Well put, LEJ.

Well put also, Amos.

But that "Hard a-starboard" thing...I think it was correct, because it actually meant "turn left" in the jargon of the British merchant marine at that time. Why? Because on the old sailing ships when you wanted the ship to turn left, you pushed the tiller to the right (which would cause the rudder to go left, turning the ship left). I think the movie had it right after all, and those would have been the actual words used to indicate a left turn at that time, even on a steamship like Titanic. It was an archaic expression, still in use.

Why else would they have shown a ship clearly about to collide with a berg on its starboard bow, and still have the guy say "Hard A-starboard"? Cos that is what he said, no doubt recorded in the log at the time.

- LH