Port and Starboard
Port side & Starboard side

What is the port side of a boat?
Port is the left side of a boat looking forward.
What is the starboard side of a boat?
Starboard is the right side of a boat when looking forward.
How do I remember port and starboard?
It is quite simple. There are four letters in the words PORT and LEFT so you can easily remember that the left side of a boat is the port side.
What color is the port side light of a boat?
The red light indicates a vessel's port (left) side
What color is the starboard side light of a boat?
The green light indicates a vessel's starboard (right) side.



Sound signaling to starboard
1 short sound = I am coming to starboard, I take the right.
When I pass near another boat, I will maneuver by leaving the other boat on my left side as I pass.

Sound signaling to port
2 short sounds = I am coming to port, I am going left.
When I pass near another boat, I will maneuver by leaving the other boat on my right side as I pass.
Now that you have an idea of the difference between port side and starboard side, come discover with us, all the other aspects of boating with our online boating safety course and obtain your Canadian boating license.
