Starboard is right. . right?

[linedog]

OK the other night I was watching a show on the Discovery chanel about the Titanic. It is heading for the iceburg when a deck hand yells, hard over to starboard or close to that. But he yells starboard. The next shot is of the guy spinning the wheel to the port for a turn to the port or left, as the iceburg was on their right or starboard side. Am I missing something here or can a old guy Navy help me out?
Chris.

[1northernstar]

long time since seeing the movie, but I thougth he said (in a very thich british accent) "Iceburg to starboard", where Iceburg sounded more like ahhhce-buuurg

[SomeSailor]

That's why all wheel commands are given in RIGHT or LEFT. Only directions and parts of the ship are referred to as PORT or STARBOARD.

If you said "Iceberg to starboard" the helmsmen would have been directed to "Full Left Rudder" (and hard Astearn I'd imagine).


I saw a show not too long ago that said if they would have turned hard right... they would've hit the ice, but the gash would've been much shorter... and she likely would have survived. They summized that even doing nothing might have even saved her.
Who knows...

[LadyDi381]

I have to sympotize. I am so left/right; port/ starboard dyslexic. Jerry just looks at the way I'm pointing.
Diane

[SomeSailor]

Just remember Right and Left are directions... Port and Starboard are parts of the ship.

You can't point Starboard... and boat's don't have Left sides.

[linedog]

I'll have to pull out the DVD and watch it again.

[bopa5]

Is this an American way of refering to steering directions as right or left?

Bob

[SomeSailor]

It's internationally standard term.

One of my quals aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on watch was Officer of the Deck (OOD). All helm commands are in terms of right and left. If you wanted to make a right turn for example, you would order a "Right standard rudder, steady course XXX"

The only time Port or Starboard is used when you're talking about things in relation to parts of the ship. For example, If you had another ship behind and to the "right" side of the ship... Your command would be something like "Observed surface contact off our starboard quarter... Contact bearing XXX"

It helps to avoid the confusion.

[bopa5]

Just goes to show that we are never too old to learn something.

Bob

[SomeSailor]

yeah... that's one reason it's always fun to watch rec boaters correcting themselves all the time. Some poor scmuck says "Turn Right" and someone else corrects them... they're actually correct. :)

The only time port or starboard are used aboard ship is when you're reffering to a part OF the ship.. or some direction relevant to a part of the ship.

Heads, bulkheads, frames, tac numbers, athwartships, pways, decks, knee knockers, galleries, hatches, doors, overheads, scuttles, scuppers, stuffing tubes, brows, quarterdecks, ladders and stairs.... Now THOSE are things you'll DEFINITELY get corrected for out there :D

[Roel Jansen]

In my book for the boating license they use port and starboard. Iif you go out to the left you go out at port and to the right you go out at starboard.
Also when going with the boat in a marked water way you have to keep the starboard side of that marked waterway. Don't remember what we used in the Marine corps but the pavement we called deck. Can't imagine we used starboard and backboard (port) when having our marching exercises. A kot of official terms where from the Indonesian language like Baru (newcomer, new) Pendek (underware) Tangsi (Camp) Mandieen (taking a bath).Makam (eating) Slamat makam( enjoy your meal), purut (choclate milk) Typing this some nice memoriescome back! :D