Originally Posted by
reefrat
When driving a ship you are required to "give way to the right" meaning that any vessel approaching you from the right hand side has right of way. It therefore makes sense that the driver is on the right side,(Starboard side) to see any stand on vessels. Carriers may perhaps follow this principal (sic)
Quite amusing to see all the theories projected in a 14 year old thread until finally Reefrat comes up so quickly with the simple answer that would have made most sense to the senior officers who would have dictated the requirement in the design of the first purpose-built aircraft carriers, and could or would not have been aviators themselves in that era. The captain's sea cabin in virtually every reasonably large power-driven vessel is on the starboard side for precisely that reason so that, when called up by the officer of the watch regarding a close quarters navigational situation, they can if necessary look out and promptly see for themselves what's what on the "danger" side.
All the aviation related theories, however technically commendable, are therefore very much downstream.
I would also suggest that, contrary to Ivor's suggestion, the Andrew Miller connotation is fairly widely known in the Royal Navy.
Jack