A possible insight into "posh."

Dave Hause dwhause at JOBE.NET
Fri Sep 11 03:22:17 UTC 2009


But if the red channel markers are to port on the outbound leg and to
starboard on the return, doesn't that set up head-on collisions?
Dave Hause, dwhause at jobe.net
Waynesville, MO
----- Original Message -----
From: Evan Morris

One of the things we learned was the phrase "Red, Right, Return," meaning
that it was essential to keep the red channel markers on your right
(starboard) side when returning to the harbor.  "Port Out, Starboard Home"
would be exactly equivalent if the implicit reference were to the red
channel markers, and indeed this very phrase seems to be taught in some
places -- often in the mnemonic acronym "posh" -- to novice sailors.  It
seems that this might be the "missing link" that inspired a seagoing
explanation for "posh" in the first place.

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