Why are most of the ships drawing plan showing the starboard side ?

I am an experienced Captain. Mainly sailed on Chemical Tankers.

I feel that showing the starboard profile in the ship's plans and drawings has become a norm now.

Ship architect follow the same practice that has been followed for hundreds of the years now. This becomes easier for them to use the pre-existing pattern.

But that is not the only reason for using the starboard profile of the ship. Most of the times, the equipments like rescue boat and davit launched liferafts are located on the starboard side of the ship.

To show these additional equipments (Additional to that of the port side of the ship), it is better to show the starboard side profile of the ship.

If for some ships, these are located on the port side of the ship, then I feel it is the port side that is shown (or need to be shown) for the ship's profile in the plans and drawings.

Do you know a ship with where rescue boat is located on the port side ? Which side profile is shown in the plans or drawings of that ship ? Let me know in the comments here.

There is probably another reason for showing stbd side and that is because the frame numbering in most of the construction drawings is from aft to fwd except in the US where it is fwd to aft....and number writing convention is left to right and so is the stbd view of the ship.

Good point. Thanks for sharing.

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