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Captains cabin Stbd side?

18K views 88 replies 60 participants last post by  Lancastrian 
#1 ·
Why is the captains cabin traditionally on the stbd side of the vessel?.
I was told it was so the Capt could keep an eye on a stbd crossing vessel, but there are a few different opinions onboard as usual.
 
#2 ·
Side-hung rudder on starboard side, therefore the side of the course decider? Just a suggestion; much tradition probably had a haphazard origin. When I was at sea, the whole deck crew were housed on the starboard side, but those without stripes had to enter the bridge on port side. Such "traditions" are gone now, and many will say good riddance. Regards, Stein.
 
#8 ·
The starboard side is the superior side by tradition. In flag etiquette the starboard yardarm is superior to the port yardarm, in the Royal Navy officers were hung on the starb'd yard arm, others on the port, (admirals were shot). In collision regs for sail, the starb'd tack is superior to the port , port gives way. In many companies with a sailing ship derivation i.e. NZSCo the master occupied the whole fore part, with the mates cabins on the starb'd side, engineers on the port side. (the mates were at sea before the engineers, engineers being considered newcomers to the sea. In two watch system the starb'd contained the best seamen under the mate, the port watch the less experienced seamen under the 2nd mate, this demarcation was later reflected in fore and aft stations. Which end were you? I must admit that in my 4 years on deck, most of my time was down aft with the 2nd mate.
 
#9 ·
When they switched the Mate from the focsle to the bridge during manoevres he was replaced up for'ard by the 3rd Mate. I was told this was partly to give the Mate experience of ship handling during berthing and what not, and partly so they could see what a new 3rd Mate was up to - the 2nd Mate down aft was expected to no what he was on about.

John T.
 
#11 ·
On every ship where I was master, except one, it was starboard. Having had the experience, during daylight hours, of hearing five short & rapids on my own ship's whistle, without the wally on the bridge calling me first, the first thing I wanted to see was what the hell was on my port side. I beleive that BP with the old man on the port side was correct.

Oh, and the ship where I wasn't on the starboard side was the KHALIJ CRYSTAL, ex ZEALANDIC where I was abaft the bridge & sort of underneath the funnel. I couldn't see forward at all but the mate & the chief could - I may have had a direct route to the bridge but I was not at all impressed. The logic of me having a cabin on the bridge would have meant the chief having his cabin you-know-where.

Tony
 
#12 ·
Why is the captains cabin traditionally on the stbd side of the vessel?.
I was told it was so the Capt could keep an eye on a stbd crossing vessel, but there are a few different opinions onboard as usual.[/QUOTE

I thought it was because the ship was steered from the starboard side with the steering oar or board and it was usual for the captain to stand on the starboard side of the bridge and hence his cabin there also.
I sailed on ships where the captain got a bit narked if anyone stood on the starboard bridge wing without his say so.
 
#13 ·
China Navigation's Miho Mk II and III have the Masters Cabin on the Port side then the offset cranes don't obscure the view from his dayroom (but a full load of boxes will!). If you look in my gallery you will see a photo of Kokopo Chief with this arrangement.

From memory the Masters suite on "British Respect" was on the Starboard side but she was an odball, built by KHI as a one off. The other BP vessels I sailed on had the Masters (and Chiefs) accommodation on the Port side.

With respect to forward vision however, the one vessel I sailed on with centrally mounted cranes (Polynesia, now Saipan Voyager) the helmsmans view of the bow was completely obscured by the crane pedastals - I have seen some ships with centrally mounted cranes with a type of offset bow window arrangement with an offset steering stand to give the helmsman a clear view forward.
 
#16 ·
Cunard's Moss tankers from the Eriksberg yards had the masters cabin on the port side - basically a BP design - with the Mate on the starboard side of the same deck, and the chief engineer directly below the mate.
Brocklebank tonnage that I recall mostly had the master on his own deck below the wheelhouse except the Mahseer class where he was abaft the wheelhouse and the third mate suffered the clunking of the telemotor as the manual wheel above passed amidships. The Black four may have been the same but I never sailed on them.
Lucerna, Energos and Marin all had the masters cabin to starboard. Luxor, with midships accommodation, had the master on a deck of his own below the wheelhouse.
 
#22 ·
John Rogers suggests this (a few postings back): "Maybe this cabin location began when we had iron men and wooden ships and there was a starboard watch and a port watch, long before we went to three watches and the captain had the starboard watch."
In the ships in the period I know something about: trading deepwater sailing ships, 1850 - 1930, the captain did not do watches, port watch belonged to the first mate, starboard to the second. On those ships, btw, the captain slept on the starboard side, he had his office on the starboard side, and he ate on the starboard side of the table. Since he was "master next to God," maybe there was a biblical connection:sweat:? Regards, Stein.
 
#23 ·
TrevorW
Quote:Trust Blue Funnel to be the exception! The Masters accommodation on A Class, D Class and M Class was on the port side - as it also was on the "Glenlyon" class! :Unquote
I am afraid you are mistaken. The Masters accommodation on the class you mention went right across the forepart under the Bridge.
 
#24 ·
Of the ones I can remember it seems the starboard side rules.
Interestingly on the Baron Wemyss there were two long tables in the saloon. The starboard one was headed by the Master and contained the deck department. The port one was headed by the Chief Engineer and seated the engine department.
On other ships the middle large circular table was usually the Master's but seated heads of departments and any important passengers. The other small tables were mixed departments.
 
#28 ·
Alec,
Many thanks for bringing the rhiw site to my attention. I was just reminiscing about the 'D' class with the Bosuns House on top of the Seamans along with the Lifeboats. For the life of me I don't know how we ever worked up there as you could hardly 'swing a cat'. Last one was 'Antenor' 50 years ago.

Bill
 
#29 ·
cabins

I was on the Antenor as a fifth engineer in August 1965. My cabin was right outside the officers bog. A wonderful position. I dont think she had been de-passengerised at the time but I am not sure. The second engineer and the chief were along the alleyway from me. The senior lecky was there as well.
A lot of the ships were not carrying passengers at the time even though there were cabins.

regards
jimmys
 
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