If the bakborð is the steering board (starboard comes from shortening
"steering board") then it will be on the right side of the boat/ship as you
look forward. When in dock (parked), a ship would have the steering board
away from the dock so that it would not be damaged and the left side towards
port. As I remember it, left and port both have 4 letters in English. Gotta
love ethmology. I don't know anything about sailing either, just enjoy
knowing usless information.

-Arnurdth

-----Original Message-----
From: falconsword@... [mailto:falconsword@...]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 12:37 PM
To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [norse_course] Re: Tutti frutti...

>3) bakborð in "Frá Fornjóti" - I've transtated it as "back board" =
>stern. But it seems, bakborð is LEFT (or RIGHT, I don't remember
>exactly) side of a ship!

I'm completely out of my league when it
comes to the vocabulary of sailing but as
I understand it:

bakborð = backboard = the left side when looking forward
stjórnborð = starboard = the right side when looking forward