Ship Directions for Dummies . . .

[Deb in IA]

OK, I am sooooo not nautical!!

Can someone tell me what all those terms on the ship mean? Aft? Starboard? Port? Stern? Others?


Thanks (from this landlubber)!

 

[BeanoC]

Aft= rear of the ship.

Fore = front of the ship.

Port = left side of the ship.

Starboard = right side of the ship.

ESPN Skybox = where I can be found for most of the cruise!



'Beano'

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

To help remember the difference between port and starboard, you can remember that "port" and "left" both have four letters.

 

[Firefighter Mickey]

Here's a link to a glossary of various terms:

http://www.tcmall.com/nauticalknowhow/GLOSSARY.htm

Enjoy.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Dave,

That port/left is the same reference my DH uses when he teaches kids boater safety courses. He helps them remember right by telling them they are learning to boat the "starboard" way. Forward is pretty obvious and then (since he is teaching 12 year olds) that "aft is behind you just like your...well I won't finish that sentence" and being 12 year olds they almost always get it.

Hope that last one didn't offend anyone! It wasn't meant too!

 

[Hopkins]

That's a cute way to remember!

Thanks.
Tina
Magic Western 1/18/03

 

[Mjasp]

I thought I read a long while ago that the rug in the hallways can let you know if you are going forward or aft. Anyone remember that?

 

[Señor Ferrari]

Mjasp,

You're right, the anchors on the carpet are blue when facing one way, or red when facing the other, but I can't remember which way is which. I know that this was helpful during my first cruise, as we headed the wrong way down the hall on occasion.

Another way to remember is that the forward and aft elevators face aft, while the midship elevators face forward. When you get off the elevator, take a second to figure out which way you want to go and which elevators you just used.

If all else fails, there are signs in the hallway outside of each elevator lobby which direct you forward or aft. I think I was on my third cruise before I noticed these!

 

[AzMickeyFan]

Also, one of the main reasons all of this exsist is to tell who's coming and who's going. So now we all know that port is left and starboard is right, but what about those colored lights? Port is red, easily remembered because port wine is red.
So we have port=left,red and starboard=right,green. Knowing the color of light in referance to the side of the ship, you can tell if another ship in your path is coming at you or going away. Just a little boating trivia for those that didnt know.

 

[prymsu]

Deb, all the locations by the elevators on the ship are marked with aft, midship and so on, so it is very easy to get around and find where you are trying to get to...

 

[Eisai Babe]

Originally posted by AzMickeyFan

So we have port=left,red and starboard=right,green. Knowing the color of light in referance to the side of the ship, you can tell if another ship in your path is coming at you or going away. Just a little boating trivia for those that didnt know. [/B]

I learned this little bit of information by remembering the term "red, right, return." It means that you go to the right of the red light when you are heading into port, but to the left of it when you are headed out of port. (The lights are channel markers)

AzMickeyFan, I know you were talking about looking at ships coming at you, but it reminded me of the term I learned when I was still sailing.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Hey Becky,

I just learned the red, right returning bit when I did the boating safety course with my Girl Scout troop. Nice to have the built in instructor too.