Berth
A Berth is a designated location — at a quay, wharf, jetty or pier — where a ship moors to load and discharge cargo or simply lie alongside. Each berth has a defined length, depth alongside and equipment (such as ship-to-shore cranes), which together determine the size of ship it can accommodate and what cargo it can work.
Getting a ship to a berth is a scheduled, often congested process: on arrival a vessel may wait at anchorage for a free berth, then be brought alongside with pilotage and tugs. Berth planning and allocation — assigning ships to berths to minimise waiting and maximise quay use — is a core port and terminal function, and berthing charges (berthage) form part of the port-call cost. Berth availability and productivity are among the biggest drivers of a port's capacity and a ship's turnaround time.
A berth is the scarce, high-value slot where a ship actually earns or waits — its length and depth decide which vessels a port can take, and berth planning decides how long they queue. Berth availability is a direct cap on port capacity and a major driver of ship turnaround, making it central to port economics.
What determines which ships a berth can take?
Its length, the water depth alongside and its equipment — which set the maximum vessel size and cargo it can handle.
What is berthage?
The charge for a ship occupying a berth, part of the overall cost of a port call.