Starboard Bow

The forward part of a vessel’s starboard side, or the relative direction forward of the starboard beam.

As a structural location it lies towards the bow on the right when facing forward. As a lookout report, an object on the starboard bow lies in the sector between approximately dead ahead and abeam to starboard.

The directional sector moves with the vessel. A more precise report should add relative bearing, clock position, distance and movement when relevant to navigation or collision assessment.

Nautical Terminology

Aspect Terminology

The reference is a relative direction, not a true or magnetic bearing. Reports should identify the contact and, where relevant, its bearing, distance and movement.

Terms with the same meaning:
On the Starboard Bow

Related Content:

Bottom-Up vs Top-Down: Pilotage Plans That Work
Bottom-up or top-down? After several practical courses with skippers trained elsewhere, I saw the same pilotage problems: plans too long to read or too thin to protect the boat. Here’s how to choose a format, avoid left/right flips, and build a cockpit-ready plan that works by day and at night.