Nautical Terminology

For those of you who do not have much nautical experience, here are some common nautical/maritime vocabulary terms I will be using from here on out:

• Port – the left side of the ship  
• Starboard – the right side of the ship    
• Bow – the front of the ship  
• Stern – the rear of the ship  
• Fore – towards the front of the ship  
• Aft – towards the rear of the ship  
• Beam – the side of a ship.  Thus, the port beam is the left side of the ship, and the starboard beam is the right side of the ship.  
• Deck - floor  
• Bulkhead – wall  
• Ladder – stairway  
• Head – bathroom/restroom  
• Galley - kitchen  
• Chow hall - dining area  

If I inadvertently use a term that I forgot to define, you can check the Wikipedia article of nautical terms.

Also, I will be using the 24-hour clock from now on to note times.