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Port

A harbour or designated maritime area equipped and administered for vessel arrival, departure and associated operations.

A port may provide cargo and passenger terminals, berths, pilotage, towage, bunkering, customs, immigration, waste reception and repair services. Some ports include several harbours or anchorages, while a harbour need not be a commercial port.

Port limits, authority, traffic rules, reporting, security and available services are locally defined. “Port” also means the left-hand side of a vessel when facing forward, a separate glossary meaning.

What’s the difference between a Harbour and a Port?

Port

  • Ports include docks, cranes, terminals, warehouses, customs offices, fuel stations, and more.
  • Ports are where ships load and unload cargo or passengers.
  • Every port is a place of business, while a harbour might not be.

Harbour

  • It can be natural (a bay or inlet) or man-made (with breakwaters or sea walls).
  • Harbours provide a safe place for vessels to take shelter, load, or unload.
  • Not all harbours have facilities or infrastructure for commercial shipping.

So a port is what you use, and a harbour is where you use it.

Port

  • A facility where vessels load or unload, cargo or passengers.
  • Has docks, terminals or other infrastructure.

Harbour

  • A sheltered body of water where vessels can anchor or moor.
  • Protected by natural or artifical barriers.

Quick Analogy: