PORT AND STARBOARD ORIGIN

STARBOARD AND PORT
The name for the right hand side of a ship or boat has its origins in Viking times. They referred to the side of a ship as a ‘board’ and the steering oar was called the ‘star’. The star was placed on the right hand side of the ship, hence starboard. It was because of the practice of steering from the right that the left hand side became port side. Originally it was called ‘larboard’ but was deemed to similar in sound to starboard. Because of the steering oar ships were tied to port by the left hand side hence ‘port-side’.