Fast Facts: Why Ships Use "Port" And "Starboard"

• news
• features
• Podcasts
• magazine
• newsletter
• Jobs
• advertise
• subscribe

TOP STORIES

Russia Suspected in Unauthorized Drone Flight Near French Navy Flagship

Published by The Maritime Executive

Oil Leaking from Sealloyd Arc Shipwreck Hits Thailand's Tourist Beaches

Published by The Maritime Executive

Hanwha and Greece’s Onex Shipyards Partner to Expand U.S. Shipbuilding

Published by The Maritime Executive

71 Fishermen Left Adrift in Gulf of Guinea After Pirates Steal Outboards

Published by The Maritime Executive

41496 Views Fast Facts: Why Ships Use "Port" and "Starboard"

Published Jul 28, 2019 2:37 AM by The Maritime Executive

Unlike left and right, "port" and "starboard" refer to fixed locations on a vessel.

Since port and starboard never change, they are unambiguous references that are independent of a mariner’s orientation, and, thus, mariners use these nautical terms instead of left and right to avoid confusion. When looking forward, toward the bow of a ship, port and starboard refer to the left and right sides, respectively.

In the early days of boating, before ships had rudders on their centerlines, boats were controlled using a steering oar. Most sailors were right handed, so the steering oar was placed over or through the right side of the stern. Sailors began calling the right side the steering side, which soon became "starboard" by combining two Old English words: stéor (meaning "steer") and bord (meaning "the side of a boat").

As the size of boats grew, so did the steering oar, making it much easier to tie a boat up to a dock on the side opposite the oar. This side became known as larboard, or "the loading side." Over time, larboard—too easily confused with starboard—was replaced with port. After all, this was the side that faced the port, allowing supplies to be ported aboard by porters.

Stay on Top of the Daily Maritime News The maritime news that matters most

Get the latest maritime news delivered to your inbox daily.

Subscribe Now

Article and image courtesy of NOAA's National Ocean Service.

MORE TOP STORIES

• Nine U.S. Navy Sailors Accused of Gang Ties After Violent Assault

• Seized Shadow Tanker is Departing Scotland Bound for U.S. Reports BBC

• VLCC Day Rates Soar to Rare Heights

• Case Study: Satcom Giant Inmarsat

EDITORIALS TOP STORIES

• Op-Ed: IMO Guidelines Are Quietly Weakening the Basel Convention

• Digital Collaboration in Chemical Logistics

• Chagos Islanders Return Home as UK Weighs Their Fate

• From Compliance to Foresight: Updating Audits to Drive Real-World Safety

• Quantum Computing Can Solve the Hardest Port Scheduling Problems

The maritime news that matters most

The latest news in your inbox daily.

Subscribe Now

SUBSCRIPTIONS

SUBSCRIBE

• Print
• Digital
• Newsletter
• Renew

Subscribe Now RELATED STORIES

Government

Russia Suspected in Unauthorized Drone Flight Near French Navy Flagship

Published Feb 26, 2026 5:41 PM by The Maritime Executive

A suspicious drone attempted to approach the French navy's flagship during a port call in Malmo, Sweden, the Swedish defense minister has confirmed. The Marine Nationale's sole aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, recently arrived in Sweden for a multilateral exercise. On Wednesday, security personnel aboard a Swedish Navy patrol vessel detected a drone approaching the carrier in the Oresund, outside the port. The Swedish crew took action and engaged antidrone countermeasures; shortly after, they lost contact with the airborne device....

Continue Reading...

Tugs & Salvage

Oil Leaking from Sealloyd Arc Shipwreck Hits Thailand's Tourist Beaches

Published Feb 26, 2026 5:16 PM by The Maritime Executive

Thai officials are sounding the alarm and calling the latest developments “worrying” as reports grow of oil leaking from the wreck of the cargo ship Sealloyd Arc reaching Thailand’s beaches. They point out that efforts have been ongoing for 19 days, spraying dispersants at the site of the wreck, and in the early days, the winds were keeping the oil offshore. Reports of oil on the beaches and in the shallow waters near popular tourist destinations began coming in on...

Continue Reading...

Shipbuilding

Hanwha and Greece’s Onex Shipyards Partner to Expand U.S. Shipbuilding

Published Feb 26, 2026 3:36 PM by The Maritime Executive

A new trilateral agreement was formalized between Onex Shipyards & Technologies, which is working to revitalize Greek shipbuilding, and South Korea’s Hanwha Power Systems, with American officials looking on during the signing event. According to the reports, the effort will support the efforts in Greece but also looks to leverage the emerging opportunities in the United States under the Trump administration’s U.S. Maritime Action Plan. Onex reports that the agreement focuses on the development of newbuildings with LNG capacity as...

Continue Reading...

Piracy

71 Fishermen Left Adrift in Gulf of Guinea After Pirates Steal Outboards

Published Feb 26, 2026 3:14 PM by The Maritime Executive

Ghana's armed forces intervened to save 71 fishermen from an attack by unknown assailants off the country's coast, officials confirmed on Thursday. The news was first reported by Vanguard Tech and confirmed by the AP. On Wednesday night, armed pirates robbed at least four fishing vessels at a location in the Gulf of Guinea, just off the coast of Senya Bereku. The assailants successfully stole the outboard motors off the fishing boats and departed the scene. The fishermen were left...

Continue Reading...

SUBSCRIPTIONS

SUBSCRIBE

• Print
• Digital
• Newsletter
• Renew

Subscribe Now Show Comments