SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/boat-port-side-left

Standing on a boat and facing the bow, which side is port?

The left side, looking forward.

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  1. The left side ✔
  2. The right side
  3. The back end

Why: Port is the left side of a boat when you face forward. Starboard is the right side. These side names stay fixed to the boat when you turn around.

Huh, didn't know that: Port and left both have four letters, an easy way to remember which side is which.

The dad joke
What did the ocean say to the boat? Nothing, it just waved.
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References

Answer: The left side. Port is the left side of a boat when you face forward. Starboard is the right side. These side names stay fixed to the boat when you turn around.

  1. NASBLA ESP TR 103-2022, Basic Boating Knowledge Core Plus Power technical report higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/NASBLA/76594a34-f3a1-4916-95ac-1e9c872170cc/UploadedImages/education/national-education-standards/ESP_TR_ESP_103_Core_Plus_Power_2022_06_01FINAL.pdf
    Port (n) - the left side of a vessel looking forward.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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