page_title: Port of Southampton
section_title: Other activities
hierarchical_section_title: Port of Southampton / Other activities
caption_attribution_description: King George V dry dock, Southampton
context_page_description: The Port of Southampton is a passenger and cargo port in the central part of the south coast of England. The modern era in the history of the Port of Southampton began when the first dock was inaugurated in 1843. The port has been owned and operated by Associated British Ports since 1982, and is the busiest cruise terminal and second largest container port in the UK.
  The port is ten miles inland, between the confluence of the rivers Test and Itchen and the head of the mile-wide drowned valley known as Southampton Water. The mouth of the inlet is protected from the effects of foul weather by the mass of the Isle of Wight, which gives the port a sheltered location. Additional advantages include a densely populated hinterland and close proximity to London, and excellent rail and road links to the rest of Britain which bypass the congestion of London.
  The average tidal range is approximately 5 feet, with 17 hours per day of rising water thanks to the port's "double tides". These allow the largest container and cruise ships access to the port for up to 80 per cent of the time, according to the container terminal operator DP World Southampton.
context_section_description: Other port-related activities include:
  Shipping agents
  Provisions for cargo and passenger ships
  Ships' chandlers
  Freight forwarders
  Security
  Warehousing
  Harbourmaster
  HM Revenue and Customs
  UK Visas and Immigration
  Southampton Port health services
  Hampshire Constabulary Marine Support Unit
  HM Coastguards Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Lee-on-Solent
  Royal National Lifeboat Institution – The Calshot Lifeboat
  Areas for angling, jet-skiing, waterskiing, windsurfing etc.
  Port maintenance crews
  Cruise-ship cleaning
  Engineering support for ships
  The Southampton Seafarers Centre
  Waste collection
  Stevedores and terminals
  Cargo processors
  Tugs
  Pilots
  The VTS (Vessel Traffic Services) Centre Control Room
  Mooring services
  Dredging
  Fuel supplies
  Port towage
  Container repair
  Container storage
  Freightliner Rail
  Pre-delivery inspections for vehicle importers
  PT Contractors Ltd. – (resident building and civil engineering contractors)
  Headquarters – Marine Accident Investigation Branch of the Department for Transport
  Headquarters – Maritime and Coastguard Agency
caption: King George V dry dock
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