The radiation and scattering of time-periodic surface waves by partially immersed objects is investigated in the short-wave asymptotic limit ε → 0, where ε is a non-dimensional wavelength. Details are given for the prototype radiation and scattering problems in which the fluid has infinite depth and the body is a two-dimensional dock of finite width and zero thickness. The solutions are then generalized to deal with other two-dimensional geometries, with the restriction that the ends of the obstacle are horizontal for a distance of many wavelengths. The method of matched expansions is used. A first approximation ϕ0, presumed to be a good estimate for the potential throughout most of the fluid region, is obtained by replacing the free-surface condition by its formal limit ϕ0 = 0. In the vicinity of the ends of the obstacle, the correct surface condition is used but the geometry of the problem is simplified. The remaining surface layers are dealt with by superimposing on the function ϕ0 regular wave trains of the appropriate amplitude.