Port and starboard

Nautical terms for direction / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Port and starboard are nautical terms for watercraft, aircraft and spacecraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow (front).

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Ship_positionLights.svg
Schematic view of a ship's navigation lights indicating its port (red) and starboard (green) sides

Vessels with bilateral symmetry have left and right halves which are mirror images of each other. One asymmetric feature is where access to a boat, ship, or aircraft is at the side, it is usually only on the port side (hence the name).