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They are not distracting. There are many intense situations on a boat, and a crew is required to cooperate in order to survive. This means you must have extreme

They are not distracting. There are many intense situations on a boat, and a crew is required to cooperate in order to survive. This means you must have extremely precise wording to quickly explain what needs to be done. This vocabulary is important for this reason, and is able to sharpen focus, rather than distract. It requires a process of learning, and that is intentional.

lsaferite 3y ago
In English "right" is one syllable and "starboard" is two. All things considered, using right/left is more concise. If you are aware enough of your orientation on a boat to know where port and starboard are located, you are also aware enough to know where left and right are located.
- wpietri 3y ago
  Concision is way less important than clarity.
  - quenched 3y ago
    Eg if you're trying to shout over the wind.
    - int_19h 3y ago
      Although from the same perspective the phonetic similarity "port" and "board" is probably not ideal, either.
      - wpietri 3y ago
        In practice, and perhaps because of this, the pronunciation of "starboard" is heavy on the "star", with the latter part ending up more like "brd" or "b'd". Indeed, you can find the word written as "starb'd".
  - anilakar 3y ago
    Clarity stems from brevity i.e. concise, carefully chosen words that leave no room for ambiguity.
    - wpietri 3y ago
      Clarity absolutely does not stem from brevity. Brevity is good, but it pushes toward ambiguity, not clarity. For example, consider spelling a word. The briefest approach is to say the names of letters. But these are similar, often differing only in one phoneme. E.g., P and B differentiating sounds are both bilabial plosives, differing only in whether they are voiced. But people for whom clarity is important will use something like the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. There, you'd say "papa" and "bravo". [1] It is much less brief, but much more clear. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet
      - anilakar 3y ago
        We might have a different view on what "brevity" means, then. The ITU/NATO alphabet you mentioned is a prime example of brevity. Other examples include those used by air traffic control and fighter pilots.
- hooverd 3y ago
  I'd bet port and starboard are easier to communicate unambiguously than left and right. Absolute positioning, one syllable vs two, different ending sounds vs both ending a "tuh" sound.
- CardenB 3y ago
  You spend much at least one more syllable to indicate which frame of reference (local or boat). It’s easier to map it to a vocab word.
- eternityforest 3y ago
  The different number of syllables are like a checksum. Plus, that's not how brains work. Using a word for different things that change depending on context is like reusing a variable, with a compiler that randomizes global and local scope. In aviation they watch out for "Regression to prior learning", in the kitchen I watch out for putting something in the microwave instead of the fridge because the action is similar. If you ask me which way is left, I'll have to stop and think not only about what left and right even mean, probably looking at my hand to see what makes the L shape, but I'll have to wonder who's left you're referring to, in addition to performing a mental rotation, an extremely error prone operation that I basically avoid at all costs, if my heading is not the same as the ships. Any small about of simplification or added reliability there is a good thing. Especially in historical context. Assuming the port and starboard were not mostly symmetric and had features specific to docking and steering, you're actually referring to something specific, not an abstract direction. These conventions are designed for the 95%, not the 5% or 75% or whatever who can instantly tell which way is left relative to any given orientation without any effort.
  - seabass-labrax 3y ago
    > ...in the kitchen I watch out for putting something in the microwave instead of the fridge because the action is similar A familiar experience... I have to catch myself when I start to throw the spoon into the bin and the teabag into the dishwasher!
xiphias2 3y ago
If you look at statistics, most deaths occur in small boats with a crew who have no idea what these words mean, because they don't have a license. These are the most common reason of fatalities: - Not wearing a lifejacket or PFD. - Falling overboard. - Capsizing, swamping, sinking, or running aground. - Being involved in a collision. - Operating a pleasure craft while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The goal of the license should be helping these people, not experienced ones, who anyways have more advanced license, not just the basic ones.
- CardenB 3y ago
  I’m not sure you have really thought this through. You’re suggesting that people avoid using port and starboard on a boat because they should be focused on learning how to not fall overboard? Terms like “port” and “starboard” are particularly important when someone falls overboard. The last thing you want to do is tell someone to grab the man overboard “on the right side” and have them go to the wrong side of the boat in a crucial moment. This is why these things exist. We have been sailing for hundreds of years and are very good at it. Despite this, your entire argument is a bit ridiculous. It is not zero sum- port and starboard do not take up “brain space” that causes you to forget a life jacket. Boat training will help you ensure the safety of the passengers AND teach you “port” and “starboard”.
  - xiphias2 3y ago
    I'm not sure what boat training you're talking about. I just did my sea boating license last year in Croatia, and it was all in a room, just like the exam. When I was doing my original boating license, again the practical part on water was about 20 minutes (starting / stopping and saving somebody from water) I had much more road practice in my road driving license included, and there wasn't anything unnecessary taught there, I still use 90% of the things taught then when I am driving.
- stametseater 3y ago
  Maybe boat lingo improves safety by keeping people in the mind-frame of being on a boat.

