The definitions are the same for port and starboard but the nomenclature of what constitutes a "boat on port" and such can vary.

With Scoobies clarification I now understand that when a continential crew calls a boat to be "over starboard" that English speaking sailors call the same boat as being "on a port tack". This can get confusing when abbreviations are used.

Stuff like that.

However right of way rules typically are the same in net effect even when their definitions can read significantly differently because of these variations.

The situation is indeed differently with respect to red and green shipping lane markers.

The US switched the definition of these to confuse English vessels in the 18th and 19th century and have them run aground. They never switched back.

Wouter