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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