Principal commission
Harbour activity study
A harbour activity study is a commissioned reading of a named quay: who arrives, who waits, which tide actually governs the day, and where the quiet hours hide.
Who it is for
Harbour masters, municipal port committees, terminal managers, and shipping agents who must explain a working harbour to people who do not stand on the quay.
Harbour masters, municipal port committees, and terminal managers who need a written picture of how a quay actually behaves.
What you receive
A bound briefing with occupancy charts, a vessel-call narrative, a tide and weather note for the study window, and a short list of pinch points the committee can act on or set aside.
Scope
One harbour or one terminal, agreed in writing. Multi-site work is a separate commission. We do not cover offshore wind construction spreads or naval bases.
Included
- A scoping conversation by telephone or at 71 Southend Avenue, Blackstone
- A written request for vessel-call logs, tide tables, lock diaries, and crane or ramp notes
- Three to five days on the quay, arranged around your shift pattern
- Conversations with pilots, tug crews, gate staff, and agents you name
- Charts of berth occupancy, call mix, and delays that can be tied to tide or weather
- A draft for comment, then a final bound copy and a briefing at the harbour office
Not included
- Live vessel tracking screens or any form of remote watchkeeping
- Court-ready expert evidence, unless scoped as a separate letter
- Design of new quay works or dredging specifications
- Staffing recommendations that go beyond what the occupancy record can support
Who carries out the work
Content Craftline, working from Blackstone in the United Kingdom, with travel to the named harbour.
How the work proceeds
- Instruction. You write with the harbour name, the question the committee needs answered, and whatever logs you already keep.
- Scoping. We agree the berths in play, the months to cover, and the on-quay days. You receive a letter of engagement and a fee.
- Records. We read the movements book, agent emails, and tide tables. Gaps are listed early so nobody is surprised later.
- On the quay. We watch a working stretch of the day: a lock transit, a bunkering, a ramp marshalling peak, or a quiet Sunday, as the question requires.
- Draft charts. Occupancy bars, call mix, and a weather overlay go back to you as a draft. You correct names, trades, and local terms.
- Office briefing. We present at the harbour office. Questions from the night supervisor are as welcome as questions from the chair.
Time
Four weeks is possible for a single-berth fishing harbour with a clean log. Six to eight weeks is typical where several trades share a quay or the movements book needs reconstructing.
Where the work happens
On site at the named harbour, with drafting done in Blackstone. Briefings are held at your office unless you prefer ours.
What we ask you to prepare
Please nominate a single contact. Please say if any berth is under construction. Please warn us about photography rules near cargo sheds.
Limits we will not stretch
We work in English. We do not board vessels without the master’s agreement. Night observations are included only when the fee letter says so.
Fee basis
A single-berth municipal harbour starts at £4,800 including the bound copy and one office briefing. Larger terminals and multi-berth conservancies are quoted after scoping. Travel from Blackstone is itemised.
Rates are informational. There is no payment on this site. Instruct us by writing; we send a letter of engagement before any on-quay day is booked.
Next step
Write to hello@content-craftline.click with the harbour name and the question you need the charts to answer.