The Definition of the Port Side as Related to Boats
If you are hitting the open seas on a boat, be prepared to learn some new terminology. Even your terms for left and right will change. The "port" side, for example, refers to the left side of a boat.
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History
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Port refers to the left side of the boat because boats were usually unloaded from the left. In other words, sailors reached "port" from the left side of the boat.
Identification
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The original term for the left of a boat, which derived from Old English, was "larboard." This confused sailors because it sounded too much like "starboard," the term for the right side of a boat. Because of that confusion, the left side of the boat was changed to the port side.
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Function
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Why didn't sailors just use "left" and "right" when discussing their ship? The reason is because these common terms are relative--they could mean the left side of the ship or the left of a sailor himself. Port, on the other hand, refers specifically to the left of the ship.
Time Frame
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The "Sailor's Word Book," published by Admiral Smyth in 1867, was one of the first publications to formally indicate that the word "port" should be used to indicate the left side of a ship. The U.S. Navy adopted the term by General Order on February 18, 1846.
Fun Fact
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The front and back of a boat also get their own names: "bow" and "stern," respectively.
Warning
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Before going on a sailing trip, study a list of nautical terms so you don't come off as an amateur--and so you can stay safe in case of an emergency.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Mike Baird
