Single word that describes a boat stop / dropoff point

I am looking for a single word that describes the place where a boat stops to allow passengers on and off.

For example, if it was a bus, the bus might arrive at a bus stop.

On the route, there are many stops.

Is the word the same for boats, or is there something more appropriate?

Solution 1:

stop

If you're looking for a single word, "stop" may indeed be appropriate, although the association may not be as obvious as for "bus stop". Here are some examples that show it being used for a variety of vessel types:

Set sail for the unspoiled natural wonders of Alaska on cruises that include stops in Sitka, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, among other ports of call.

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/cruises-destinations/

American Queen dropping Helena as riverboat stop beginning in 2015

http://wreg.com/2014/09/10/american-queen-dropping-helena-as-riverboat-stop-beginning-in-2015/

Ferry Stop – North Landing Dock

http://gohrt.com/services/ferry/

The definition of the word supports it as well:

6 a : a halt in a journey : stay b : a stopping place

Solution 2:

You could say "point of disembarkation" or,"port of call" or, "We pulled into port at..."

(These are used for ships w/ passengers - a freight liner or small craft usually "docks".)

Solution 3:

If your boat is some kind of ferry with a circuitous route and multiple points of passenger transfer just like a bus, then each point could be safely referred to as a stop along its route for the same reasons the term works for buses.

More often, all of a boat's passengers are travelling between the same two points, all embarking at the origin and all disembarking at the destination. I'd call these points ports or docks, depending on their size (the latter being smaller and with fewer facilities on shore).

You might consider using the term ferry slip or just slip, but this is a fairly technical term more significant to the crew than the passengers.

Solution 4:

dock, pier, wharf, wharfage....

a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats.

• A wharf is a platform built on the shore that extends over the surface of the water. On the wharf, you saw people preparing to set sail.

(dictionaries)