Port & Starboard, left & right? Bow & stern, front & rear?

  • Thread starter Deleted member 110222
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Deleted member 110222

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Do you use old nautical terms like myself, or plain old landlubber speak?
 
As i've bin born and raised in a sailor family, my old man would be furious if i would use inappropriate words in naval language. lol

My father was also very pleased when he looked at Elite Dangerous while i was docking my ship.

He said with his dark broken cigarette and whiskey voice: "Hmmff... They did everything right..."
 
Unfortunately im not able to reflexively use those terms.
Fortunately in space, directionality only is only relevant to the pilot. My up is up but could be your left.
If there were a good reason to use nautical terms (for me) in space, i would make it a point to retrain myself.
 
I have been in the Navy for 18 years, I wouldn't say that those terms are "old nautical" terms! I use them every day and while I play.

Same here minus 4 years. I think the only time I don't use it is when I am actually driving. Only because I know it would confuse the hell out of everybody and cars aren't ships.
 
I remember being taught 'Is there any Red, Port Left' by my dad.... although there usually wasn't......
I was always taught and now explain to others that Port and Left have the same amount of letters. Your way is good because it teaches Navigation lights as well.
 

Robert Maynard

Volunteer Moderator
I was always taught and now explain to others that Port and Left have the same amount of letters. Your way is good because it teaches Navigation lights as well.

Red, port and left all have fewer letters than the opposites, i.e. green, starboard, right.

@Gary: My grandfather taught me that one.... :)
 
Unfortunately im not able to reflexively use those terms.
Fortunately in space, directionality only is only relevant to the pilot. My up is up but could be your left.
If there were a good reason to use nautical terms (for me) in space, i would make it a point to retrain myself.

Grew up sailing, nautical nomenclature gives educated people a common frame of reference. Everything on a boat has a name and a place. Knowing these can save more than one life. If the Captain yells "Loose-the-main-sheet or we're all gonna die!" I know what to do.
 
I don't know if this is true on other large ships, but any emergencies that require massive foot traffic onboard ship for the ones I work on have a traffic pattern. Starboard side is forward and up. Port side is down and aft. An easy way we were taught was told make the pistol sign with your right hand. Therefore if you ever forgot the pattern, Starboard=right side and your right hand is pointing forward (index finger) and up (thumb).
 
Another old Naval term for all you grey funnel types that I learned from an old seadog friend... 'POSH'

Port out. Starboard home [yesnod]

There was also talk of gunner's daughters and golden rivets in there somewhere.... [where is it]
 
Another old Naval term for all you grey funnel types that I learned from an old seadog friend... 'POSH'

Port out. Starboard home [yesnod]

There was also talk of gunner's daughters and golden rivets in there somewhere.... [where is it]


Couldn't resist it.......

[video=youtube_share;AzEWodlTFq0]https://youtu.be/AzEWodlTFq0[/video]
 
Another old Naval term for all you grey funnel types that I learned from an old seadog friend... 'POSH'

Port out. Starboard home [yesnod]

There was also talk of gunner's daughters and golden rivets in there somewhere.... [where is it]

I thought POSH referred to cabin allocations on P&O ships travelling to India. As the port side cabins were on the shady side of the ship on the way out, and the starboard side ones were shaded on the way home, they were more expensive.

Kissing the gunners daughter was a punishment meted out to misbehaving midshipmen. As they were officers they couldn't be flogged, so were tied to one on the guns (the daughter ) face down (hence kissing ), and the gunner or bosun would take their belt to them.

I think the golden rivet is best left unexplained.......
 
We are all Kosh...

Vorlon.jpg

Sorry, Wrong forum...
 
Back to the OP, nautical terms are used throughout aviation, so it makes perfect sense to use them in space flight.
 
I use nautical on large "naval" ships. (basically frop the python up)

But i use aerial callouts (12 o'clock high, 7 o'clock low ect.) when flying the smaller craft.
 
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