that the tack is where the sail is tacked (attached) to the boat, usually by some sort of shackle . Not to be confused with the other meaning of the word, which has to do with the relationship of the sailboat to the wind.

Clew The aftmost, lowest part of a triangular sail. Expert sailors make all sorts of adjustments to a sail, but beginners can adjust the clew to catch the wind even if they don't have a clue about the finer points of sail trim. Luff The leading (forward) part of a sail, the part closest to the wind. If you adjust the sail improperly, it will flap, which is called luffing, and the luff is the part which luffs first. (Got that?) Leech The trailing (aft) part of a sail, the part where the wind exits. When the sail is adjusted properly, the wind will cling to the aft edge like a leech. Andy Oliver also points out that "leech" is a corruption of "lee edge" (say it fast). Spar Any structural member that supports a sail or helps to maintain a sail's shape (e.g., the mast or the boom ). Mast A vertical spar . Most modern sailboats have a single mast which supports two sails, but many boats have two or more masts. Powerboat Parts Do powerboats have parts? :-) These mnemonics were compiled, organized, and occasionally invented by Geoff Kuenning .

If you have additions, or if you would like me to try to invent a mnemonic for a particular situation, please send me e-mail about it. Copyright 1996, 1997 Geoff Kuenning. All rights reserved. Mnemonics not marked "original" are not covered by this copyright, although the descriptions of such mnemonics are still covered. Permission is granted to reproduce and/or disseminate this material in any form when used for non-profit or educational purposes, so long as authorship is properly credited and this copyright notice is maintained intact. Other Links for Learning About Boating The following links lead to Web sites and commercial products that are designed to help people learn about boating. I will only list sites and products here that I personally believe are useful. The decision on whether to list rests with me entirely, and is not conditional on payment or on whether the listed site chooses to list me. In other words, you can't buy a listing here, although I'm always happy to receive a pointer if you think I might be interested in what you have (but don't phrase it like an advertisement, or I'll think it's just spam and ignore it).

If you want to learn to tie basic knots , there is no better site than this one, which has animated color GIFs that show you exactly how the two lines intertwine. Diederik Willemsen offers a free online coastal-navigation course that also has some useful (for planning, not for navigation) charts of Greece. You are visitor number Navigation lights (Maritime Safety Queensland) the size of the boat the angle where you see them the direction the boat is travelling if the boat is anchored. Navigation lights should be fitted by the manufacturer or an authorised person. Smaller boats have a number of options including bracketed or combination suction-capped lights. These types of navigation lights are available from marine dealers. Minimum required lights Sailboats underway Sailboats less than 7m and vessels under oars must have a torch or lantern showing a white light ready to display in time to prevent a collision. Sailboats less than 20m in length may combine sidelights and stern lights in a single lantern carried at the top of the mast. Sailboats 7m or more in length must show sidelights and stern lights.

In addition to sidelights they may show 2 all-round lights in a vertical line (red over green) that may be shown at the top of the mast, but not when a combined lantern is used. Powered boats underway Powered boats less than 7m in length and whose maximum speed does not exceed 7 knots, may show an all-round white light instead of sidelights. If practical, these boats should also show sidelights. Powered boats must show sidelights and either an all-round white light or a stern and masthead light. Sailboats under engine power are considered to be powered boats, and must show the same lights as a powered boat. Personal watercraft are also powered boats. Personal watercraft All personal watercraft (PWC) operating at night or in restricted visibility must show navigation lights. Navigation lights must be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. A mast for an all-round white light on a PWC should be installed in such a way it will not pose an impaling hazard. The addition of any aftermarket products to a PWC must be in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and must not compromise the watertight integrity of the hull. Boats moored at anchor All boats at anchor must show an all-round white light.

Sport rowing boats Boats engaged in rowing activities (training or competition) on the Brisbane River now need to display an all-round white flashing light if they are on the water before sunrise or after sunset. Commercial ship recognition Daymarks and navigation lights show the activities of larger ships and many commercial and fishing ships. The following examples describe common day shapes and navigation lights. Standard navigation lights (for example port, starboard and anchor) must be shown as well as the lights used to signal particular activities. Activity Ships at anchor One black ball when the ship is less than 50m in length Commercial ships fishing (other than trawling) should show lights red over white when fishing at night. Commercial ships trawling should show lights green over white when engaged in trawling at night. All ships should keep well clear of fishing ships. Ships restricted in their ability to manoeuvre These signals are used by ships engaged in activities such as servicing navigation marks, towing, underwater operations or cable laying. Black ball over black diamond over black ball Ships restricted in their ability to manoeuvre should show lights red over white over red. When these ships are making way they should also show their normal navigation lights.

