Coaster (ship)

A coaster is a small merchant ship built to carry cargo along a coastline between nearby ports, typically drawing a shallow enough draft and having a small enough size to enter harbors, rivers and canals too small or shallow for larger oceangoing vessels. Built for short-sea trade rather than transoceanic voyages, coasters have long carried bulk goods such as coal, stone, timber, grain and general cargo between ports along a single coast or a connected regional network of coasts, playing a significant role in domestic trade in many countries before road and rail networks were fully developed, and remaining economically important today in regions with extensive coastlines and island geography. Modern coasters are typically fitted with cargo-handling gear allowing them to load and unload at small ports lacking dedicated port cranes.