Berth (moorings)

A berth is a designated location in a port or harbour used for mooring vessels when they are not at sea.

Berths provide a vertical front which allows safe and secure mooring that can then facilitate the unloading or loading of cargo or people from vessels.

Berth is the term used in ports and harbors for a designated location where a vessel may be moored, usually for the purposes of loading and unloading.

Most berths are alongside a quay or a jetty (large ports) or a floating dock (small harbors and marinas).

The rule of thumb is that the length of a berth should be roughly 10% longer than the longest vessel to be moored at the berth.[why?]