[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by Monkey Butler

Simps like me need something easier.

Port is four letters and so is left... Port = Left
Starboard is longer than Port and Right is longer than Left... Starboard = Right

Navigation Lights... Port wine is red, so red light goes on the Port or Left side of your boat and so Green goes on the Right side. Boat approaching on Right side will see Green and so has Right 0f Way.

Works for me.

Well, as the story goes, the lights also have their origions from a practical standpoint.

When a boat was in port, the work of loading and unloading cargo would go on 24/7 until the boat was either loaded or unloaded. Back then they didn't have 200 watt electric lights... they worked by the light of torches and lanterns. It was easy for a person to get confused in the dark and stepping or falling off the side of the ship into the water was not uncommon.. The side of the boat next to the dock was a dangerous place to be in the water because you could get crushed between the dock and the boat. So to warn the workers that they were on the danger side of the boat they would line the port side with red lanterns. The steerboard side was lined with green lanterns to let the workers know they were on the safe side.

As Monkey Butler guessed, the red and green lights evolved so that when at sea, if you saw a boats green lights, you knew that it was safe to proceed, because you were on his right side and you had the right of way, but if you saw his red lights you knew that it he was on your right, he had the right of way and that you needed to stop or manuver out of the way.

This is where and why we get our modern traffic light colors. Red means danger (stop) and green means it's safe (to proceed)