Bollard
A Bollard is a heavy fixed post — usually cast steel or iron — mounted on a quay, jetty or ship deck, around which mooring lines are made fast to hold a vessel in position alongside a berth.
Quay bollards are rated for a maximum safe working load; using an under-rated or corroded bollard, or leading a line to the wrong one, is a common cause of mooring failure. The term also gives rise to bollard pull, the standard measure of the towing force of a tug.
Bollards are the anchor points of the whole mooring system. A bollard that fails under load releases a line under enormous tension — one of the most dangerous events on a mooring deck — so their rating, condition and correct use are a core part of safe berthing.
What is the difference between a bollard and a bitt?
A bollard is typically a single heavy post on the quay or deck; a bitt is a paired set of vertical posts on the ship for turning up mooring or towing lines.