Port is the left side of a boat and starboard is the right, always looking forward from the stern to the bow. Windward is the side the wind is coming from and leeward is the side it is blowing towards. Those four words, plus a handful more for the front, the back and the angles in between, are enough to follow almost any conversation on deck. Here they are, with the Spanish names you will hear on the pontoons of Vigo and a few tricks to make them stick.
Port and starboard: left and right on a boat
On land, left and right depend on which way you are facing. On a boat they do not: port and starboard are fixed to the hull. Stand anywhere on board, face the bow, and port is on your left and starboard on your right. Turn round to face the stern and port is still the same side of the boat, now on your right hand.
That is why sailors use them. "Rope on your left" means nothing if two people are facing each other in the cockpit; "rope to port" means the same thing to everyone.
In Spanish, port is babor and starboard is estribor. The Real Academia Española defines both exactly as above: the left and the right side of a vessel looking from stern to bow. Its dictionary traces babor back, through French, to the Dutch bakboord, the "back board", because the helmsman used to stand on the starboard side with his back to the other one.
Three tricks to remember them
- Port and left both have four letters. The oldest trick in English, and it works.
- Red is port, green is starboard. The international collision regulations (COLREG, Rule 21) put a red sidelight on the port side and a green one on the starboard side, each lit over an arc of 112.5 degrees. At night, if you see a boat's red light, you are looking at her port side.
- Port wine is red. It links the side to the colour of its light.
Bow, stern and the parts in between
Once left and right are fixed, the rest of the boat falls into place. These are the words you will hear most, with their Spanish equivalents:
| English | Spanish and meaning |
|---|---|
| Bow | Proa: the front of the boat |
| Stern | Popa: the back of the boat |
| Bow (port or starboard bow) | Amura: the sides where the hull narrows towards the bow |
| Abeam | Través: at right angles to the keel, straight out to the side |
| Quarter | Aleta: the sides of the hull near the stern |
| Length overall | Eslora: the length of the boat |
| Beam | Manga: the width of the boat at its widest point |
Combine them and you can point at anything: "a buoy on the starboard bow" (por la amura de estribor), "a ferry abeam to port" (por el través de babor), "a wave coming on the port quarter" (por la aleta de babor).
Windward and leeward: where the wind comes from
Windward (barlovento) is the side the wind is coming from. Leeward, usually said "loo-ward" (sotavento), is the side the wind is blowing towards. The Real Academia Española defines sotavento as the part opposite to where the wind comes from, from the Latin for "under the wind".
Unlike port and starboard, these two change whenever the boat or the wind changes. If the wind comes over the port side, port is the windward side; tack, and the windward side becomes starboard. That is why sailors combine them: "the windward side" tells you more than "the left side" ever could.
Why it matters in practice:
- Spray comes from windward. Sitting on the windward side keeps the boat flatter, but it is where the wind and the odd splash will reach you. A windproof outer layer such as the Stortex softshell earns its place there; for proper showers, our guide to softshell or rain jacket explains when to switch to the Sarbon.
- Anything thrown overboard goes to leeward. Water, crumbs or, if the sea disagrees with you, anything else. Never do it to windward.
- A shore to leeward deserves respect. A lee shore is a coast the wind is pushing you towards, the one to keep well clear of.
Two verbs that go with them
To luff up or head up (orzar) is to turn the bow towards the wind. To bear away (arribar) is to turn it away from the wind. When the skipper calls one of them, the trimmers ease or pull in the sails to match.
Knots, miles and the words for wind
Speed at sea is measured in knots (nudos). The Spanish dictionary defines a knot as one nautical mile per hour, and the international nautical mile was fixed at exactly 1,852 metres by the International Hydrographic Conference of 1929. So 10 knots is 18.5 km/h, and 20 knots is just over 37 km/h.
Wind speed uses the same unit, and in Spanish each force of the Beaufort scale still has its old sailing name: bonancible for force 4, fresquito for 5, fresco for 6, frescachón for 7. You will find all thirteen forces, with their ranges in knots, in our guide to the Beaufort scale. Those four names are the ones printed on the back of the Beaufort tech tee, each with its range in knots, so you can wear the force you like sailing in.
Flags: a language of their own
Boats also talk with flags. In the International Code of Signals each letter of the alphabet has its own flag, and many single flags carry a full message on their own. You do not need to learn them to go sailing, but you will see them on yachts dressed overall for a regatta or a festival in the harbour. The Mironte roll-top backpack carries a row of nautical signal flags embroidered with the NewPortVela "newport" logo on the front.
For everything else you need before stepping on board, see what to wear sailing, and browse the latest pieces from Vigo in New in.
Common questions
Is port left or right?
Port is the left side of the boat when you face the bow. Starboard is the right. They do not change when you turn round.
What colour light is on the port side?
Red. Starboard shows green. Both are set by Rule 21 of the international collision regulations.
What is the difference between windward and leeward?
Windward is the side the wind comes from; leeward is the side it blows towards. In Spanish, barlovento and sotavento.
What does abeam mean?
At right angles to the boat's centreline, straight out to one side. In Spanish, por el través.
How fast is one knot?
One nautical mile per hour, which is 1.852 km/h.