What Is Dock? Definition, Types, & the Difference with Ports

As a maritime country, Indonesia has supporting sea transportation and facilities, one of them being docks.

A dock is a place for ships anchored. It turns out that a dock has various types and purposes. This article discusses the definition of a dock, its functions, and its types. To understand it further, you can read the following information.

What Is a Dock?

A dock is a building in a port used for ships that are about to anchor. It also becomes a place for docking ships, loading and unloading goods, and boarding and disembarking passengers.

Moreover, it also works to fill the fuel, throw wastes, and fill water resources. In general, a dock is a building consisting of beams on the upper structure. It also has piles and floors to withstand the force due to collisions with ships and the unloading and loading of goods.

Why Is a Dock Important?

Typically, a dock functions to facilitate the passenger disembark and loading-unloading goods. Yet, it is also important for economic and trading activities. After the cargo is unloaded, it will be shifted to the port for the next distribution process.

Not only that but the Indonesian Government has regulated the dock functions under the Rule of the Ministry of Transportation Number 51 of 2015, which are as a place for ships to anchor, load and unload goods, board and disembark passengers, transfers between and within modes of transportation, and to maintain the successful running of activities at the port.

A dock is designated to provide a safer place for sea transportation, such as small boats, yachts, commercial vessels, and others.

Therefore, a dock must be stable and proper to ensure that the passengers can get off safely. The next function of the dock is for recreational spots, one of them is for fishing. The dock is also the entrance and exit to enter seawater.

Moreover, it helps people with a private boat and paddle boat to anchor safely. Due to having various uses, the dock needs to be constructed securely. The structure needs to be non-slip and strong. To lower the possibility of mishaps, the building must also include lighting and fencing.

Varieties of Docks

Every dock type has its own size and functions. Below are some types of docs you should know:

1. Container Dock

The first type is a container dock. It is commonly found in Indonesian ports because it facilitates loading and unloading as well as transshipping containers.

Container docs have cranes used to bring cargo from the ships to the docs and vice versa. Moreover, the crane has become one of the primary elements in the container dock.

2. General Cargo Dock

General cargo docks are also common in Indonesia. It is usually used to load and unload cargo as well as pick up and drop off passengers.

3. Fishing Dock

A fishing dock is used to unload and load fish from the ships. This dock's presence has the potential to boost the fishing industry's economic activities, particularly in regions that produce fish.

4. Bulk Cargo Dock

The bulk cargo dock is used for ships that are about to load and unload bulk goods, such as glass, ceramics, and other glassware.

5. Marine Dock

The marine dock is used for yachts and speedboats. It is also used for important necessities in the sea area.

6. Specialized Dock

Specialized doc is also used to unload and load goods, but it is specially made for particular cargo like oil fuels.

Types of Docks

Aside from varieties of docks, you should know some types of docs regulating the structures and shapes of the buildings. Here is detailed information:

1. Dolphin Dock

A Dolphin dock is a type of dock that has a dolphin structure at the top of the piles. This dock is located on a gently sloping beach with a trestle bridge extending out into the water.

2. Quay Wall Dock

Quay Wall Dock is parallel to the beach and has a form of big walls over the beach. Typically, it is constructed using concrete, Caisson foundation, or steel sheet pile. The quay wall is located on a beach’s mild incline.

3. Jetty System Dock

Another common name for jetty system docks is floating docks. Passenger ships typically dock at this location. Additionally, this pier is utilized for river and lake traffic, which does not require a robust stopping structure.

The Differences of Ports and Docks

When talking about docks, you might also imagine ports. Although both function to elevate the activities happening in the sea and land, both have a slight difference.

Ports are the whole building at the edge of the sea, lake, or river that works to shift goods, disembark passengers, receive ships, and support various activities in the ports.

On the other hand, docks are parts of ports used for anchoring ships which later do the unloading activities and so on.

Those are the information about docs you can learn. The existence of docks is important for transactional and distribution purposes.

To make the economic processes and sea trade run smoothly, the docks and ports that are built must meet standards and feasibility, just like the Chandra Asri Group operating logistics and storage services.

Through the subsidiaries, which are PT Chandra Pelabuhan Nusantara (CPN), PT Chandra Samudera Port (CSP), and PT Redeco Petrolin Utama, Chandra Asri Group provides integrated port services and tank solutions for liquid bulk.

CPN is located in Sunda Strait and connects the Indian Ocean, South China Sea, and Java Sea. CPN has three docs: Jetty A, B, and C. Jetty A has a berth capacity of 80.000 DWT for Py-Gas, LP Propylene, and Naphtha.

Moreover, Jetty B has a berth capacity of 6.000 DWT for LPG, Naphtha, and HP Propylene. Jetty C has a berth capacity of 10.000 DWT for Ethylene, PFO, and other bulks.

CPN is 35.5 hectares and has 53 tanks. In addition, Redeco Petrolin Utama includes 72 storage tanks and two docks. Additionally, Redeco Petrolin Utama features a Customer Order Service System and a fuel-filling station.

So, for infrastructure and chemical solutions, Chandra Asri Group is the answer!