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Nearside, Offside, Which side?
Land Locked - 11/5/09 at 05:54 AM

Folks, I'm confused cause I've never asked the question.

Which side is nearside and which off side and why?

Thanks in advance.

clairetoo - 11/5/09 at 05:56 AM

Nearside is near the curb - unless you happen to go to France , then your nearside is their offside

Put simply - nearside is left , offside is right .

Staple balls - 11/5/09 at 05:57 AM

The nearside is the one near the kerb.

Offside is the one that isn't.

ReMan - 11/5/09 at 05:59 AM

Nearside is nearest the pavement/side of the road on which you drive

Land Locked - 11/5/09 at 06:02 AM

Thanks for that, confusion ended!

clairetoo - 11/5/09 at 06:06 AM

This something that confuses me at work sometimes - we get left-hand drive vans in , and the nearside kit goes on the right.........
Nothing worse than jumping in to a van to move it , only to find yourself sitting in the passenger seat !

Macbeast - 11/5/09 at 06:10 AM

Think of it as port and starboard

balidey - 11/5/09 at 07:06 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Macbeast
Think of it as port and starboard


I try and get people in my company to do this, as we often have to build vehicles for Johny Foreigner and then NS and OS do swap over. So rather than say UK NS I often say Port. Or sometimes I just say 'RED' that confuses the hell out of them

Only trouble is, less people know there port from starboard than they do Nearside and Offside.

Benzine - 11/5/09 at 07:21 AM

Nearside and offside are stupid, what's wrong with driver and passenger side?

Actually I'll tell you... nothing

balidey - 11/5/09 at 07:23 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Benzine
Nearside and offside are stupid, what's wrong with driver and passenger side?

Actually I'll tell you... nothing


Left had drive car in the UK. Then the passenger side is the Offside

Oh... and another one. My 'other' car is a Mclaren F1. I sit in the middle. Which is the drivers side?

[Edited on 11/5/09 by balidey]

bob - 11/5/09 at 07:30 AM

LOL left hand drive car in the UK passenger side would be nearside as you are still kerbside.

balidey - 11/5/09 at 07:45 AM

I'm having trouble finding a passenger side fairing for my CBR600

(must stop now. OK, we'll wait for Chris Gibbs to pipe up with his drivers side / passenger side thoughts on the Haynes single seater)

Therefore it makes much more sense to keep using Nside and Oside.

Benzine - 11/5/09 at 07:45 AM

quote:
Originally posted by balidey
I'm having trouble finding a passenger side fairing for my CBR600


Get a car then

quote:
Originally posted by balidey

Oh... and another one. My 'other' car is a Mclaren F1. I sit in the middle. Which is the drivers side?


whichever side you dress on


quote:
Originally posted by balidey
Therefore it makes much more sense to keep using Nside and Oside.


It really doesn't. Everytime I read near or off side I never think "oh, that's this side", I have to think about it or look it up. Near what? off what? Curbside would be better than nearside.

Left and right would be good, yeah

[Edited on 11/5/09 by Benzine]

twybrow - 11/5/09 at 07:47 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Macbeast
Think of it as port and starboard


Ah, but it depends whether you are entering or leaving a port....!

smart51 - 11/5/09 at 07:49 AM

Left hand side / Right hand side is the least confusing. If you get some smart arse asking if that's from the front or the rear, on a right hand drive car, the driver is on the right hand side.

David Jenkins - 11/5/09 at 07:54 AM

quote:
Originally posted by balidey
So rather than say UK NS I often say Port. Or sometimes I just say 'RED' that confuses the hell out of them

Only trouble is, less people know there port from starboard than they do Nearside and Offside.


A few years ago I went on an american container ship heading into Felixstowe docks (I went with my neighbour, who was a river pilot). On the front of the bridge, below the windows and in front of the wheel, were two enormous arrows (6ft long and 1 foot high) with 'LEFT' and 'RIGHT' written on them in big letters! Reminded of Jimmy Cricket's wellies...

My neighbour then gave directions into Felixstowe using 'port' and 'starboard'

Hellfire - 11/5/09 at 11:30 AM

So which side is Red or Green then - I used to know but all this lot has got me confuddled...

trogdor - 11/5/09 at 11:49 AM

RED is port and Green is Startboard (I think thats entering port) but yes it depends on whether you are leaving or entering port tho its usually obvious which is which!

has been awhile since i have been in a boat!

I don't get nearside or offside either just stick to driver and passenger side when talking to motor factors etc

[Edited on 11/5/09 by trogdor]

[Edited on 11/5/09 by trogdor]

chrisg - 11/5/09 at 12:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by balidey
I'm having trouble finding a passenger side fairing for my CBR600

(must stop now. OK, we'll wait for Chris Gibbs to pipe up with his drivers side / passenger side thoughts on the Haynes single seater)

Therefore it makes much more sense to keep using Nside and Oside.


I'm afraid you're mistaking me for someone who cares.....

Cheers

Chris

[Edited on 11/5/09 by chrisg]

David Jenkins - 11/5/09 at 12:22 PM

quote:
Originally posted by trogdor
RED is port and Green is Startboard (I think thats entering port) but yes it depends on whether you are leaving or entering port tho its usually obvious which is which!



I can tell that you haven't been in a boat for a while!

Port and starboard are constant - if you stand in the boat facing the sharp end, port is on your left and starboard is on your right, no matter which way the boat is going or pointing.

Boring background - starboard = 'steering board', a rudder than used to hang over the side, held in your right hand. Port is the side you would put against the jetty, to avoid breaking the rudder.

[Edited on 11/5/09 by David Jenkins]

RK - 11/5/09 at 12:53 PM

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

What the hell is wrong with LEFT and RIGHT? Isn't that why we have two hands?

cd.thomson - 11/5/09 at 01:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by RK
What the hell is wrong with LEFT and RIGHT? Isn't that why we have two hands?


fairly sure "left" and "right" isnt the evolutionary source of two hands.. chicken and egg scenario

trogdor - 11/5/09 at 03:43 PM

I guess i wasn't too clear i know which is port and starboard

it was which colour navigation light is on which side of the shipping lane as you come into and out of port.

trogdor - 11/5/09 at 03:44 PM

I guess i wasn't too clear i know which is port and which is starboard

it was which colour navigation light is on which side of the shipping lane as you come into and out of port.