Wharf

For other uses, see Wharf (disambiguation).
"Quay" and "Wharves" redirect here. For other uses, see Quay (disambiguation). For the song, see Aethiopes (album).
The Barbours Cut Terminal of the Port of Houston, US. This cargo shipping terminal has a single large wharf with multiple berths.
Wharf under construction on the Upper Mississippi in Fountain City, Wisconsin[1]

A wharf (pl. wharves or wharfs), quay (/kiː/ kee, also /keɪ, kweɪ/ k(w)ay[2]), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.[3][4] Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring locations), and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships. Wharves are often considered to be a series of docks at which boats are stationed. A marginal wharf is connected to the shore along its full length.[5]

  1. ^ "Fountain City Service Base mooring system gets an upgrade".
  2. ^ "quay". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  3. ^ "quay". American Heritage Dictionary. Dictionary.com, LLC. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  4. ^ "wharf". American Heritage Dictionary. Dictionary.com, LLC. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  5. ^ "Jetties, Piers and Wharfs". rusi-ns.ca. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2023.