Wharfs are platforms near along navigable waters for the ships to load and unload. It is supported by piles. They act as storage areas. It is also known as a Quay. Some wharves are built on floating devices so that the ship and the wharf are at the same level during the change of tides. The word wharf comes from an old English word 'hwearf' which means heap. The word 'staith' is most commonly used in the northeast of England. Some well known wharfs around the world are Canary Wharf in London, Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, and Circular Quay in Sydney.
