Does port mean more than just left?

[soccermomkat]

Okay - I never even thought about this, and I'm sure many people will think I'm stupid, but is the port side of the ship the side that faces the port when you dock? I didn't think so, but then I started thinking too much and thought I would ask. I'm on the starboard side and don't know what I'll have a view of when we are in port. :)

[caribbean dreams]

The ships dock in both directions but more often on the portside in my experience.

[BayMan123]

Ways to remember that Port is always left facing the bow of the ship.

 

Port - Left - Same number of letters

Port - Red - Wine - Red is important to understand navigational markers

 

 

As opposed to Starboard, which is green!

[VABeach]

I second that. Port is on the left when facing forward.

 

The story is, that the Vikings used to always pull into port with the left side of the ship coming into port. This was supposedly because they steared with their right hand so the star board was also on the right side. They pulled into port on the left side of the ship so they wouldn't hurt their equipment.

 

That's the tale. No one knows for sure.

 

Ships do pull into dock on both sides. Also, sometimes they back in, and sometimes they pull straight in, and sometimes they tender in.

 

Good luck trying to figure it out. ;) :D

[wraithe]

When iron men sailed wooden ships, there was a plank on the starboard side of the ship that allowed the ships officers/master to stand far enough outboard the sails that he could get a sighting through the sextant that he used for navigation, since they steered the ship by compass and plotted course by the stars, hence the name star-board. Since this "board" stuck out of the ship on the right side of every ship, they "ported" the ship on the opposite side, or left when facing forward. Least that's one of the legends that I learned while being initiated as a Chief Petty Officer. It's one of those things that gets handed down over the years. Sort of like, why are the space shuttles booster rockets the diameter that they are? If anyone wants to know that answer and no one else has heard it, let me know and I'll put it up.

[Bobblsc]

I used to sail a lot with a real sailboat. Yes port is the left side facing forward. Years and years ago the sides were starboard and larboard. I'll take the above word about the reason for preferring to pull alongside the dock on the port side. However I was under the impression that some of the old sailing vessels had a board on each side for stability and course maintenance, that is to minimize slippage to leeward. The leeward board would be down in the water and the windward board would be raised.

In any case, a boat or ship pulls up to the dock going into the wind if possible.

Well, this completes my comment.

The above word refers to VABeach's word. This was before I saw the Chief's post. I was Air Force, but I told my Navy son to always pay attention to the Chiefs.

Bob :p

[JimBsGirl]

Sort of like, why are the space shuttles booster rockets the diameter that they are? If anyone wants to know that answer and no one else has heard it, let me know and I'll put it up.

 

Okay, I'm now dying to know...why are the booster rockets the diameter that they are? Sorry for the hijack, and thanks. :D

[TPKeller]

Sort of like, why are the space shuttles booster rockets the diameter that they are? If anyone wants to know that answer and no one else has heard it, let me know and I'll put it up.

I don't know the answer, but I'm guessing that being 12.17 feet in diameter, they are as wide as they can be and still fit through the railway system that transports the parts from the manufacturer to the launch site.

 

In my home town/state, they've just completed a series of convoys to move 40 huge brewing tanks over and around 100 miles of highway from the closest navigable dock (after being shipped and barged from Germany) to their final destination in the Shenendoah Valley of Virginia. These things were 70 feet long, 20 feet in diameter, and weighed 78,000 pounds each! It was quite a sight to see.

 

Theron

[VABeach]

I used to sail a lot with a real sailboat. Yes port is the left side facing forward. Years and years ago the sides were starboard and larboard. I'll take the above word about the reason for preferring to pull alongside the dock on the port side. However I was under the impression that some of the old sailing vessels had a board on each side for stability and course maintenance, that is to minimize slippage to leeward. The leeward board would be down in the water and the windward board would be raised.

In any case, a boat or ship pulls up to the dock going into the wind if possible.

Well, this completes my comment.

The above word refers to VABeach's word. This was before I saw the Chief's post. I was Air Force, but I told my Navy son to always pay attention to the Chiefs.

Bob :p

 

This is why I love this site. Way too much cool info! ;)

[wraithe]

I don't know the answer, but I'm guessing that being 12.17 feet in diameter, they are as wide as they can be and still fit through the railway system that transports the parts from the manufacturer to the launch site.

Theron

 

You are exactly right, they have to fit through the railway tunnels between Morton/Thiokols plant in Utah and Florida. Now, why are the tunnels the size they are. Well, that's because they had to be able to fit a narrow gage train through the mountains, narrow gage train track is based on the width of the old English railway systems since they were built by English expatriates. They built the English railroad based on the English Tramways, which were built by the same jigs and fixtures used to build wagons. The wagon wheels were based on the ruts in the old road system, since if you tried to make a different sized wagon you'd break the wheels in the ruts. What made the ruts? Well, the Romans built the original English roads to allow the Legions to easily cross the country, including the Roman war chariots, which were all built just alike and over the years, rutted the roads. The war chariots were built the width they were based on the width of two horses rear ends. So the answer of the question is, the booster rockets of one of the most advanced transportation systems in the world, the space shuttle was ultimately based on the width of a horses rear. The moral of the story is, specifications and beuracracies live forever.

 

Sorry to all who didn't want this much information. :rolleyes:

[masonpips]

The ships dock in both directions but more often on the portside in my experience.

 

But I've always boarded from the cruise terminal on the starboard side (DCL Magic and RCCL Mariner) - maybe that's for positioning to leave the port or because we've only left from Port Canaveral?

[JLC@SD]

The ships dock in both directions but more often on the portside in my experience.

 

 

The ship will dock on either side, depending on how it accesses the dock and which side of the dock it uses. Two ships can be at the same dock, one on its port side and the other on its starboard side.

[TPKeller]

Hey Wraithe! I had heard that story several years ago, but it is even more ironic with the space shuttle reference added!

 

On the docking... I can offer only theories. For the main resupply ports, I suspect each ship docs in the way that makes it easiest to load all the supplies. I expect they have it down to quite a smooth routine which is hardly ever varied.

 

For the various ports of call, my observation lends me to believe that they use whichever is available. The question for those dockings for me at least was why did they sometimes pull in and have to back out, and other times, back in, allowing them to depart quickly that evening? I think it comes down to which end of the day they have the most time. If they arrive after a short night, they have time to turn around and back in. If it's a long day at sea and they can barely make the port on schedule, then they may just pull right in and dock as fast as they can. Depending on what slots are available at the port, the port/starboard side may be different in these cases.

 

Just some thoughts.

 

Theron

[wraithe]

Theron,

 

What's incredible to me after years in the Navy is that they can dock a 130,000 ton ship without a tug. It's due to the thrusters and azipods, of course, but what a time and cost saving convenience. I've seen boat masters on tugs that can make a single screw and rudder tug dance, but it takes years of training and much skill. The new cruise ships are just awesome.