Berths are temporary shelters or spaces for boats, sleeping, or avoiding unpleasant situations. They can be found in marinas, trains, and even used to keep distance from people or places. They offer safety and comfort at a lower cost.
Berths are areas designed to offer temporary shelter or protection. There are several different types of these shelters in common use. A berth can take the form of a place to sleep, an area to tie up a boat of some kind, or even refer to a general space suitable for moving around in safety.
Many people are familiar with the concept of bunk. In this application, the sleeping area is a small but comfortable space reserved for travelers to sleep in relative peace. Accommodations of this type are offered as well as seats on trains and small boats. Sleeping bunks also exist in motor trailers and caravans. Sleeper bunks are usually fitted with simple curtains that can be pulled to allow privacy and minimize noise while the passenger tries to sleep.
Another type of berth is found in a marina, port, or harbor. A marina dock is a space reserved for a ship or ship to safely dock at a given port of call. Marinas offer this type of berth space for yachts, small pleasure craft, and even larger vessels such as oceangoing vessels. It is not unusual for marinas located on rivers and lakes to offer permanent berths for rent to customers who want to keep a boat on the water for most of the year. Although a yacht dock is on the water, it is usually adjacent to a dock, making it very easy to walk ashore from the boat.
A third application of this term has to do with leaving room to avoid a given situation or individual. Usually known as giving a wide berth, it refers to keeping one’s distance from someone who is considered unpleasant or undesirable, at least for a short period of time. When applied to situations, this definition can mean taking steps to stay away from a specific location, such as a retail store or restaurant. For example, someone who is on a diet may choose to give the local ice cream shop a large slot.
Whether you are referring to a ship’s berth, sleeping accommodations on a train, or simply as an extended geographic area, the idea behind a berth is to provide safety and some comfort. The term implies a place where it is safe to relax without distress, temptation, or inconvenience. When traveling, using this small but comfortable spot is often less expensive than securing more elaborate sleeping quarters or mooring a boat.
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