Learn four direction words that keep everyone talking about the same part of the boat.
3-minute read + a quick quizSaily’s illustrated sailing world · Meet your boat
Look towards the bow: port is on your left and starboard is on your right. These boat-side names stay the same whichever way you turn.
Remember these three things
01Bow: front
02Port: left when facing forward
03Starboard: right when facing forward
Face the bow to learn the sides
Imagine standing in the boat looking forward towards the bow. Port is the boat’s left side and starboard is its right side. The stern is behind you. These are fixed names for parts of the boat, not instructions based on which way your own body is facing.
Turn yourself around, not the names
If you face the stern, the boat’s starboard side is now on your left. It is still starboard. This is why crews use these words: “your left” might mean a different direction to someone facing you. Practise pointing to the bow first, then locating port and starboard from that reference.
Use the words without guessing
You may hear “the bag is in the port locker” or “look off the starboard bow”. The first describes a storage location; the second points towards the forward-right part of the boat. If a sailing instruction is unclear, ask for it to be repeated. Recognising the side names does not, by itself, tell you which boat must give way.
Put it into context
You are facing backwards and a bag is in the starboard locker. Which side is it on?
Think it through, then reveal the explanation.
Show the explanation
It is on your left while you face the stern. Turn mentally towards the bow: starboard is always the boat’s right-hand side from that reference.
Word to know: Aft
Towards the stern, or rear, of a boat. Forward means towards the bow.
A quick check
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