Re: LRO: Which side? (was 2 Land Rover questions)

From: Peter Ogilvie (konacoffee2@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed May 16 2001 - 00:05:32 EDT

  • Next message: Keith Tanner: "Re: LRO: Which side? (was 2 Land Rover questions)"

    Sailing vessels passing port to port or left side to left side has to do
    with ancient methods of steering ships. Originally ships did not have stern
    mounted rudders but a steering oar that was hung off the starboard (steering
    board or right) side by tradition. So as not to cause catastrophic steering
    damage if two ships should collide while passing bow to bow, they kept to
    the right to protect the steering oar.

    Since the steering oar was on the starboard (right) side, they would, of
    course, tie up at a pier on the opposite side of the steering oar or left
    side so as not to bang up the steering. Apparently the convention of
    calling the left side, Port, did not catch on widely, right away, however.
    The more common name for the left side was Larboard and persisted into the
    17th century or even later. I heard that they switched to the less common
    term, port, because of confusion generated by the terms starboard and
    larboard. After a few broadsides, in the heat of battle the sailors
    couldn't differentiate between 'lar' and 'star', often with disastrous
    results.

    Aloha
    Peter

    >From: Rick Grant <rgrant@cadvision.com>
    >Reply-To: lro@works.team.net
    >To: lro@works.team.net
    >Subject: Re: LRO: Which side? (was 2 Land Rover questions)
    >Date: Mon, 14 May 2001 20:43:35 -0600
    >
    >At 19:22 14/05/01 -0700, C. Marin Faure, wrote
    >>Here's another puzzle, though. In the US and Canada, railroad engine
    >>drivers sit on the right side of their cabs, and oncoming trains pass (on
    >>a
    >>double track mainline) to the left of each other.
    >
    >And another one to add to the list. Why do helicopter pilots
    >(pilot-in-command) sit on the right with their co-joes to the left while
    >aircraft PIC's sit on the left? And isn't there something about boat
    >drivers on the right as well?
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > Rick Grant
    >
    > 1959 Series II "88"
    > VORIZO
    >
    >
    >
    >Rick Grant Communications
    >Media and Crisis Management
    >Calgary Ottawa
    >www.rickgrant.com
    >

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