Shipping Glossary

H / HARBOR

A place or an area where ships stop toresupply and cargo loading and unloading.

A harbor is a large body of water surrounded by land, rocks, or artificial barriers, often surrounded by tetrapods, that can provide a ship with a safe anchorage and allow cargo and/or passengers to be transported between the ship and the shore. As natural harbors are usually surrounded by land, they create a protected bay where ships can anchor safely. In addition to coastlines, natural harbors may also be found on fjords, coves, lake sides, lagoons and estuaries..

Examples of natural harbors include San Francisco and New York in the USA, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Sydney in Australia, Marmagao in India, and Saldanha Bay in South Africa.