Left of a ship ... or what a ship may have left

PORT

Think of the side where you might dock to load cargo, or the place a vessel departs from on its journey.

This clue plays on two meanings of "port." First, it hints at the nautical term for the left side of a ship when facing forward. Second, it uses "left" as a pun—since "port" can also mean a place a ship has departed from (like leaving a harbor). The word "left" ties both ideas together neatly.