Which side

[Rum_Pirate]

Which (traditionally and why) is the correct side to come along side and let somebody board a yacht?

 

[cliffordpope]

The side with the ladder

 

[Evadne]

The side with the ladder

Unless you've got one of these:

 

[Mandarin331]

Starboard side if you have officers on board who require a ceremonial reception (ie pipes, guard of honour etc). Port side for an informal boarding.

 

[Woodlouse]

Back in the day on a Man of War the Captain boarded on the starboard side if he wanted to come aboard with ceremony, and boarded on the port side if he didn't want anyone to bat an eyelid.

 

[snowleopard]

Going a very long way back, Starboard was the side that had the steering oar or steer board and was the outside when berthing to avoid damage. Larboard, which could be confused with Starboard was renamed Port, confirming that it was the side to the quay.

 

[ChrisE]

Which (traditionally and why) is the correct side to come along side and let somebody board a yacht?

On ours it has been starboard, ever since I disembarked from port, at the same time as someone was expelling the remains of a no 2 from the heads (sited on port side)

 

[snowleopard]

On ours it has been starboard, ever since I disembarked from port, at the same time as someone was expelling the remains of a no 2 from the heads (sited on port side)

I go to great lengths to berth port side to because my helm position is on that side which puts me 17 ft from the starboard gunwale. Last time I tried to go in Stbd side to I collected a lump of jetty and a red face. OTOH I always board from the dinghy on the stbd side as the swim ladder on the port hull tends to shred dinghies.

Not traditional (yet) but it makes sense to me.

 

[bikedaft]

the dark side?

(sorry)

 

[Poignard]

With only 10hp [i.e. no brakes!] it's whichever side means I'm stemming the tide, or the wind if that's stronger.