Knew it! No one can remember that shit.
this post was submitted on 27 May 2025
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Between "port" "starboard" "right" and "left" only two of the words have the same number of letters.
Left = Port
For the once per year I have to think about this, that's my mnemonic.
When you are standing in the center of the boat looking forward just remember. Boats are like women! They have PmS! Port (on the left), me (in the middle), Starboard (on the right)!
A related more general mnemonic works for the running lights too. Red has fewer letters than green, so it goes with left which has fewer letters than right and port which has fewer letters than starboard.
You can also face forward and imagine the word "PISS" in the water.
Is that supposed to be an acronym? "Port Isn't Starboard, Stupid?"
You could just imagine "PS", but I guess piss helps.
I guess piss helps
That's actually rarely the case in my experience. Generally, I mean.
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"Port" and "left" both have four letters. "Starboard" is the other one.
Learned that trick a few years ago and have not forgotten since.
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"no red port left in the bottle"
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It took me until this year to realize the port and starboard referred to what the ship was touching when docked. The left side goes to the port, the other side faces the stars.
I felt so dumb that I had completed Black Flag 3 times and never picked up on this.
Port used to be called larboard, and starboard is called that because it comes from middle English for "steering side", essentially. Not actually anything to do with stars. But the port thing is true, they had to dock to port on the left because of the steering oars.
In German it's still "Steuerbord", "Steering board"
Why would the stars only be to the right? Would the ship start tilting when you haul all the loot into port?
There is no stars over land, because gravity makes them all fall down, so they know to avoid it
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Port and starboard are easy enough in a powerboat (of the type I am familiar with). Tie up port side, sit on starboard (steer board) side to steer.
But what is most fun is remembering what direction in a channel one is travelling in an area where the channels merge.
Red right return
Instructions unclear
Are we returning or leaving? Where did the channel end and the new one begin? I go through that enough for it to be a problem, but not enough to remember where they switch direction.
Because the other response was less than helpful, and I was curious myself, I found this great page!
It explained a few types of markers and how to interpret them
https://www.boaterexam.com/navigationrules/aids-to-navigation/
There’s a buoy that is supposed to mark where channels join (not shown in the link), but they’re not in use in my area. The channels are a bit like a side road joining up with a curve in the main road, except being a channel the buoys aren’t exactly dense. So, in my case, i can travel in a straight line and the markers switch sides. I remember that one, but there’s another three that are similar in nature that I don’t get to frequently and have to think about. The added fun is that the are is a bunch of channels in a pile of rocks (islands) in a body of water; it’s not like I’m travelling up or down a river.
I have charts, but that would be cheating. also worth observing that the area is not dangerously busy.
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Port is fine stuff!
My left, your left, the ship's left, or the ceiling's left?
I think everybody might have left.
No it is not. Port and starboard are only left and right if you are facing the bow. If you are facing the stern they are reversed (from your perspective). The reason why is to make sure there are unambiguous terms for turning a ship in order to navigate and avoid collisions.
Btw the same rule applies to airplanes. If you are flying and have another airplane flying towards you both pilots must turn starboard to avoid a crash.
Pilot here. We just say left and right and don't bother with port and starboard.
Usually you also know in which direction is front on a plane lol
On a ship it might get more confusing sometimes, so I see the reason there at least somewhat
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"Left" and "Port" both have four letters. "Right" and "Starboard" both have more than four letters. That's how you remember them.
port and starboard both have an r in the word, for right. that's how I remember them.
How tf fid you get upvotes for this? /s
two wrongs don't make a right.. but three ports do
Boats used to have their steering paddle out on the right because most people were right handed. When you pulled into port, you didn't want your steering rod to hit the port so port side was the left. That's how I remember.
Is no-one gonna mention the inconsistent formatting of the signs underneath? Just me?
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Port and left have the same number of letters, so that works in a pinch.
This is how I first (and still) remember the difference.
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104 comments on how to memorize starboard and port as right and left.
I have an even better way to know : Just fucking remember it.
It's not that difficult.
Good idea. Just fucking remember it. JFRI. Jerry Fixes Ruined Items. Got it.
it makes me a little irrationaly upset that we have left and right, both one syllable words
but the naval version of left and right, is a one syllable Port, and a two syllable Starboard
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I memorized the following: "Port wine is red, and none is left in the morning"
Therefore Port - Left and Red and the other "Starboard" is Right and Green.
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