A narrow, floating or fixed pier that extends outward from a main dock or walkway. It creates individual slips for boats to tie up alongside, maximizing the number of vessels a marina or port can accommodate. In commercial ports, larger finger piers allow cargo ships to load and unload from both sides simultaneously.
Heard on the job
Take her down to the third finger on the starboard side and tie up near the end.
Insider tip
When approaching a finger pier in a crosswind, aim for the upwind side so the breeze pushes the hull into the pier rather than away from it.
Also heard as
- finger pier