Ships engaged in underwater operations or dredging Ships engaged in activities such as underwater operations or dredging must indicate that they are restricted in their ability to manoeuvre. If there is an obstruction on one side of the ship (such as in dredging) signals must also indicate this. Black ball over black diamond over black ball (to indicate restricted manoeuvrability) plus black diamond over black diamond on the side where it is safe to pass and Black ball over black ball on the side where there is an obstruction Ships engaged in diving operations should also display a rigid code flag 'A' in an area easily visible to others. Red over white over red indicating restricted manoeuvrability plus Green over green on the side where it is safe to pass and Red over red on the side where there is an obstruction Ships aground These signals do not indicate distress or a need for help. Black ball over black ball over black ball Red light over red light Ships not under command These signals indicate inability to manoeuvre when it is not caused by the activity of the ship (for example towing).

Black ball over black ball Red light over red light Pilot vessel on duty Code flag 'H' should be placed in area easily visible to others White light over red light On a Ship, what is Starboard? (with pictures) On a Ship, what is Starboard? Edited By: Sara Z. Potter Last Modified Date: 14 January 2017 Copyright Protected: Top 10 facts about the world On ships, the directions "right" and "left" are not commonly used, and mariners use nautical terms instead. Starboard is the right-hand side of the ship as seen from someone aboard the ship, facing the bow, or front. Port is the opposite side, or the left side of the ship. One benefit of using these nautical terms is that they do not change depending on which direction a person is facing. The etymology of the word "starboard" is fairly straightforward.

It comes from a combination of two Old English words: stéor, meaning "steer" and bord, meaning "the side of a boat or a ship." The rudder , used to steer a ship, was originally on the right-hand side, and the term stéorbord, "the steering side of a ship," evolved into the term used today. The opposite side was larboard, or "the loading side." This was too easily confused with its rhyming opposite, so was later changed to port. The term may have come from the fact that cargo was routinely loaded from the port onto the left-hand side, or from the Latin words for harbor or door. "Port" was officially accepted over "larboard" by Britain's Royal Navy in the 1840s. Ad The starboard side of most ships is usually the "senior" side, with the flag of the captain being raised on this side. On the quarterdeck , this side is generally reserved for the captain, and if the ship carries its own gangway , the officers' gangway is stored on the right as well.

On seagoing vessels, as well as aircraft , the starboard side is designated with a green light, while the port side has a red light. A white light is mounted on the aft or rear side of the ship. This is true of ships around the world. Many landlubbers have trouble remembering which side of a ship is starboard and which is port. One mnemonic device is to remember that port wine is generally red, so the port side has a red light. Another is to be aware that "left" comes before "right" in the alphabet, and "port" comes before "starboard." "Left" also has four letters, so it must match with the other four-letter word, "port." Of course, all these clues only work when a person is facing the front of a ship. Ad anon271129 Post 9 The easy way to remember is this phrase: "The ship left port" left is port, easy. If it's not port it's starboard. anon167533 Post 8 Port and Starboard are only used to indicate left and right when standing on a ship facing the bow.

If you are in the water facing the bow, your own left will be on same side as the ship's starboard and your right will be on the same side as the ship's port side. If you are in the water facing the aft, use same references as if you were on the deck of the ship facing the bow. If you are in the water facing the port side of the ship the bow will be on your left, and the aft will be on your right. Never try to sound sailor savvy by referencing your personal left and right as port and starboard. Those terms are for reference of the ship only. Your references to positions around your body are still left/right/front/behind. anon130506 Very helpful to a nautical noob like me! anon91145 Post 6 here i read some comments and i understand the port is left and starboard is right but i want to know if i'm on a ship how i can know which is left and right? And one important thing: what is the importance of port and starboard side. Newcomer Post 5 Still made me confused about the words port and starboard terminology for a ship.

If I'm facing the ship, they call it on my right hand is starboard side and my left hand side is the port side. How about if I'm on board the ship and facing the forward, then my left hand side is port. My right hand side is starboard. Is that correct? anon36145 Post 4 I too have been on many ships during my life time and know that when you are to go to the left or right of the ship you were told either starboard or port. There was never any confusion. anon3340 Post 2 Unclear desription of where the person is standing. If they are on the ship and facing the bow left and right are different than if they are in front of the ship (say,on the dock) facing the bow. anon2046 Post 1 I was in the Navy for 6 years, and just wanted to re-assure myself that I was right about my recollection of Port and Starboard Colors before putting it in writing. The article messed me up because it was always my experience that left and right are reference from a person on the ship facing towards the bow, thereby making port on the left and starboard on the right.

I would think that people who were using this and were on ships or boats would be better served if you changed your reference from in the water looking at the bow of a ship. Even if someone fell in the water, unless the ship was going backward, your reference system still wouldn't be of any value because the ship would pass them by and they'd still be looking at the aft end of the ship, and port would be on the left and starboard would be on the right. Please get it right, so that you don't cause some old sailors to think that senility has set upon them before it actually does. Thanks, FC2(SW)

Question: What colour light indicates the starboard side of a ship?
Answer: Green