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Author Topic: Port or Starboard?
Maurice Leakey
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Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

- posted December 11, 2013 03:28 AM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have been running the Ken/Fox 400' of the 1953 "Titanic". As the ship approaches the iceberg it's obvious that it needs to go to the left to hopefully avoid the mountain of ice.

The captain issues the command: "Full speed. Hard to starboard." The wheelsman repeats the order and spins the wheel hard down on its left. The ship does alter course to its left but too late to avoid scraping along the side of the ice.

Port is left. Starboard is right. Was the wrong command given or have I missed something?

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Maurice

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Graham Ritchie
Film God

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From: New Zealand
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- posted December 11, 2013 04:00 AM      Profile for Graham Ritchie   Email Graham Ritchie   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
... [Roll Eyes] I was just reading, the nautical reason for a "hard to starboard" command to turn left seems related to the tiller and not the rudder.

A tiller is pushed to the right, or starboard, to apply left rudder and turn the vessel to the left.

Graham.

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Martin Jones
Phenomenal Film Handler

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From: Thetford , Norfolk,England
Registered: May 2008

- posted December 11, 2013 04:13 AM      Profile for Martin Jones     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Typical Hollywood misconception! Leslie Phillips would have just said ..."Left hand down a bit" (English reference for those of a certain age!)

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Retired TV Service Engineer
Ongoing interest in Telecine....

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Graham Ritchie
Film God

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From: New Zealand
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- posted December 11, 2013 04:17 AM      Profile for Graham Ritchie   Email Graham Ritchie   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Actually I think they got it right and we, myself included, got it wrong. [Smile]

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

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From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

- posted December 11, 2013 04:40 AM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
If they were as confused as I am now, it's no wonder they hit the iceberg. [Big Grin]

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Maurice

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Paul Adsett
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From: USA
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- posted December 11, 2013 09:59 AM      Profile for Paul Adsett     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Maurice, you need a glass of port. [Big Grin]

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Graham Ritchie
Film God

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From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

- posted December 12, 2013 01:27 AM      Profile for Graham Ritchie   Email Graham Ritchie   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
If I remember right doesn't Leslie Nielsen say in "The Poseidon Adventure".....HARD LEFT....now that makes sense [Big Grin] or should it be HARD TO PORT... [Roll Eyes]

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Paul Mason
Jedi Master Film Handler

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From: Aldershot, Hampshire, UK
Registered: Nov 2013

- posted December 12, 2013 03:21 AM      Profile for Paul Mason     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
This kind of misunderstanding is not unknown in real life. HMS Victoria sank when rammed by HMS Camperdown in 1893 due to confusion between Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon and his deputy, Rear Admiral Markham on board the Camperdown. This was satirised in Kind Hearts and Coronets in 1949 when Admiral Lord Horatio D'Ascoyne goes down with his ship.

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Paul.

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David Singer
Film Handler

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From: Sedona, AZ, USA
Registered: Sep 2013

- posted December 13, 2013 06:13 AM      Profile for David Singer   Author's Homepage   Email David Singer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The origin of the terms PORT and STARBOARD - Starboard is a corruption or shortening of "steering board". In very early nautical history in the Mediterranean area, a steering board with tiller attached, or rudder in today's terms, was mounted on the right side of the sailing vessel, near the stern, but not at the stern. Therefore, when docking, the ship would tie up on the left side to avoid damage to the steering board on the right side. Hence the left side became known as the port side and the right side the starboard side (yes I know, this has nothing to do with 8mm).

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David Singer

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Pasquale DAlessio
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From: Bristol,RI, USA
Registered: May 2010

- posted December 13, 2013 09:29 AM      Profile for Pasquale DAlessio     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Only here on The Forum can you get such knowlegable tidbits of information. [Wink]

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

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From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

- posted December 13, 2013 09:45 AM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
We must not forget the alleged origin of the word "posh" as a description for the upper class.
"POSH" was entered on booking confirmations for travellers between the UK and India in the days of the Raj. It stood for "Port Out - Starboard Home", meaning they required a cabin on the cooler side of the ship, i.e. away from the sun.

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Maurice

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Paul Adsett
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From: USA
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- posted December 13, 2013 10:08 AM      Profile for Paul Adsett     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I can't fathom all this out! [Big Grin]

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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
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Bruce Wright
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 140
From: Denham Springs, La.
Registered: Oct 2011

- posted December 13, 2013 04:41 PM      Profile for Bruce Wright   Author's Homepage   Email Bruce Wright   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
"SHEETS TO THE WIND" and a bottle of rum.

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Bruce Wright

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Terry Sills
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From: Weymouth,Dorset,England
Registered: Oct 2012

- posted December 17, 2013 12:09 PM      Profile for Terry Sills     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
That's another one - 'three sheets to the wind'- meaning under the afluence of incahol. Where does that come from!

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Lee Mannering
Film God

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From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006

- posted December 17, 2013 01:45 PM      Profile for Lee Mannering     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Lancashire weaving industry when they were onth ale!

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Bruce Wright
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 140
From: Denham Springs, La.
Registered: Oct 2011

- posted December 17, 2013 07:21 PM      Profile for Bruce Wright   Author's Homepage   Email Bruce Wright   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
When "tacking" a square rigger, sheets to the wind is that
point where the bow is dead into the wind and it time to
move the sheets (sail) to the other side. Some tines you don't
make it and have to start over. Just like the sailor who is three sheers to the wind. And some times we 'jib'. These ships are fun but lots of work. Sure wish I had a camera in those days. HO HO HO AND A BOTTLE OF RUM.

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Bruce Wright

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