Step Quay

A step quay is a harbour structure found in many port citiesplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigPorts

List of key trading ports throughout the Civilised World.

topics geog1 cities1, enabling ships to be unloaded at all times of the year, whilst protecting the dockside district from flooding by storm tides. Step quays contain three elements: a sea-level wharf which ships come alongside, a high sea wall (usually at least 3 metres), with the two levels being connected by steps. The steps often have a slide section or chute allowing cargo to be lowered down them, or to be raised with ropes.

Some port cities have complex step quay constructions with a number of different levels, allowing ships to be unloaded at almost any time of the year, even during the lowest or highest tides. Harlon, headquarters of Hartheran Navy, has one of the most advanced and extensive step quays in the world, with multiple wharfs, cranes and other dockside machinery, enabling continuous operation in all but the most extreme weather. Cities without step quays are often called “summer-ports”, because they are closed to shipping during winter storms and particularly in the storm seasonplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigStorm tides

Storm tides are particularly high tides, often accompanied by storm surges and dangerous flooding, which occur on Helevos every 1.3 solar years when Helevos comes into conjunction with the giant planet Kwato'or. Storm tides are at their peak within a two week period, and at their most severe when accompanied by natural storms., whatever time of year that falls. Traste is a rare example of a capital city with only a summer-port. Lacking a protective quay, the city must be built on higher ground some distance from the treacherous low-lying shoreline, which is prone to inundation by storm surges.