inflows from land around or safely through the harbor complex. Although most small craft 

 are designed to shed water, covered sUps are sometimes provided to keep the craft dry above 

 the waterUne, and to shed snow, prevent hailstone damage, and shield the craft from 

 excessive exposure to sunlight (Fig. 8). In regions where snowfall is heavy, landside 

 structures and shps must be designed to shed snow or to carry a heavy snow load. 



Figure 8. Covered slips in Bellingham Harbor, Washington. 



b. Wind. In most regions, the design windloading of structures is specified by local 

 building and safety codes. If not specified, historical meteorological records must be 

 examined to determine the most severe wind conditions that might occur. Floating shps 

 must be designed to withstand the horizontal thrust of the berthed craft during the design 

 wind condition; also, the shps must be anchored securely so that the entire complex with its 

 berthed craft does not drift under wind stress. 



Where winds may be strong and even reach hurricane strength, the water area structures 

 must be designed to withstand the induced forces, and the land structures anchored securely 

 to their foundations (American Society of Civil Engineers, 1961). In addition, substantial 

 increase or decrease of the water level due to wind stress must be considered in the layout 

 and design of the harbor. Where strong winds blow landward over a shallow offshore shelf or 

 across a shallow lake, wind stress effects may be greatly amplified, raising or depressing the 

 water level at the harbor site by several feet in a few hours. A fair assessment of the water 



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