godan verb (-u)
moor (a boat); make fast
Used for securing a boat to a dock, buoy, or another vessel with ropes.
船を岸壁に舫う。
Moor the boat to the quay.
漁師は港で船をしっかりと舫った。
The fisherman moored his boat securely at the harbor.
Standard kanji spelling for mooring a boat.
Kana spelling is acceptable, especially in informal or instructional contexts.
The kanji 舫 is composed of 舟 (boat) and 方 (direction/method), suggesting the idea of securing a boat. The reading もやう is of native Japanese origin, and the exact derivation is uncertain.