From ancient times vessels were steered from the right hand side, for some reason the fixed wing people have got it all wrong.
WHY THE RIGHT SIDE OF A BOAT IS CALLED THE STARBOARD SIDE
Viking ships were steered with an oar-like rudder called a styri, attached to the right-hand side of the ship near the stern. The Vikings called this side of the ship stjornbordi. Today the right-hand side of any boat is known as the starboard side.
Actually "Stjornbordi" means in Icelandic "the side you steer from". For those that do not know, the Icelandic language is stiill very much the same language that was spoken by Norsemen (Nordic people! Not to be confused with Norwegians) around and before year 1000.