Are you able to write and mouse with your left hand as well as your right hand? If not, does that mean your brain isn’t working correctly?
I don’t understand your objection. Yes, I could do it, but it would be inaccurate, because those terms only apply on a boat. And while those terms might be accurate while I’m standing on a boat, that would only apply if I’m facing the correct direction. If I turn around, they are now inaccurate.
The same is true of the boat. If one side was labeled right and the other one left, that could be accurate if I faced the right way. But, if I turn around, then the side labeled left is on my right, and the side labeled right is on my left. Thus they are inaccurate.
The whole point of the terms port and starboard is that they always refer to the same part of the boat, no matter which way the person is facing.
Please see my post explaining the difference between directions and labels. You are confusing the concepts.
To continue the confusion of clockwise and counter-clockwise, I had to assemble a lamp, screwing the different parts of the pole together, finally reaching the base. As it was all pre-wired, it was easier turning the base than the pole part. But it was “lefty-tighty” wrong way around holding the pole and turning the base, not the other way around. Confused me, and made me think of this thread.
And the International Space Station.
Well, crapsicles. There goes that idea.
I’ve read your post. I don’t agree with it. We are discussing the labels for directions. All “port” means is the direction closest to the port side of the boat, and so on. It is fixed, relative to the boat.
I have a left and right. But, without me, there is no left and right. You cannot look at two points and say which one is to the left of the other. But you can look at two boats and say which one is on the port side of the other.
Points don’t have hands. I do, you do I assume. We both have sides just like a boat. And we have left and right whether or not we have you. And your definition of port makes no sense. It’s either the label for the left side of the ship or the direction of a ray that originates at the center of the boat midbeam and extends through the port side of the boat. Relative to the bow that is the left side of the boat and it is always the left side of the boat relative to the bow no matter which way you are facing just like your left hand is always your left hand no matter where it is or which way you are facing. Sides have labels, they are not directions.
I agree w @Tripolar. In @BigT’s concept, which side of a boat shaped like a pie pan is “port”? Lest one object to the artificiality, many life rafts are circular, hexagonal, or octagonal.
The right answer is a boat has a bow, and a human has a nose.
The left/port direction is defined as 90 degrees counterclockwise from a ray driven from the geometric center through the bow / the nose. Likewise right/starboard is the direction defined as 90 degrees clockwise from a ray driven from the geometric center through the bow / the nose. Both definitions are as viewed from above.
The port/left side of a boat/person is that portion lying in the port/left direction from the center. And similarly for the starboard/right side which lies in the starboard/right direction.
OK, @doreen, imagine this: Suppose that you tattooed the words “Left” and “Right” on your hands. No boats involved here, just people, and we all agree that people have left and right, correct? Well, if I’m facing in the same direction as you, the hand with the tattoo “left” on it is on the left, and the one with the tattoo “right” is on the right. But if I’m facing the opposite direction from you, then the word “left” is on the right, and the word “right” is on the left.
In the same way, if I’m on a boat, and facing the bow, the boat’s left is to my left, and the boat’s right is to my right. But if I turn around and face the stern, now the boat’s right is on my left, and the boat’s left is on my right. “Port” and “starboard” are just words for “the boat’s left” and “the boat’s right”. Which might or might not be the same as my left and right, but then, other peoples’ left and right aren’t always the same as mine, either.
(This is one of the strangest sustained tangents unrelated to an OP I’ve seen in a while.)
Similarly (I suppose), north is just a word for “East’s left” and “South” for “East’s right” (I’m taking East as a more fundamental direction because the Sun comes up there.
The one on the right was on the left…
Re: Port and Starboard -
Cars have a driver side and a passenger ‘shotgun’ side. That does not change regardless of the position in the car, if you are looking over the back seat, or in which direction the car is pointed.
I’m starting to think we are getting whooosed here.
But whether shotgun is on your left or your right depends on your position relative to the car.
A lot of people have difficulty with the concept for various reasons. I think one big reason is that we learn our left from right at a very young age and never think much about it again. Most people mostly learn left from right at a young age, but not getting it quite right isn’t going to help with understanding the concept.
And what country you’re in.
Indeed. I literally cannot figure out what the arguing is here. It seems everyone agrees what port and starboard are, so what’s the debate?
True. Once I was driving and was really startled when I looked in the rear-view mirror. The guy in the left hand seat in car behind me had a map open in front of him, blocking his view of the road completely. I was a tad freaked out - but a closer look revealed that it was a British car.
Some people do not believe ‘port’ is a synonym for ‘left’, and ‘starboard’ a synonym for ‘right’.
