Quarters – The ship’s sides to the rear (behind) of the midships (center of the boat). When looking toward the front of a ship, the left-hand side of a vessel is the port side. A boat’s bow refers to the more forward portion of the hull or the front side of a ship.
In boating, the term red on deck refers to the side of the boat that faces the bow and has the right-of-way when approaching the port. Ships usually dock from their red side, and the bow is the front of the boat. A red port allows boats to dock there.
If your boat has decking, then a gunwale is the place it meets the hull. On a pontoon boat, the hull is made from the pontoons and the frame on which the sides and floors rest. A small deck at the boat’s rear (aft) makes it easier to get into the water.
Notes on Boating Navigation Lights
You can find red and green navigation lights on the front and aft sides of the boat since the green is on your ship’s boat’s starboard (rig and the red is on the port side (left). If red is on the channel’s starboard (right) side, then green is always in the port (left) heading upstream.
I know this gets confusing since the red is supposed to be on the starboard side. When you come back from open water, the red will always be on the right side. For instance, if a buoy is red on top of the green, you would want to stay to the starboard side, as that is the preferred channel.
We could interpret what a green buoy means to say that going downslope, or heading back out into the open water, uses the channel on the starboard side. When running back out into the open ocean from a dock, the red markers will be either to your left of the port (left) side or to your right. Navigation Channel markers tell you what side of a channel you need to steer the boat, depending on the direction. If you are running your ship left, or to the port side, you are sailing a minor channel.
The port is always to the boat’s left, regardless of which direction you are facing. If it is at night, and you see the red lights of the ships, indicating that you are looking towards their port (left), then you should also respond. If you are approaching the boat and seeing the red light, you have no immediate right.
The same thing at night; if you see a green light, that is, to starboard (right) of a boat, they have to know that they need to make the turn. Seeing means that you are in control, whereas the ship approaching your harbor needs to stop or reverse its direction. Okay, so if you are operating the boat and see another craft on the port starboard side (right), it is considered the vessel with a go-ahead.
Additional Boating Terms
Now that we know where the boat’s front, back, port, and starboard sides are, let us look at a few other boating terms of importance. There are specific parts of the boat and phrases to explain boating-related things. Before going on a water trip, we should know a few words to describe the available details found in all vessels. Features of the ship, such as the front, rear, and sides, have their names.
If you own a boat or are looking to buy one, it helps to get acquainted with the terms used in the boating industry. The term navigation lights refer to any lights on your boat used when operating at night. This light is usually the brightest or group of sunshine on a ship and is meant to be used only while docked at night. This light is found on any boat and should be used when docking at night.
You will find this light, sometimes called a headlight or aftermarket light depending on the vessel, at the highest point of the boat or just outside the aftermarket. For instance, this light is located at the top of your bimini. These navigation lights are white lights pointed towards the ship’s rear. Standard navigation lights are the red and green lateral lights and an all-around white light, which is unique to motorboats.
Navigation lights are the red, green, and white lights required for vessels during the period of sunset and sunrise, as well as when visibility is limited. Masthead lights – White lights at the centerline of recreational vessels showing an arc of visibility for 225 degrees in total, from just forward beams on both the port and starboard sides, up to 225 degrees.
Yet More Vocabulary for the Nautically-Minded
Sidelights – Red on the port, green on starboard, showing an arc of visibility from dead ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on the respective sides. Topside – The ship’s side between the waterline and deck; sometimes refers to on-deck or over-deck. Aloft – Above the boat deck, often at the head of a mast or on a piece of rigging.
Read On Deck Significance – The red of the deck signifies the sides of the boat, with a suggestion of a red facing forward. A Red Marker indicates the point at which the pilot should direct your ship to turn inwards, away from open water, or upwards. The red marker is always to the channel’s right on the starboard side. Easy to see and read, the Safe Water Buoy marks the part of the waterway you can navigate safely in your boat.
When setting out in your boat, you might want to leave the whistling behind, putting your right foot in front of your ship to ensure good luck in the water. A single blow of your horn signals the other ship you plan to pass by your port side, then the other boat needs to make one blow of their own, confirming that they understood the plan, and the two of you will pass by the port side.
