Harbor

Harbor is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term harbor is often used interchangeably with port, which is a man-made facility built for loading and unloading vessels and dropping off and picking up passengers.

Types of Harbors

Harbors can be natural or artificial. A natural harbor is surrounded on several sides by prominences of land. Examples of natural harbors include San Francisco Bay and Sydney Harbour. An artificial harbor can have deliberately constructed breakwaters, sea walls, or jettys, or they can be constructed by dredging, which requires maintenance by further periodic dredging.

Natural Harbors

Natural harbors have long been of great strategic naval and economic importance, and many great cities of the world are located on them. Having a protected harbor reduces or eliminates the need for breakwaters as it will result in calmer waves inside the harbor.

Artificial Harbors

Artificial harbors are frequently built for use as ports. The largest artificially created harbor is Jebel Ali in Dubai. Other artificial harbors include Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles, which were dredged from the Los Angeles River Estuary.

Harbor Maintenance

Harbors and ports are often maintained by Harbor Master. The Harbor Master is responsible for ensuring the safety of the harbor and the ships within it. This includes managing the berthing of ships, controlling the movement of vessels within the harbor, and overseeing the maintenance of the harbor itself.

See Also

• Port
• Marina
• Dock (maritime)
• Pier
• Wharf
• Quay

References

Harbor Resources
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