lsaferite 3y ago

In English "right" is one syllable and "starboard" is two. All things considered, using right/left is more concise. If you are aware enough of your orientation on a boat to know where port and starboard are located, you are also aware enough to know where left and right are located.

wpietri 3y ago
Concision is way less important than clarity.
- quenched 3y ago
  Eg if you're trying to shout over the wind.
  - int_19h 3y ago
    Although from the same perspective the phonetic similarity "port" and "board" is probably not ideal, either.
    - wpietri 3y ago
      In practice, and perhaps because of this, the pronunciation of "starboard" is heavy on the "star", with the latter part ending up more like "brd" or "b'd". Indeed, you can find the word written as "starb'd".
- anilakar 3y ago
  Clarity stems from brevity i.e. concise, carefully chosen words that leave no room for ambiguity.
  - wpietri 3y ago
    Clarity absolutely does not stem from brevity. Brevity is good, but it pushes toward ambiguity, not clarity. For example, consider spelling a word. The briefest approach is to say the names of letters. But these are similar, often differing only in one phoneme. E.g., P and B differentiating sounds are both bilabial plosives, differing only in whether they are voiced. But people for whom clarity is important will use something like the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. There, you'd say "papa" and "bravo". [1] It is much less brief, but much more clear. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet
    - anilakar 3y ago
      We might have a different view on what "brevity" means, then. The ITU/NATO alphabet you mentioned is a prime example of brevity. Other examples include those used by air traffic control and fighter pilots.
hooverd 3y ago
I'd bet port and starboard are easier to communicate unambiguously than left and right. Absolute positioning, one syllable vs two, different ending sounds vs both ending a "tuh" sound.
CardenB 3y ago
You spend much at least one more syllable to indicate which frame of reference (local or boat). It’s easier to map it to a vocab word.
eternityforest 3y ago
The different number of syllables are like a checksum. Plus, that's not how brains work. Using a word for different things that change depending on context is like reusing a variable, with a compiler that randomizes global and local scope. In aviation they watch out for "Regression to prior learning", in the kitchen I watch out for putting something in the microwave instead of the fridge because the action is similar. If you ask me which way is left, I'll have to stop and think not only about what left and right even mean, probably looking at my hand to see what makes the L shape, but I'll have to wonder who's left you're referring to, in addition to performing a mental rotation, an extremely error prone operation that I basically avoid at all costs, if my heading is not the same as the ships. Any small about of simplification or added reliability there is a good thing. Especially in historical context. Assuming the port and starboard were not mostly symmetric and had features specific to docking and steering, you're actually referring to something specific, not an abstract direction. These conventions are designed for the 95%, not the 5% or 75% or whatever who can instantly tell which way is left relative to any given orientation without any effort.
- seabass-labrax 3y ago
  > ...in the kitchen I watch out for putting something in the microwave instead of the fridge because the action is similar A familiar experience... I have to catch myself when I start to throw the spoon into the bin and the teabag into the dishwasher!

xiphias2 3y ago

If you look at statistics, most deaths occur in small boats with a crew who have no idea what these words mean, because they don't have a license. These are the most common reason of fatalities: - Not wearing a lifejacket or PFD. - Falling overboard. - Capsizing, swamping, sinking, or running aground. - Being involved in a collision. - Operating a pleasure craft while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The goal of the license should be helping these people, not experienced ones, who anyways have more advanced license, not just the basic ones.

CardenB 3y ago
I’m not sure you have really thought this through. You’re suggesting that people avoid using port and starboard on a boat because they should be focused on learning how to not fall overboard? Terms like “port” and “starboard” are particularly important when someone falls overboard. The last thing you want to do is tell someone to grab the man overboard “on the right side” and have them go to the wrong side of the boat in a crucial moment. This is why these things exist. We have been sailing for hundreds of years and are very good at it. Despite this, your entire argument is a bit ridiculous. It is not zero sum- port and starboard do not take up “brain space” that causes you to forget a life jacket. Boat training will help you ensure the safety of the passengers AND teach you “port” and “starboard”.
- xiphias2 3y ago
  I'm not sure what boat training you're talking about. I just did my sea boating license last year in Croatia, and it was all in a room, just like the exam. When I was doing my original boating license, again the practical part on water was about 20 minutes (starting / stopping and saving somebody from water) I had much more road practice in my road driving license included, and there wasn't anything unnecessary taught there, I still use 90% of the things taught then when I am driving.
stametseater 3y ago
Maybe boat lingo improves safety by keeping people in the mind-frame of being on a boat.