PORT SERVICES AS REGARDS SHIPPING g
catered for by private enterprise, possibly by the shipping
companies themselves.

BERTHAGE

Berthage, or accommodation at the quayside, is provided
either at riverside wharves, jetties and quays, or at quays
in basins or docks, the nature of the accommodation
depending on the tidal and other physical conditions.
As the governing factors have already been discussed,
we do not need to specify them here, and there is nothing
to add beyond stating that the duties of the port or dock
authority under this head include the upkeep of the
structure, of whatever kind it may be, and the maintenance
in an efficient condition of the berth. It has been held
by legal decision that responsibility for damage occurring
to vessels through material dropped into the berthage
space and not removed, devolves upon the port authority.
In other words, the berths, when let or leased to shipping,
are assumed to be in clean and serviceable condition.
Berths let on lease for long periods to shipping firms at an
annual rental are called Appropriated Berths, to distinguish
them from berths available for casual applicants.

Moorings. In addition to berthage at the regular
wharves and quays, it is necessary at many ports to
provide moorings in a river or open waterway, for vessels
which cannot be provided with berths, or are awaiting
their turn. Indeed, a considerable amount of unloading
often proceeds at moorings amidstream, discharge taking
place overside into lighters and barges.

Moorings consist either of buoys or anchorage moorings,
or of piled dolphins. Anchorage or screw moorings are
iron screws of large diameter, or blocks of heavy stone,
sunk into the bed of the waterway, to which chains are
attached and these are brought up to the underside of a
buoy which marks their location. By making fast to a
couple of these buoys, a vessel can be kept in position in
reasonable security. Piled moorings, sometimes known

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