Re:Why do ships use “port” and “starboard” instead of “left”...
by dsego on Wednesday April 19, 2023 @06:12AM
(#35626380)
> you can qite easily lose track of which direction is the prow
If you don't where the prow is, how do you know where starboard is? I guess if the sailing direction is backwards, it might be confusing if you say "to your left", but if you say "left side", it should still be clear I think, maybe not.
On a big ship, like an aircraft carrier or cruiser, you can qite easily lose track of which direction is the prow (front). Many carrier crew rarely go up on deck. And if the ship happens to be sailing astern, left and right become ambiguous.