What is the difference between a wharf and jetty on a waterway?

Answer 1

A pier (jetty) is a structure perpendicular to the shore for ships that are loading and unloading. A wharf (quay) is built alongside the shore, or parallel, with the same application.

The terms pier and wharf are used in the US, but jetty and quay are used in the UK. In the US, the term jettyapplies to barrier structures built to establish a harbor or entrance to a waterway, as with a breakwater.

Answer 2

Both a wharf and a quay are areas used for loading and unloading ships. The difference between the two is that a quay is generally a bank that has been shored up so that ships can park beside it. A wharf is a platform that has been build for the same purpose

Answer 3

they are both serving ships transaction blah blah blah

the only difference is that the wharf is built horizontally while pier is vertical