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Maritime & Shipping vocabulary · Ports & Port Calls

Berth

Meaning in maritime & shipping, with examples

/bɜːrθ/nounCore term

In maritime & shipping, berth means: A place in a port where a ship ties up to load or discharge. As a verb, to berth means to bring a ship to that place. The word can also mean a bed on a ship.

In Turkish: yanaşma yeri, rıhtım, ranza

How it is used

Agents and terminals talk about berth availability, berthing time and berthing prospects. Ships wait at anchor 'for a berth' and are 'berthed port side alongside'. A 'berthing window' is the agreed time slot at a container terminal.

Example sentences

  1. The agent says berth number 4 will be free tomorrow morning.

  2. We are expected to berth at 0900, with the pilot boarding at 0730.

Common collocations

  • berthing prospects
  • wait for a berth
  • berth alongside
  • berthing window
  • shift berth
  • quayA long stone or concrete structure along the shore of a port where ships tie up to load and discharge.
  • anchorageAn area of water, usually marked on charts, where ships are allowed to anchor while they wait for a berth, a pilot, orders or better weather.
  • pilotAn experienced local mariner who boards a ship to advise the master on navigating safely into or out of a port, a canal or a narrow waterway.
  • mooring lineA strong rope or wire used to tie a ship to a quay, a buoy or another ship. Lines are named by their position, such as head line, stern line, breast line and spring.
  • ship's agentA person or company in a port that looks after a ship's business on behalf of the owner or charterer, arranging berths, pilots, customs, crew changes and supplies.

More terms: Ports & Port Calls

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