If you have been near to a port or a dock in a coastal area, you must have noticed a raised structure or a platform that goes for a distance perpendicular to the sea. This structure provides facility for ships to load or unload cargo and passengers. Wharf and Jetty are two similar structures that have many features in common which is why people remain confused by wharves and jetties. This article will highlight the features of both wharves and jetties to enable readers to differentiate between the two structures.
Jetty is a small wooden structure that is raised like a platform, and more suitable for small boats to dock and unload. It may be built upon wooden logs or made up of rubble and concrete. A wharf is not perpendicular but parallel to the coast. It is along the shore, almost parallel but serves similar purpose as that of a jetty.
Key Takeaways
- Jetty is a raised platform made of timber and used to save the harbor from the effects of tides
- Jetty goes inside the water perpendicular to the water body, while a wharf moves alongside the water body, and not perpendicular to it
- Wharf is a structure made of stone and concrete, and it is a single structure or multiple wharves made to facilitate loading and unloading of ships
In the case of a wharf, what we see is a fixed platform built upon pilings. Where the volume of ships is low, a single wharf may serve the purpose but it is common to see multiple wharves or a large wharf with multiple births to handle the cargo.
Jetty is a structure that is built to protect a harbor from the effect of tides. It protrudes into the sea perpendicular to the sea or any other body of water like a raised platform. A jetty cannot be expected to handle loading and unloading of large vessels, which require a full fledged wharf. Wharf may have storage areas, and is mainly used for loading and unloading of ships. Wharf has enough parking place and ships can dock to be loaded or unloaded.
